I only have 6 days outside Paris - thoughts

"Hire car", so I'm going to guess you're from Australia?
If so, are you ok driving on the "wrong side"?
:)
(Just kidding)

Your itinerary looks do-able. Of course each traveler would do the 6 days differently, it's really a matter of personal preferences.

It seems that for travelers reporting in here, who use Amboise as a base, that the 2 favorite chateaus are Chambord and Chenonceau, which are easy to do with a hire car.

A few travelers here have been disappointed with the lack of science at Leonardo's place, and others liked it. For me, just seeing the room where The Master died was sufficient, touching really.

Note that Mont St. Michel is a bit of a distance from Caen, and in the opposite direction from the D-Day Beaches.

I'd recommend 2 nights in the D-Day Beach area, so that you get 1 full day of sight-seeing there, you'll want a full day there.

I would try to keep it to two hotels with a three night stay in each. Maybe three hotels two nights each, but only if you must. Unless money is no object, I would definitely say book ahead. On our 2003 France trip I left a few night unbooked for flexibility, but that was way back when. Flexibility will cost you a lot these days, and I always book every night in advance now - even though we alway travel shoulder season. This includes on our 2010 France trip. Unless you book ahead, you could find yourself paying top dollar for mediocre lodging. Your trip sounds really great to me, since I also have a strong appreciation for history. I hope you have a great time.

I agree with VS on booking ahead. Yes, it pins you down to an itinerary--but in the summer, driving around looking for a room isn't fun and eats up time you could be using to see more things. There's pro's and con's, I know.

You can use Arras as a base for exploring the surrounding area as it is located quiet central between Ypres and Amiens. Also of interest can be La Coupole a former V2 launch base near Saint-Omer, some 80km north-west of Arras. Within is a museum about rocket history in general. I can also recommend for your kids too a visit to Musée Air+Espace at Le Bourget, just north of Paris, unfortunately you will just miss the Paris 2015 airshow there.

More info: http://www.lacoupole-france.co.uk/ and http://www.museeairespace.fr/en/ (language is a mess)

Hi, Thanks all so much for the advice. I will look at booking ahead. One last question. If I want a base for ww2 museum, DDay beaches and maybe Mont Saint Michel (although I may do it on the way here) where is best to stay - Bayeux, Caen or Arromanches. I don't know the area at all, I assume Caen is more of a city. We are looking for a big city as such just somehere that is clean and can get a decent meal.
Thanks again

Ohh and Kent - I am looking forward to driving on the "wrong side of the road" - I am a paramedic so will practice driving on the wrong side so that I am ready for Europe!!

To answer your last question, travelers reporting in here seem to mostly stay in Bayeux or Caen. Caen is a city, Bayeux is smaller, and Arromanches is the smallest of the three.