Itinerary for Normandy and Loire Valley

Lucky you! This was one of my favorite trips to France. Loved Honfleur, Bayeux and don’t miss the cathedral there.....it is beautiful. We stayed on MSMichel overnight....a bucket list priority and so worth it. We drove then to Amboise for our Loire Valley base and loved it....what a charming town to come home to each night. I highly recommend staying at Hotel Le Manior les Minimes. It’s a lovely older home that has been made into a hotel. It’s a great location to walk into the town of Amboise at night for dinner and in the morning if you want for a bakery and breakfast. Do not miss Villandry....it’s gardens are incredible. The Seine had flooded that spring so we missed Chambord (closed) and hope to go back next year and see it......Chenonceau was a treat! BTW, our Overlord Tour of Normandy was wonderful. Have a great trip!

I would spend two nights in Bayeux and then visit Mt. St-Michel.

From the perspective of my limited experience--about 2 weeks in Normandy and the eastern edge of Brittany, but no Mont-Saint-Michel and no Loire--it appears you'll cover MSM in the recommended way, but I don't see how you'll have time for the Bayeux Cathedral, the tapestry, the old town or the very good WWII museum. But you have very little time (4 full, non-jetlagged, days and perhaps some hours on Tuesday), and if all 4 areas are absolute musts on this trip, I don't see how anything can be changed.

I take it that you know from your earlier trips that your driver deals well with overnight flights and is safe to drive approximately 18 hours after you leave home for the airport. I'm a blithering idiot at that point.

Caen is about 2 ½ to 3 hour train ride from Paris Saint Lazare Train Station, and there are rentals at the train station. It’s close to both Honfluer and Bayeux.

https://www.autoeurope.com/car-rental-caen-train-station/

I would suggest you consider staying two nights in Bayeux to tour the area and Bayeux itself unless there is something you strongly wish to see in Honfluer, especially since you’re planning to drive from Bayeux to MSM after a day of the Overlord Tour.

Raymond

Thank you all for the information! I delved into planning this afternoon and now find myself more confused!!!

Starting with, we really want to stay on the island of Mont St Michel and it looks like there are no hotels with availability for 8/31. Therefore I am thinking of switching plans and going from Paris to Mont St Michel on the 29th. Then head to Bayeux for the 30 & 31 (take a day trip to Honfleur). From Bayeux head to the Loire Valley (looking into Amboise, thank you Jane!)
--> My biggest concern - *what is the best method of transportation for this plan? Part train/part rental car? Is it possible all train? All rental car?* Where would be the best place to rent a car?
(does not appear any train option from Mont St Michel to Bayeux?)
--> Is there a place in the Loire Valley to drop the rental car and take a train to Paris?
--> Any recommendations of places to stay in these areas are welcome! Some of the beautiful chateaus around Bayeux look enchanting!

Again, thank you for your help! This forum is so wonderful!

Was Overlord also full? You are booking late for peak season so you will have to take what is still open, not your first choices.

Hotel rooms on MSM tend to be limited, small, expensive, and old. Have you looked at the shoreside “strip” of soul-less modern hotels?

You could return the car at St Pierre des Corps and take the all-reserved TGV to Paris. Check agency names and hours.

Do you know the CDG train does not go to the station for Caen or Bayeux?

I would want air conditioning in an August hotel, but we bought a 240 volt fan for a (beach!) hotel that had no AC.