Itinerary Recommendations for 9 days Paris/Normandy?

If it were just me (female, traveling alone), with 9 days I'd stay in Paris and take some of the easier day trips by train. In addition to Versailles and Giverny, there's Chartres and it is possible to stop in Maintenon on the same rail line. There's also Fontainebleau and Chantilly. In and around Paris, within the Metro system and farther out within the RER system there are countless fascinating and fun things to see and do.

That said, if you've always dreamed of visiting Mont St Michel or if you have a keen interest in the D-Day beaches, go for it. The Rick Steves guide provides info on how to get to these locations and gain the most enjoyment/appreciation of them.

In choosing where in Paris to make your base, consider which day trips you intend to take and examine the Metro map. If your hotel is near a Metro station that serves the lines you'll need to take for your day trips, you'll save a certain amount of time and hassle.

I'd say if you want to see Mont Saint Michel you should, and staying on the island is a treat, but not cheap and it's all about the location, not the quality of accommodations. If you stay right nearby you can soak up the sunset/nighttime/dawn vibes with probably better room and lower price. But I think you can do a day trip if that's more appealing.

Thanks so much to you both for your replies! I think I will take a chance on Mont Saint Michel. And apparently will have an extra day as I didn't realize Giverny gardens will be closed in November when I am there! I was worried about being rushed but seems like it will be doable.

Thanks!

I'm going to assume that 9 days means 8 nights, so I'd recommend 5 nights in Paris and 3 in Normandy. My husband and I did a similar trip a few years ago, and here's what worked well for us.

Day 1: settle into hotel, adjust to time change, ascend the Eiffel Tower (make sure you buy tickets in advance) and walk around the Champ de Mars (sleep Paris)

Day 2: 1st day of our two-day Paris Museum Pass - Orangerie, Tuileries Gardens, Louvre, and Arc de Triomphe for sunset (sleep Paris)

Day 3: 2nd day of our two-day Paris Museum Pass - RS's "Historic Paris Walk" featuring Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, RS's "Left Bank Walk" featuring Luxembourg Gardens, St. Sulpice, and Pantheon, Rodin's museum, dinner in Rue Cler (sleep Paris)

Day 4: Day trip to Reims to see the cathedral and tour champagne houses (you could do a trip to Giverny instead) (sleep Paris)

Day 5: RS's "Montmartre Walk", RS's "Marais Walk", Trocadero Gardens to see the Eiffel Tower lit up (sleep Paris)

Day 6: train to Caen, pick up rental car, drive to Bayeux. See Bayeux cathedral and Bayeux tapestry. (sleep Bayeux)

Day 7: Normandy/D-Day sights (sleep Bayeux)

Day 8: Mont St-Michel day trip (sleep Bayeux)

Day 9: open/travel day

A few notes:
-We had already been to Paris before (this was my 3rd trip, husband's 2nd), so we didn't visit Versailles on this trip because we'd already seen it. On our previous trip, we did a morning at Versailles and spent the afternoon seeing the Ile de la Cite sights. We thought that a half-day at Versailles was plenty, but if you want to spend the full day there and still see a lot of museums, I'd investigate the four-day Paris Museum pass.
-I was four months pregnant during this trip, so we definitely took it easy :)
-MSM is completely doable as a day trip. It's a long drive from Bayeux (about 1.5 hours each way), but an easy one (straight shot on a very nice highway). We didn't stay on MSM because hotels were higher than what we wanted to pay and I thought it wasn't worth the logistics hassle, but others who have stayed there may disagree.
-We only spent about 4 hours on MSM. We arrived as early as possible, beat the crowds, and were on our way home before the hoards of tourists showed up. The island was absolutely overrun when we were leaving, so I can't imagine a full day there would be enjoyable, definitely go early or late.

I hope this helps! Paris is one of our favorite places in the world. You're going to have a great trip!

Thank you all so much for your helpful advice! I realized after I posted that Giverny would be out as the gardens will be closed when I am there. So that frees up my schedule a bit!

Erin E- thank you for the itinerary! It's very helpful to see a plan laid out as I don't even have any concept on how many things would be doable in a day. I think I will definitely use this- with the exception being since this is my first trip I'll be working in Versailles for the Paris days.

I am so excited! Thanks again! :-)

Anjali, May I recommend:

• 3 nights in Paris; arrival night, Eifel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, Louvre, Notre Dame, Versailles, Champs Elysees, etc.
• 1 night Rouen; see Giverny along the way from Paris, Rouen Cathedral, Jean d'Arc site, Gros Horloge.
• 2 nights Bayeux; Normandy Beaches, National Cemetery, Bayeux Tapestry.
• 1 night Mont St. Michel.
• 1 night along the Loire River maybe Tours or Orleans
• last night Paris

Safe travels

I've visited Mont Saint-Michel both on an overnight on a Rick Steves tour and as a day visitor. My opinion is colored by the fact that I didn't care for it either time. To me this is a place that is better viewed from a distance. There are fewer visitors in the late afternoon and early morning but that doesn't change the main street's souvenir shop flavor. As I walked to breakfast I did almost get bowled down by an escaped beer keg that rolled off a delivery cart and bounced down the whole length of the main walking street.

On the overnight stay I did the 7AM Lauds service at the Abbey. It was dark, rainy and the steps up to and inside were slick. I felt a bit embarrassed at the service as the nuns seemed to expect us to participate in responses - not understanding French and not being Catholic I could do neither. Yes, I should have been more aware of the fact that it was a church service and not a tourist event. I'm more careful now.

So...my opinion is that it is not necessary to spend the night out there if this is a must-see for you.

Now, D-Day beaches? - yes, absolutely amazing. Take some kind of small guided tour. They are fabulous and will completely enrich your experience and help you understand how this day unfolded. The RS tour used Dale Booth as a guide and he was fabulous, but any in Rick's book will be excellent.

Bayeaux Tapestry? - yes, stunning. Just awesome.

I would spend 2 nights in Bayeaux and do the Invasion Beaches on your full day in the area. You can see the tapestry on the afternoon you arrive. Add another night if you feel you need to see MSM.

Thank you all so very much for your feedback! I have done a little research and found out that Giverny gardens will be closed when I am there in November so that frees up some of my time. I think I will be more comfortable taking the side trip to Normandy. I am still in a bit of a quandary regarding Mont Saint Michel as all I read and opinions seem to be 50/50 regarding staying ON the island itself or just doing a day trip. After reading some hotel reviews though I'm not sure about staying in a "musty" hotel but must be an experience if some call it "magical!"

The day by day itineraries are very helpful and much appreciated! I had debated using Bayeux as a base...Perhaps without the car- I am a bit trepidatious about having a car? Is it easy to drive and get around? Thought of just doing tours that leave out of Bayeux...

Thank you again- I am very excited! :-)