We did a car tour of Normandy and Brittany in April 2025. After visiting relatives in Amsterdam, we flew to Paris, rented a car at CDG, and drove to Honfleur. Three nights there, then four nights in Dinan, one in Rouen. Then we returned the car at CDG. Navigating the car in and out of the rental zone at the airport was not difficult. It did not require driving through central Paris (leave that to the experts!).
Honfleur was our base in Normandy. We stayed at La Cour Sainte Catherine, a lovely B&B close to the historic center. Dinner at Coté Resto was probably our most impressive meal in this town - most of our other choices were made for convenience. Honfleur is worth a day of exploration, if you like rambling on cobblestone lanes in old villages. Of course, many of the storefronts are now arts and crafts galleries, waiting to snare tourists.
From Honfleur, we did a day trip to Veules-Les-Roses, a smaller town a few miles up the coast. It is home to the "shortest river in France". There is a very pretty walking trail on the shores of this river (more like a stream or creek). Lots of eye candy: old waterwheel powered mills, fairytale half-timbered cottages, etc. When we were there, the area was bursting with flowers and vegetation. Watercress is harvested from the river. The seaside part of the village is a resort in the summer. Chalk cliffs rise from the shore (maybe siblings of the ones in Dover). There is a hiking trail that goes up the cliff, for great views of the town and the English Channel (in France: La Manche).
For Brittany, we chose to stay at Hotel Arvor in Dinan. This hotel was nothing special, but it has a parking lot, and a great location, within a short walk of the most scenic streets and buildings. For shutterbugs, Dinan is a "target rich environment." We spent much of a Thursday wandering through the large open air market, one of the best we've seen in France. Lots of tempting food offerings (fresh produce and prepared items), crafts, clothing, etc. We had several memorable meals. Recommendations: Le Cantonbery, Colibri, Crèperie Ahna. Dinan is definitely worth a stop, even if you don't stay there.
From Dinan, we took a day trip to Saint Malo. This is the city described in the novel "All the Light We Cannot See". Bear in mind that it was almost completely destroyed in WW2. So what you see now are mostly buildings that were rebuilt after the war. But you can still climb up and stroll on the fortress walls, and imagine what it was like when pirates and seafaring explorers operated from here. During our visit Saint Malo was very crowded with tourists.
We did not try to visit Mont Saint-Michel. The Rick Steves book recommends booking lodging close by, and trying to get an early bus to the island, before the hordes arrive. Maybe this is not necessary during the off season.
We were not impressed with Rouen. Granted, we did not spend much time there. But the historic core of the city was not nearly as charming or interesting as the other towns on our trip. The famous cathedral was covered in scaffolding when we were there. My ladyfriend is a serious foodie, and wanted to visit La Couronne. It advertises itself as the oldest continuously operating restaurant in France, and it was the place that inspired Julia Child to study French cuisine. These days it is mostly a tourist destination. Competent, but not exceptional. Note: driving in Rouen's central district is hellish. It's a rats nest of one way streets with limited parking. It took us about 45 minutes of circulating around, looking for an entrance to a parking garage near our hotel.
