Normandy area

We used Overlord for a DDay tour and they were great. We spent 2 days in the Normandy area....one day on the tour and the next going back to the places we saw on the tour that we wanted to spend more time at. We stayed in Bayeux and it was perfect. We had time to see their cathedral and tapestry and enjoy our dinners each night there. We also saw Rouen, Honfleur, and Etratet and loved those places.
We drove to Mont St Michel and stayed there that night. It was great to be there after the crowds left. It is beautiful at night!

The Churchill Hotel in Bayeux runs day tours to MSM from behind the hotel. It's a long day and MSM is usually packed when the tour buses arrive.

jen,

There are lots of tour firms in that area. A few that you could consider....

• http://ddayhistorian.com/
• http://dboothnormandytours.com/
• http://www.visitdday.com/ (if you have a car)
• http://overlordtour.com/ (also offers half-day tours)

Some will be more on the expensive side, but well worth the cost (IMO). Whichever one you choose, it's a good idea to book early.

For lodging and/or a meal I can recommend Hotel Logis du Casino at Vierville-sur-Mer, immediately on the beach. The dining room has large picture windows giving a commanding view of the beach, cliffs, war monument. It is about 20 min. drive from the American Cemetery (cemetery is to the east of the hotel), and fairly close (not sure exact distance) to the German Cemetery in the other direction, toward Cherbourg.

The RS guide cautions that many people run tours in the area who are not all that knowledgeable about WWII history, so it is good that you're asking for recommendations.

If you're driving your own rental car, be aware that some parking lots along the coast are for buses only, and the bus drivers will intentionally block you in if you park in "their" parking lot.

We stayed at the Hotel Churchill in Bayeux and it is centrally located,very nice hotel with lots of WWII memoribilia and they run a shuttle to Mt St Michel and 300 feet from their front door is the pickup area for the D Day tours.I would also reccommend Overlord Tours as another poster did,their tours are well done and the guides are very knowledgeable and they use mini vans so you get a personalized tour.The Tapestry is five minutes from the hotel.

Mike

Going to Mont Saint Michel without spending a minimum amount of time in Brittany (Bretagne) would be a pity to my mind, because there are many interesting and authentic places in a short driving distance : Saint Malo, Fougères, Dinan, Rennes, Cancale... and many less known places, as well as amazing landscapes and towns if you can allow for a few days more to reach the west and south sides of Bretagne.
You can get some some hints for places to see in Brittany on http://visite.bretagne.free.fr/index.php/en/itineraries.html

We found the audio guide to be sufficient for our level of interest at MSM. (Based in Bayeux in May 2016 with a rental car, we did MSM as a day trip. An early start -- I think we were on the road with coffee and croissants by 7:00 a.m. -- certainly helped. Parking was easy, and the crowds had increased dramatically by the time we were leaving in early afternoon.) "Other spots": we enjoyed the combination of a morning in Honfleur with an afternoon driving the cheese and cider "route" area in the Pays d'Auge area between Bayeux and Honfleur. The Tapestry and other sites in Bayeux are worthy of checking out as you plan you itinerary.

Last fall I spent 10 days in Brittany/Normandy (including visiting Mont St Michel, Rouen, Etretat, Dinan, Rennes, St Malo, Dinard, D-Day tour, Bayeaux, Honfleur) and thought there was a lot left I did not have a chance to see.

So how many days? Up to you. The RS book has sparse coverage of the area. Get the Rough Guide and you'll find better coverage. The gold standard is the green Michelin guides, which cover just about any town a tourist would want to visit. Read thru these guides and then decide what you want to see.