Normandy/Loire Valley 9 Day Itinerary Help

Amboise is a popular base for Loire Valley. Close to Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau, other chateaux "majors". The town itself has has the Château d'Amboise and Clos Lucé, also the smaller Château Galliard, Easily walkable. Charming but also popular so some might describe it as 'touristy". I didn't find it so last October, 2024.

Ordinarily, I would not recommend a stay in Bayeux in November. It's proximity to the ocean means it could be cold and windy, and possibly rainy to boot. Making for miserable touring of the DDay sites. Or not. No one can predict.But since this is a bucket list visit for your MIL, just make sure you dress accordingly. She will want to check out the DDay tour companies soon, to see if they are even doing tours that late in the season. She may be able to find a guide who will do a private tour. Also, be aware that the Bayeux tapestry will not be open for viewing. I would think that 3 nights might be sufficient. Normandy is better known for cider and Calvados production than wine. Perhaps you could investigate that while in Normandy.

If you are interested in Mont St Michel and it's medieval abbey, it is worth a one night stay. It's not that long a drive from Bayeux. But read up on the physical demands of climbing all the stairs to reach the Abbey.

Given the time of year, the grape harvesting should be over, and the autumn colour will probably be over. But there may still be wineries in the Loire that are open to visitors, likely by reservation. And of course the chateaux will be open, although their grounds will be going dormant. We spent 3 nights in Amboise and still didn't see all we wanted to see.

You might consider dropping off the car at the St Pierre des Corps train station in Tours and taking the train back to Paris. You would want to be there the night before your flight home. And what could be a better way of ending a vacation in France than having a lovely dinner in Paris? Sure beats staying at a sterile airport hotel IMO.

We stayed in Bayeau once 9/2023 and again 4/2025 and had tour with HQCompany tours and I just checked their schedule and it appears they are open in November. It was a full day tour once just the two.of us and in April four of us..picked up.and dropped off at.our B and B. It was the highlight of our trip both times. Our guide was young man name Yannick very entertaining and knowledgeable. I remember it was $650 or so US dollars and worth every but of money. Best of luck.

First thought is...are you planning to drive to your first destination immediately upon arrival to CDG, and will that be after an overnight flight? You will most likely be tired and jet lagged. Second...what time is your departure flight from CDG? Will you need to spend the
night before in Paris? If so, now you are down to 7 nights total. There is so much to see in the Normandy area, that my recommendation is to base yourself there for the entire stay. (we have been there twice) Day trips can be taken from there. I was not a big fan of MSM, but that would be a possibility for one day from Bayeaux. Look at your driving times from Paris to Loire, to Normandy and back to CDG and decide if you want that much of your vacation time spent in the car. Definitely be prepared for the November weather in Normandy. During our trip in November, temps were in the low 40's; it was windy, rainy and occasional bouts of hail. Not a deal killer if you are dressed appropriately. I'm sure all of you will enjoy your MIL's bucket list trip. Normandy is a memorable area.

We stayed once in the Pays d’Auge (in Normandy) and it was so beautiful! Very close to lots of towns with great places to eat like Cambremer and Pont l’Evêque. Easy to get to D-Day beaches and Bayeux. There is a wonderful D-Day museum in Caen. We did self guided visits to Utah and Omaha beaches and a flying visit to Gold/Juno/Sword. Also within easy distance of Honfleur which is a lovely town on the coast. As others have mentioned Normandy is the only region of France that doesn’t produce wine but all the apple based products (cider, pommeau, and Calvados) are so good. If you want to fit in Loire Valley I recommend Tours which is a very nice town within the easy reach of the major châteaux. And if you do decide on visiting Mont Saint-Michel for me it’s definitely worth staying overnight so you can wake up early and walk thru the deserted island and across the sand.

We (myself, son, and daughter in law) are currently on vacation in France. We stayed in Bayeaux and found it a good base for D day beaches. We visited Mt St Michel on our way to St Malo where we spent the night before going on to the Loire Valley.

The general consensus of our group is that we wished we had spent more time in St Malo area.

We took the train from Paris to Caen where we picked up our rental car. The office is directly across from the train station.

If you go to the Loire Valley , I can highly recommend the two bedroom flat we have been staying in. Great location, 5 minute walk to center of Amboise. Free dedicated parking. Completely renovated and all on the ground floor.

La leonardine duex pas du chateau royal is its name and we booked it through Booking.com. Cost was €110 a night which was such a great price for a high quality property.

Given your time available, I would recommend against going into Bretagne. There are plenty of very nice beaches and restaurants serving seafood in Normandie, especially on the west side of the Cotentin Peninsular, such as west and north of Coutances. Your time of year is challenging. Many of the best oceanside spots will be closed for the season. But even restaurants farther inland should have a good selection of fin fish dishes. Shellfish not as much given the season, but that's the choice you've made.

Bayeux is a popular choice. It's fine for most folks. If you want to be a bit more daring perhaps consider Barfleur; further north on the Cotentin Peninsula. Its market is on Tuesday and Saturday, with the larger one being Saturday. It would be hard to find a more charming seaside stony fishing village on the French coast than Barfleur.

Mont Saint Michel is worth a stop if your traveling group is up to the physical demands of the place. On the way there, Granville is a gem. Good restaurants, nice views. A very dynamic centre ville.

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