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Normandy moderate paced itinerary?

Posted by (Washington, D.C.) on

Any suggestions about this itinerary? We have 6 nights, starting in Versailles and ending in Paris. MSM is a must.
We want to set a moderate pace and have some flexibility to spend more time or add other sites or activities. Other than MSM, there is nothing on this that we must do. We'd like a mix of history and countryside charm. We are going in mid September.

Also, I was planning to drive the southern route to MSM (through LeMans) so that I might stop in Chartres and also because we will be returning by the northern route. If we don't go to Chartres, would one of the routes be more scenic or provide better opportunities to stop along the way?

Day 1:
Starting from Versailles, drive to MSM either stopping in Chartres or visiting a town near MSM like Cancale or St Malo. Stay in Pontorson.

Day 2:
Visit MSM early, drive to Bayeux, tapestry. Stay in Bayeux

Day 3:
DDay tour. Stay in Bayeux

Day 4:
Countryside drive or horseback ride, visit American Cemetery late in day to see flag lowering.
Stay in Bayeux

Day 5:
Drive to Honfleur, see town. Stay in Honfleur

Day 6:
Walk cliffs at Etrechat or drive to Rouen to see cathedral. Stay in Honfleur

Day 7:
Drive to Rouen, return car, train to Paris

Posted by
8551 posts

That is a relaxed itinerary and if I were you I would have a list of possibilities in each area to add in to your day if you felt like it then. Maybe a day trip from Honfleur if you feel that a full day is too much (we are the slowest of travelers and spent only an evening and a morning in Honfleur) But if you have a few 'possibilities' you can adjust as you go without creating a crammed itinerary. You can see how we spent 4 days 5 nights in Normandy a couple of years ago here:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/normandy/
We loved Etretat and the Bayeux Tapestry lives up to its reputation. We also did the all day Overlord tour of the American beaches which I haven't posted in the photo journal yet. We aren't usually 'tour people' but we hadn't had time to do our homework when we added the Normandy side trip to our month + in Paris and found it easier -- it was well worth doing this way although it can be done fairly easily with your own car if you prepare for it.

Posted by
11 posts

Wow! I hit the jackpot with that response. Your travel journal and photos are marvelous, giving me an excellent feel for everything you mention so that I can decide what appeals to me (all of it!). I really appreciate how you describe things and let the pictures speak for themselves without burdening your reader with endless superlatives or disappointments. Remarkably well done. You've convinced me that Etretat is a must. I will and do have further ideas of what we might do in each location. Your details about what you saw in Honfleur were especially helpful three. Thanks so much!

Posted by
16895 posts

It certainly makes sense to choose a different driving route in each direction. www.viamichelin.com suggests a "discovery" route along smaller roads via Alencon. Their "recommended" route uses faster roads, but allows you to stop at the lovely town of Fougeres; I also see Laval mentioned as a good stop in some older threads, if you want more than one. Online and on regional maps, roads with good countryside views are marked with an adjacent green line (which sometimes blends into the green park areas).

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