Hi everyone. I’m looking for a sanity check on our upcoming Normandy/Paris itinerary for a family of three, including our 13-year-old son. We are into history, art, culture, and pastries. Trying to balance timed entry tickets with a desire for a relaxed and flexible trip has been surprisingly tricky—it honestly feels like the D-Day invasion might have required less planning! We’d really appreciate any feedback—things you’d change, add, skip, or swap out. Thanks in advance!
Day 1: Arrive CDG from US East Coast (12:35pm), drive to Bayeux
*Jet lag not a huge problem for me
Lunch and brief sightseeing in Rouen
Crash early at Bayeux hotel
Day 2: Sleep in, easy morning (maybe Bayeux cathedral or tapestry)
Mont St Michel in the afternoon
Day 3: D-Day Tour (Overlord Band of Brothers Tour)
Day 4: Drive to Paris
Pegasus Bridge (optional)
Monet gardens
Lunch in Giverny
Drop off rental car in Montparnasse
Check in to hotel in Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Evening Seine river cruise (time and energy permitting)
Day 5: Eiffel Tower
Lunch or picnic on Champe De Mars
Arc de Triomphe (Outside view only)
Stroll Champs-Élysées
Explore as time permits
Day 6: Notre Dame
Sainte-Chapelle (optional depending on time at Notre Dame)
Lunch/relax near Luxembourg Gardens
Napoleons Tomb
Musée d'Orsay
Day 7: Versailles - Bike Tour
Day 8: Louvre - Should I join Ami du Louvre to avoid the insane lines and late openings I’m hearing about?
Tuileries Garden
Domaine National du Palais-Royal (Optional photo opp)
Musee de l'orangerie (time and energy permitting)
Day 9: Palais Garnier Opera House
Galleries Lafayette Paris Haussmann (optional)
Lunch in Montmarte
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
Day 10: Return home