"Oldish" couple visiting Normandy in late September

We have just done a longer trip to Normandy (from UK, own car), with similar mobility issues.
I would suggest staying in or near Bayeux (tapestry closed by then, sadly).
Several nice hotels and loads of restaurants - see other posts.
Visit Arromanches, Ouistreham (Pegagsus Bridge), Airborne Museum (Ste Mere Eglise).
Forget Mont St Michel with mobility issues - also longer drive.

Are you sure driving straight off the plane is a good idea?

How lucky for you! You definitely don't have enough time for everything with only 2 full days I think it's a bad idea that you are coming in from an international flight then planning to drive. And definitely not plan to drive to Bayeux after a flight.

With two days, you could either take the train/rental car (pick up in Mantes de Jolie) and spend the night in Giverny. Then maybe visit Rouen. This could all be done by train or car.

Or take the train to Caen. Rent a car and stay in Bayeux and use that for your base. Bayeux is small and charming and would be easier to get around with your wife's limitations. Make sure your accommodations have parking. You could drive to MSM. It's a lovely area and seeing it from afar is pretty magnificent.

We used Overlord Tours for our DDay tours.
I'd give yourself a minimum of 4 nights (not days) and that's tight.

Driving after our flight should not be too big of a problem for us. First, we'll be arriving at CDG around 9am or 10am, so plenty of time to drive to Bayeau, with a short stop in Giverny. Also, being as we will be flying business class (wife is a Delta Airlines retiree), we will be able to get some rest during the flight from JFK. We've done this sort of driving after an international flight before without TOO much difficulty.

Sounds like we should aim more for a 4-night trip instead of a 3-night?

just to remind you that that those who will or might drive the car in France need to be able to present an authorized translation of their home driving license - an IDP does the job easily and cheaply, available from AAA or another organization in the US.

Just a few questions that might help with getting answers. Are you flying from what appears to be your home in Colorado to JFK then straight on to Paris in one shot?? Also we are a family of airline emp!oyees and we do list ourselves in business class but it is considered stand by so we could easily be bumped to economy seats, is that possible for you also? We went to Normandy but took train from Paris to Bayeau. . We then took a full day tour Of the beaches before renting a car. Have driven in and around Paris several times and would not consider coming off a flight and driving but is just my experience. Good wishes with your plans.

Yup, fulling aware of standby restrictions; been doing it for about 20 years now. That's why we'll likely go via JFK, as there are 3 flights to CDG, so 3 chances to get on. Right now the flights look pretty open, but if, for whatever reason, the open business seats dry up...we don't go. Simple as that.

Pretty much the same advice with some caveats.

1. Arriving mid morning Paris then renting a car, stopping at Giverny and then heading to Bayeux is an all day event where you likely will hit rush hour traffic approaching Caen. I commuted across the Atlantic for work for about ten years and while getting used to it; it’s never easy. Your first day will be long/tiresome.
2. Visit D-Day beaches? There’s about 60 miles of beachfront with relevant history. Maybe read The Longest Day by Ryan and pick tours that meet your interests. Consider Overlord Tours as they operate some large tour buses for popular destinations on the American beachheads. Some smaller tours by most vendors will find you packed in a 12-14 Psgr vans.
3. Driving around MSM isn’t a bad idea. I took someone with mobility issues who was delighted. It is doable and takes a couple hours.
4. Bayeux is a good place to stay, with a broad range of accommodations and dining.
5. IDP is not a requirement for renting a car. I have carried American & German IDPs over the course of 20+ years. Only presented a IDP once at a French field sobriety checkpoint. 6.Like others….make the trip leisurely and spend 4 nights in Normandie.

Good Luck!

Everything Veteran Traveler said. Spend more time, and skip the IDP (watch me get flamed for saying this by people who have never actually had an issue not having one). The only thing I would add is that driving isn't just an issue of having enough time in the day to get somewhere. Unless you know for sure you can do a cross-Atlantic flight and not be too tired to drive safely afterwards, I would use caution. The other thing is that Mont Saint-Michel is easily an hour and a half drive from Bayeux each way. It is impressive from afar, but that's a huge commitment for just a drive-by (if you do this, definitely go via the D275 for a longer stretch of views).

Yeah, I hear you. We're now thinking more long the lines of driving up to Bayeau, making a short stop in Giverny, and making Bayeau our base. Then see about private tours out of Bayeau for both the D-Day Beaches and Mont St Michel. We'd still like to have the car if we decide to explore a bit on our own around Bayeau. I think the drive from CDG to Bayeau will be okay, especially with a stop or two. We've done similar drives in the past, right after an international flight, such as driving from Rome down to Sorrento.

Just to clarify, I totally agree with your decision to have a car in Normandy. But either it or a tour from Bayeux will still leave you at the foot of Mont Saint-Michel—and it does take good legs to actually get up there on steep, stone stairs. There is no other way once you are on the Mont.

Check out my recent trip report! We spent five nights in Bayeux recently.

In my experience Overlord Tours uses vans (not particularly crowded), not full-size buses. I would definitely not condier a big bus preferable on a D-Day tour because of the extra time required to unload and reload at each stop.

Opt for a full-day tour (group or private), not a half-day tour. Too much of the time on a half-day tour would be spent driving from Bayeux to the first stop, between stops and then back to Bayeux.

We stayed in Bayeau once wth my son who had rented a car to meet us there. Villa Aggarthi which had private parking and great breakfast, very comfortable place and good location. We took private tour with HQCompany once by ourself and once with son and daughter in law. Wonderful full day. They used an SUV and was very comfortable. Enjoy your trip.

I appreciate all the comments and tips!

by " end of September" do you mean end of September 2025? If so finding reservations might be a challenge.

Instead of driving to Bayeau I suggest taking a train to Caen and picking up a car there. 3 days lets you see some of the area, but the more time you can spend in the region the better. The Michelin Green Guide to Normandy will cover just about every town of interest to a tourist in the area, we found it invaluable.

Yes, end of September, as in about 3 weeks from now. Already have refundable reservations at a Château just outside Bayeau, as well as for the car. We would like to make a short stop in Giverny on the way up, hence getting the rental car at the airport (yeah, I know it always costs more at the airport, but convenience is a big factor).

Now all we need is to make sure there will be enough business seats on the flight from JFK to CDG.

I appreciate your confidence in driving the first day. But you have a lot planned. Getting off the plane, customs, and picking up a car are going to take more than a few minutes. At least 1-1 1/2 hrs to Giverny. It will take at least 2 hours to see Giverny (if you want to enjoy it), and then at least another 2 - 2 1/2 hours to Bayeux. That’s a lot even if you do get to “sleep” in Business Class. From JFK it really amounts to a 3-4 hr nap, plus the time change.

I would suggest you take the train from CDG to Caen and then a car to Bayeux. You could drive 7 miles up to Arromanches after refreshing in Bayeux. It was a part of WWIi history that we were unfamiliar with. Beaches of Normand the next day. Add Giverny to your return trip to Paris when you are rested and can enjoy it more. It was one of the highlights of our trip. We even drove part of the Cider Route on our way. So lovely. That would put you back in Paris for dinner and a flight home the next day.
If you want to add an extra day to Bayeux, you could go take a day trip to Dinan with a drive by of MSM.

I do appreciate the thoughts on taking the train to Caen, then renting a car there. However, for us, that adds a bit more complexity, adding in the train, as well as the slightly more cost of renting a car at one location and then dropping it off at a different location. And as I've mentioned, driving somewhere right after landing from an international flight is not new to us. Driving from Rome down to Sorrento was about 3 hours, nonstop. So we really do feel that driving up to Bayeau, with a stop in Giverny is doable at this time. Sleeping/relaxing in business class really does help reduce (not eliminate) some of the jet lag impacts on the 1st day.

Be sure to prebook your reservations for the Giverny Monet House/Garden visit.

MSM....having walked up the back way and down the front way at MSM with one metal knee and one very wonky knee, plus back issues, I wouldn't feel bad just admiring MSM from the causeway. It is magnificent sight, and IMO, having been on the Mont 3 time (twice with no knee/back issues), the best view is OF the Mont, not FROM it. That is probably blasphemy here. But don't skip it just because you can't ascend it. To see it from the causeway on a drizzly or slightly foggy day is a beautiful sight, reminding me of something from a fairy tale, or the tales of King Arthur.