Recommendations for Normandy and Brittany for end of July

How about an example of what you consider an off-the-path town that's pushing you toward Brittany and Normandy - - and is it Lower or Upper Normandy that's ringing your bell?.

How does Les Pieux or Le Conquet grab you - - they're both kind of out on the far end of the stick but have a bit of charm?

Thanks for your suggestions. Since we are interested in seeing the WW 2 sites northern Normandy Is San Malo extremely touristy this time of year?

St Malo always has tourists, but it's not diminished by the fact. It's also one of the best examples of a walled port in the world, albeit largely restored after WWII. The trouble is that it's in Brittany and a good two hours from the invasion beaches on the Cotentin Peninsula of Lower Normandy.

We spent 5 nights in Normandy a year ago visiting MSM for one night, Bayeux for two doing the WWII landing beaches on an Overlord Tour the full day, and two days in Honfleur and doing Etretat on the full day. You can see our snapshots at: http://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/normandy/
We had never been to this area before and none of what we did was 'off the beaten track' but we loved it all. We particularly were taken with Etretat; we had seen it so often in Impressionist paintings but it is even more stunning in person.

Note that the rental agencies in Caen take long long lunch breaks so be sure your pickup is for a time the office you book is open or you will be stuck in a nowhere part of town with absolutely nothing to do for an hour or two.

Hello Traveler,

So if you only have two-ish days consider this as a possible itinerary. Arrive Caen in the AM (because you got on an early TGV) rent a car, tour the D-day beaches and museums. Stay the night in Bayeux. Next day early departure, drive to Mont St. Michel for a day visit, drive on to St. Malo for an overnight. Sightsee in St. Malo for the day and then drop the car in St. Malo or Rennes and take a TGV back to Paris in the afternoon to evening (2-3 hours), ready for your departure on July 31st. St. Malo is a wonderful cobble stone city with forts and castles surrounded by sandy beaches and crashing waves. It is one of my favorite cities in France and if you decide to visit you will see why. Make sure to pre-book your TGV or if traveling on a rail pass book your reservations in advance. You can book your tickets, purchase a rail pass or reserve your seats from our rail page: www.ricksteves.com/rail . You can also book reservations for rail passes at the Train Information office, if you do it this way, pre-book at least 3-4 days in advance, TGV's can sell out. We recommend www.autoeurope.com for renting cars.
I hope this helps you plan your trip to France. Don't forget to use as much French as you can, you will show respect and get some in return.

I'd have to quibble a bit with the previous post having made an unknown number of runs along that track.

Facts:
. You can drive from Paris to Caen faster than the train can make it.
. There is no TGV service between Paris and Caen.
. You cannot start to see even the major WWII sites in what remains of the day you get onto the Cotentin Peninsula.
. Absent entering the abbey at MSM, you can walk everything there is to walk at a slow pace twice in an hour and a half.
. From Bayeux, it takes just over an hour to drive to the MSM parking lot.
. From the MSM parking lot it takes just under an hour to be parked outside the wall at St Malo.
. It takes an hour to walk the walls at St Malo, you can spend several inside the walls, the choice of excellent seafood joints on one street alone is almost endless.

Opinions:
. Where you get rid of the car depends on what you're doing after Lower Normandy and Brittany.
. I have very strong prejudices against AutoEurope for numerous reasons and use them only as a last resort. Others swear by them.

I recommend staying in Bayeux, and for a couple of nights so you can do justice to seeing many WWII sites and to spend a day in Bayeux itself. It's a charming town, fun to walk around, has an amazing cathedral, the Bayeux Tapestry and the best WWII museum of them all imo. And a friend of mine highly recommends visiting the British Cemetery across the street from the museum. The American Cemetery alone deserves a couple of hours imo.

We've stayed at Hotel d'Argouges in Bayeux many times and highly recommend it.

Hi,
I say this over and over. First, France is a large country geographically. We in the US tend to think of it as a state, maybe the size of Wisconsin. Wrong. Better to think WI, IL, IN, MI, and Minnesota.

I had 10 days to spend between being in Italy and before we were to arrive in Paris. (yes, life is tough) I thought I was smart to limit myself to two counties, Brittany and Normandy. My goodness. At top speed on the four lane highways, which are quite nice, from Paris to the end of Brittany is 6 or more hours driving. Anything off the main freeways of this area (yes, freeways, as this goes back several centuries when France was united, the agreement was that the king would not have toll roads in these two counties) and you are talking all day behind the wheel.

I would recommend a central location, maybe Bayeaux (3 to 4 hours out of Paris by four lane highway). It has a nice cathedral and the tapestry. And make some limited day trips out from there. Or Viller-Bocage for a smaller location.

wayne iNWI

Bayeux is wonderful. Despite its proximity to the dday beaches it isn't too touristy. It's a great base to explore all the tiny towns in the region, all are close by car. Don't miss Les Andelys too.

To clarify my comment above should anyone need it for their own purposes. I don't recommend driving!!! It is 2h30 driving from Paris to Caen if there is perfect traffic conditions. Though I was incorrect that it was a TGV to Caen, it is only a 1h50 train ride with a guarantee of no traffic congestion. The train is faster if you pick the right route. Check Deutsch Bahn for routing information. As to the rest of the driving on the itinerary I have done a similar itinerary as I advised above. It was busy, but doable and fun. Happy Travels!

To clarify my comment above should anyone need it for their own purposes. I don't recommend driving!!! It is 2h30 driving from Paris to Caen if there is perfect traffic conditions. Though I was incorrect that it was a TGV to Caen, it is only a 1h50 train ride with a guarantee of no traffic congestion. The train is faster if you pick the right route. Check Deutsch Bahn for routing information. As to the rest of the driving on the itinerary I have done a similar itinerary as I advised above. It was busy, but doable and fun. Happy Travels!