Rental car- Normandy

One discussion, easy to find more:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/train-or-rental-car-from-paris

I think it would be more linear if you started in Rouen and ended in Mont-Saint-Michel (or vice-versa). That would also allow you to stop in Giverny en route to Rouen. In Paris you will have to get from Gare du Nord to Gare Saint-Lazare where the trains to Normandy originate (at least for Rouen, Giverny and Bayeux, it is Gare Montparnasse for Rennes). If you stick with your proposed itinerary, I would pick up a car in Caen where there are many rental agencies. There are also several in Rennes—which is the closest train to MSM. I have never rented in Rouen itself (I drove there from Paris), but there are rental agencies there as well. I usually use Hertz (ten visits to Normandy so far), and have picked up or dropped off in Paris, Caen, Bayeux, Cherbourg and Rennes without a hassle. But beware they charge a drop off fee for separate cities.

@Pharmer-

I agree about linearity being ideal. We are coming from London 4/30. With the major holiday on May 1, we decided to sign up for an Overlord D-day tour on 5/1, as so much will be closed that day, and Overlord tours will be running. So we will leave London the morning on 4/30 and need to be in Bayeux that evening. We will stay 2 nights. Would like to spend a night in MSM and thought it made sense to drive there next before Rouen/ honfleur/giverny (however we work that out) before Paris.

We took a train from Amsterdam into Paris Gare du Nord, and it was very easy to pick up our car there, and it was a very easy drive to Rouen, since the rental location was on the edge of the city.

We stayed there and eventually ended up in Bayeux and then headed back to Paris, stopping at Giverny on the way, We turned the car in at another Paris location on the edge of the city, which was easy and took a cab from there to our hotel. We liked having the flexibility of a car the whole time.

We also stayed in Honfleur which we enjoyed, but if I had to pick between that and Rouen, I would pick Rouen, Maybe stop in Honfleur for lunch?

For your amount of time, I might eliminate one location. Have you been to Paris before? If not, I would stay for 3 nights in Paris, arriving in Paris in the late afternoon. That would give you that morning in Normandy, stopping at Giverny on the way back. I think MSM is a little more out of the way and might eliminate that. Or you could eliminate Rouen and drive to Bayeux on the first day. Enjoy!

Sorry, typing at the same time! But the recommendation for the car pick up still holds. You will love the Normandy tour!