Stressed about car rental

All cars with a hatchback have a cover, this is not an option.

Anyway, there is no guarantee that you will have a Corolla, it may be an equivalent in the same category

I'm sure you'll be fine with the Corolla, but why not upgrade one size up, for peace of mind. We just drove a rather large BMW rental (you definitely don't need that) throughout Normandy; and never ran into any problems. Roads are nicely paved, marked and otherwise easily navigated. It was no problem driving, and we managed parking just fine as well. Our only challenge was going down a very narrow parking structure in Rouen; but it was ok.

@KD -- I am SUPER nervous about driving. I have taken care to make sure I am not driving near big cities (picking up in Caen. Staying in Bayeux, St. Malo, MSM, Amboise, and returning car in Dijon) and plan to mostly use other forms of transportations within the cities I am staying in, but I am very nervous about tight garages, tight parking spots, etc. At home, I am very reliant on the 360 degree cameras on my car for this, but I know I will only have a backup camera in France. I am going to try to avoid the extra large suitcase, but I am not very hopeful about this ... it is so hard in summer when you sweat a lot to rewear clothes! And also we tend to dine in nice restaurants, so often need to change for dinner, though at least those clothes can be reworn more frequently.

@KD it looks like in the same class but slightly bigger is a Volvo XC-40. Honestly, I am used to driving an SUV, so this would be more comfortable for me driving-wise, just not parking wise. I'm really not sure how big a difference it makes in terms of narrow roads, etc.

Please send your thoughts and anything I can do to mitigate these risks. Thanks!

My thoughts are pack less and take trains.

I am I fact taking trains from Paris to Normandy, from Dijon to Lyon, and from Lyon to Paris. High speed trains were not available for the other routes. Believe me, I am not a stranger to contorting my itinerary to avoid driving. I did it in the south of France. This trip, it just didn’t work out.

I drive a Corolla here at home, your luggage should fit fine in the trunk, if that's the car you end up with. As for driving in France, it was the first foreign country I drove in and found it to be pretty painless. Signage on both the highways and the local roads was good. If you are driving solo (as I was) download the maps for France to your phone now and pre-plug in your destinations. Dealing with an unfamiliar vehicle GPS system is a stress you don't need, so I use my own phone. Also, spend some time virtually "driving" some of your routes using Google street view. I find this helps to familiarize with the area and use it especially for viewing my route from rental car pick up location to gas station and next location.

It's normal to worry about this, but I think you'll find France is pleasant to drive in. Good luck!

Gracious, is all that luggage just for you?

All I can say is don't be nervous. It's just not that complicated to drive there. Do your accommodations have parking? That's the key. Once we parked the car at our Airbnb in Bayeux we never moved the car because everything is walkable within town; we took Overlord Tours for WW2 sites, and parking is very limited there no matter what size car you have; so as long as your hotel/bnb has parking for you; you'll be ok. I just had made sure that everywhere we stayed had parking availability in one form or another. I think that was the key for us.

@KD Thank you so much, you are very calming. :). Yes, I made sure everywhere has parking, and with the possible exception of driving to some chateaux in the Loire Valley if necessary, I plan to drive to my new hotel and leave the car there the whole time, to the maximum extent possible.

I have a private tour booked for the WWII sites.

I will need to leave luggage in the car at times, including overnight at Mont St. Michel

A rule I follow is to never open the trunk in a parking lot. I pull over somewhere a mile or two before the destination and get out what we need if we need something in the trunk. You don't want to show anyone watching the lot your car is a sure thing. Also at MSM we stayed at a hotel across the bridge; you might want to consider changing your reservation. The views of MSM from the street are incredible, especially at nite, and we parked right at the hotel instead of the big parking lot so we could bring our luggage in.

Don't stress over driving in France, it's not too hard, especially if you have a data plan so you can use a cellphone as a nav guide. Might be a good idea to bring a charging cable that plugs into a cigarette lighter and another that plugs into a USB outlet. Carefully obey all posted speed limits and look up before your trip what the curb colors mean for parking and the signage used in France. Before you go get the driving permit https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

@John - definitely planning to follow that rule and also to carry our meds/passports etc. I am staying on the island and am not inclined to change it at this point. I'm really just trying to be planful and hoping for the best. I know I can't be alone in this situation.

Yes, what John says about the International Driver's Permit from AAA before you go. About $30 and you don't need to be a member. Our rental agency asked to see it.

I'm a confident driver, and also drive an SUV at home, but of course was a bit nervous about driving in France, even though it was my husband who was supposed to do the driving. Well, a foot injury in Paris changed that. I did all the driving, and really enjoyed it.

Bring a USB-A and USB-C cable for the car to plug in your phone, since it could be either one in the car. Someone on the forum suggested to me to also bring a plug for a cigarette lighter, so we brought that too, but the car was brand new and that wasn't needed. Also, I requested a gps because I like all the back up I can get. Our car came with one built in, so I used that more than my google maps on my phone. I forgot to ask how to change the language, so "she" navigated in French, but it didn't matter, I just followed the arrow. My husband got it changed to English after a day or two.

Also, if you encounter any toll roads, just tap in/out with your credit card. Super easy.

We live in So Cal; the land of potholes, so I just marveled at the wonderful conditions of all the roads in the French countryside. (Apparently they use the tolls to maintain the roads! Marvelous concept, but I digress!)

You can do it!

Thank you again, @KD. I am about to pull the trigger on a compact SUV instead, which will hopefully relieve my mind on the luggage situation and be more comfortable for me to drive. I don't think I will need to often park in a garage; I think it will mostly be outside. I know everyone says to go as small as possible, but I'm hoping that I will be driving so little other than on expressways that it won't really matter?

I do have the international drivers license, so that is handled.

Just for reference, the International Drivers Permit is not an International Drivers License. The Permit is what forum members generally refer to and it is needed along with your US State's drivers license. Bring your D/L along with the IDP.

I always get full insurance, and I also ditch the car on the outskirts of small towns or on the far side of the parking lot, where no other cars are. Then, my only real stress becomes finding gas and figuring out how to fill the tank!

On two different trips we had a car in Normandy snd in the Loire Valley. In the former, we were baséd in Caen. In the latter, we stayed at a farm outside Ambroise. Perfect for Amboise, Chenonceau, Chaumont, Cherverny, Chambord and Villandry. We also went to Blois.

I think a car is necessary to make best use of your time. You definitely can see two chateaux in one day with a car. I also like Clos de Luce in Amboise.

Sounds like a lot of luggage. You will keep wearing your favourite outfits and wonder why you brought the rest.

Excellent advice from John about not rummaging in your "trunk" in the same location where you're going to leave your car.
When you're staying on MSM, you'll park in a much smaller, paved, gated lot (that is, not a 4,000 car dirt lot). You'll have to get the entry code from your hotel before you arrive. It's surrounded by foliage so the vibe is that it's a safe place to leave your car, although anyone who wanted to could clearly duck under the gate or go through the bushes to get into the parking lot. We've stayed on MSM half a dozen times and have never experienced any issues with luggage left in the car.
We just returned from France and drove an intermediate SUV ((Suzuki Swace). If you take your time, I don't think you'll have any problems getting in and out of parking places and garages if you chose a vehicle that size. I drive very slowly as I'm going up or down ramps in parking garages because I'm unsure of the exact contours of the rental car I'm driving. My experience is that most cars these days have warning sounds at the very least to let you know when you're getting too close to a wall. The Swace did and I had to learn how to listen to it. It was even more nervous than I was, so it would sound distressed even though we weren't really going to scrape the wall.

And if you should make a wrong turn (or miss the right one), be forgiving towards yourself. You can always find a place to turn around and get on the right track and you won't have put yourself in danger. You are, after all, touring France, not some lawless wasteland.
I hope you enjoy your trip.

@Bob thank you. I did end up switching to a compact SUV. Here’s hoping it has lots of bell and whistles and a cargo cover. I love all those beeps and cameras etc but you get used to them and it makes it hard to drive without them! Thank you for the advice. I am constantly trying to brainwash my son, who is not yet driving age, about not doing anything dangerous when you miss a turn. Just move on and turn around when you can. I will definitely be doing this in France.