Time in Giverny, Honfleur

Via Michelin estimates about three hours from CDG to Bayeux, passing close to Giverny and Honfleur. Adding Giverny and Honfleur adds an hour to the total, just driving. I'd give Honfleur about an hour, in the town itself, to stroll around the harbor and visit the double-nave church. I haven't been to Giverny (it's on my list) but from what I've heard it's worth at least an hour for the gardens and more for the museum (which would be a shame to miss if you're there). So you're looking at, say, seven hours including these stops. Plus a meal somewhere and maybe gas and bathroom breaks. A pretty full day, without much time to really enjoy the places you're seeing. (Rouen is pretty close to your route too, if you want to push the envelope further.)

So, much depends on when your flight lands and how long it takes to get bags, clear immigration, and rent the car. If you land early enough in the day to do all this, I hope you're coming from somewhere else in western Europe instead of an overnight transatlantic flight. Generally it's not a good idea to drive much (or at all) the day after such a flight, unless you're one of the lucky few who can sleep well on a plane. I've driven from Bayeux to Honfleur to CDG the day before a flight home, but I wouldn't make such a drive in reverse after a red-eye.

So, if you'll have flown overnight, my answer would be yes, it's too much for that day. I'd even suggest that you look at a non-driving alternative, and wait till next day to rent the car in Bayeux. Unfortunately, the only trains to Caen and Bayeux leave from Gare St-Lazare in central Paris, which means either an expensive cab from CDG to the station or an RER ride to Gare du Nord followed by Metro or cab to St-Lazare. All that running around will also tire you out, and you'll miss Giverny and Honfleur that day, but it will likely be a safer trip because others will be driving!

Or you could come into Paris for your first day and night, then rent a car (La Defense might be a good jump-off point) the next morning when you can enjoy the drive and your destinations so much more.

Thank you for your detailed response, Dick! We will have been in Paris for a week and will be going out to CDG in the morning to pick up our leased car. When you mention Rouen, now I'm thinking we should leave Paris the afternoon before (I'll be in classes until noon) and spend a night in Giverny. Then we could start out with the gardens and museum, hit the road and see both Honfleur and Rouen on our way to Bayeaux. Still a full day, but it would cut out CDG and th drive to Giverny. What do you think of that plan? Not to worry - the rest of our trip won't be so rushed. Four nights in Normandy, three nights in Brittany,mother three weeks in Burgundy at one spot.

Joni -- Glad jet lag won't be an issue on this road trip!

Sounds like your car lease isn't set up yet for CDG. If it isn't, you could take an afternoon train from Gare St-Lazare to Vernon, which is right next to Giverny. Depending on when you get there, you could see the Monet sights that afternoon or the next morning, maybe deferring your car rental till that morning, then on to Rouen etc. Easier than RERing all the way northeast out to CDG and then driving the suburban highways back west to Giverny.

Here's good info about the Giverny site, including how to get there by train or car from Paris. There are a few lodgings in Giverny, more in Vernon, and depending on the season you might want to book something ahead.

If I were visiting Rouen I'd give it most or all of a day, but you probably won't have time for that. With four days in Normandy and three in Brittany, you'll have time for more, including Mont-St-Michel. And I really envy all the time you'll have in Burgundy. Have a great trip!

Thanks, Dick. I think we'll stay in Giverny overnight on Friday, hit the gardens and museum first thing in the morning on Saturday, then go on to Rouen, and save Honfleur for one of the days we are staying in Normandy. We pick up our lease at CDG, as we are leasing from Renault for three months (cheaper than rental when staying that long), and that has to be the pick up point. Thanks so much for your time!

I'd want about 2 hours for Honfleur if you make it a lunch stop -- which would be good. Lots of little restaurants around the harbor; it is a beautiful town but very small and you can stroll around its center and harbor in an hour. Here are some of our snapshots.

Giverny IMHO takes some time. I would not want less than two hours to enjoy the gardens and would be sure to have tickets ahead to bypass the long ticket lines.

You can see our snapshots of all three of these plays here:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/normandy/

If you start very early from CDG this should be doable. If you have plenty of time in Bayeux to see the Tapestry another day great -- otherwise, make sure you are there before that closes. It really lives up to its billing.

There's a long tunnel from near CDG across northern Paris suburbs with a substantial toll (8 euros in 2013 as we recall) that saves a lot of traffic and time. We had heavy traffic before and after the tunnel, but much less where the toll was charged.

I second Janet's recommendation of the Bayeux Tapestry -- one of the highlights of our last trip, an amazing (and miraculously surviving) relic of a very distant time, a vivid recreation of the previous Normandy invasion (in reverse from 1944), and an example of how history is written (or stitched) by the winners. Very interesting exhibits upstairs also. we spent most of a morning there.