December in France

A central consideration that time of year is daylight. There isn't that much of it. From that perspective I question whether your plans are feasible with the hectic agenda you want to avoid. Other off-season characteristics are unreliable weather and that many attractions tend to be closed or on reduced hours. Montpelier could be a base to visit many places but not especially those in which you express an interest. Albi is about 3-1/2 hours away by car. Arles is only about an hour (Nimes is closer btw) so I suppose it is doable if not ideal. Check the hours of the attractions you wish to visit there before you go. Your Norman itinerary strikes me as ambitious. Rouen is not enroute to the D-Day beaches, though it is a pleasant place, so going there to get a car to drive 2 hours to that part of the coast is not very efficient. You'd be better off taking the train to Bayeux and, if possible that time of year, taking a guided tour of the beaches. I do not think it is reasonable to do all that and then get to Mt. St. Michel. You could visit as a day trip the next day or else spend the night (arguably better). Not "near" MSM either: ON MSM. Normandy is cold and wet in the winter, and may not actually be worth visiting on any given day. Think of the Oregon coast in a winter storm. Fortunately that time of year you can travel without reservations (call ahead in the morning to reserve a room), and thus can decide whether or not to do this at the last minute based on the weather forecast. To get to Amboise, you can drive or take a train from Rennes. From there you probably do need to return to Paris unless you are determined to go to Albi by train, which will take 7 hours. There is a partial night train on that route but it does not look like a very good option. If you skip Albi the train to Montpelier takes about 6 hours with a change of station in Paris.

Thanks a lot for all your advice, especially the reminder about daylight and the info on the weather conditions in Normandy.

I know the weather may be an issue, but I visited Normandy last year at the very end of Nov. and we lucked out with beautiful weather, however, even if it had been cold and windy I would definitely make the trip especially if you are not planning a future visit. I preferred it at this time of year as there were so few tourists I felt like we could really immerse ourselves a bit more into the history. My 15 year old grandson had requested that we go there and he found it to be a really relevant part of our trip. We also went to Bayeaux and loved it. Did not make MSM that trip but I am going again in a few weeks and will not return to Normandy, but did find a reasonable hotel on MSM and will spend the night, even though I expect it to be cold...so it will be a pleasant surprise if its not.

I agree with Adam about taking the train to Bayeux and joining a tour of the D-Day sites. Overlord Tours is excellent, but there are others just as good. Next, pick up your car in Bayeux or Caen and continue on to MSM for the night. From there you can drive down to Amboise and on to Monpellier. Otherwise, you have to keep doubling back to Paris by train. You'll save two days of car rentals by not getting it in Rouen because you won't need it in Bayeux if you take a tour. Though there are special fares for people traveling together, called "duo" and your son should have a SNCF student card for discounts, still it might be cheaper and certainly more convenient to keep the car until Nice. Yes, Albi is three and a half hours each way, seven hours round trip from Montpellier. You'd need to check the roads and weather before heading out there. It's spectacular but quite a drive. It's nice staying in Montpellier, and seeing your son's living arrangements, but this is his vacation time too. So I urge you not to stay there too long. but to move on to the Riviera area or someplace different for him. Many study abroad programs include nearby towns, such as Arles and Nimes in their Saturday trips for the students. Be sure to reserve your car well in advance. One year we decided on a last minute rental to go visit some friends in the countryside and couldn't get one. Well we couldn't get one through AutoEurope.com, which has the low tax rate for Americans, but we could get one at AutoEurope.fr, which would have been 3X the price with the French taxes. We took the train to go visit the friends.

We are also planning a trip at the same time and worried about daylight and weather and our plans look just like yours! Have you found that everything is open, have you had any trouble making reservations? Would love to compare notes!

My wife and I are planning a trip to include a visit to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. We would also like to see Mont Saint Michel. A number of people have recommended that in order to see MSM at its best, we spend the night there. Anyone have a hotel recommendation (preferably under 150 euros per night)? This will be in May, 2013. Thanks. Peter

Peter, suggest you start a new topic for your question as people who see this title "December" might not reply.