We will be in France for 14 days. We have an apt in Paris for 7 nights and will do day trips from there - Disneyland, Chartres. We would like to see the Loire Vally chateaus, Lascaux caves, D-Day beaches and Mont-St-Michael in the following week. Has anyone done a trip like this? We were planning on renting a car the second week or should we combine some train trips? What would be a good plan of attack? Any suggestion are appreciated. Thank you.
Posted by
New Orleans, LA, USA
105 posts
If you're a war history buff, stick with Normandy area but, my preference would be the Dordogne region where there are many caves, canoeing and hiking through picturesque villages. Although some love Mont St. Michel, I hear it's a huge tourist trap and would personally skip it. The drive back from Sarlat is about 5-6 hours. And, the Loire Valley is fabulous for touring chateaus...that's it. Good luck!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Once you get moving in a car, you might as well keep it that way. Hold the thought on a day trip to Chartres for just a second. What you're proposing for that second week involves a thousand miles of driving. The kicker is the run to Lascaux and back. From the Loire to Lasaux and back to the Loire is close to eight hours a day for two days with just a lunch stop enroute. I don't think it's worth it just to spend a couple of hours looking at a cave reproduction. You need two nights in Normandy (minimal), one around MSM, and two in the Loire. It just doesn't work out. Chunk the trip to the south and you're down to only about five hundred miles and the stops you mention make each one into a workable leg. The longest one will be maybe three hours from MSM to somewhere in the Loire. Back to Chartres: stop there for a couple of hours inbound to Paris from the Loire since it's right along the way.
Posted by
OP
seal beach, ca, usa
4 posts
Thanks so much for those responses.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
689 posts
I agree that you should pick either Normandy/Loire OR Dordogne/Caves. I also prefer Dordogne--there is so much to see and do there. But if you most want to see D Day beaches, then Normandy is for you. You can save Dordogne for next trip--you could happily spend a week or more there.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
We liked Normandy and the Loire much better than the Dordogne. I would spend the week divided between Normandy and the Loire. Mont St. Michel is wonderful after 5 pm and before 10 am. I'd recommend staying in Bayeux in Normandy. It's a charming town. We've stayed at Hotel D'Argouges many times and love it. In the Loire, I'd recommend staying in Amboise, also charming. Chenonceau is our favorite chateau, and Chambord our second favorite.
Posted by
Kingsville, Ontario
165 posts
I love MSM, it's the crowds that make it. It's so unique. You have to pay, and tour the monastery . The rest is just Disney, ie. Fun to watch. The only down side is they get snarky if you take photos during the masses. As for a tourist trap, so's the Eiffel Tower, but what's a trip to Paris without going up to the top. I agree, the Lascaux caves are too far, save it for the next holiday.