Hi - After spending several days in Paris,we're going to Giverny and the D Day beaches and then to see at least a chateau, before returning to CDG to fly home - about 4-5 days. Trying to decide if we should also go to Rouen/Honfleur/Le Havre on the way to Bayeux. Should we allot a day for Caen and Bayeux in addition to a D Day Beaches tour? Can we do Mont St. Michel AND drive to Chambord (to stay overnight in preparation for seeing the castle the next day) in one day? Can we do Chambord and Blois in one day and then drive to Paris? Do we really need to allot a whole day to see Chartres? Should we see it as a day trip from Paris or try to work that into the drive on our return to CDG. Sounds like a lot, I know - but I'm not sure which of these places are truly worth stopping off to see along with the main attractions. We plan to have a rental car so except for the guided tours, our time is our own. Thanks in advance! Janet
Posted by
winston salem, nc, usa
1078 posts
Remember--this is an opinion! Giverny is super easy to get to by car from Paris and my experience with Rouen was awful, mainly because of the parking. However, here is what we did two years' ago: Started at St. Michel, then over to Bayeax, on to the beaches, then to Honfleur, then on to Giverny and back to CDG, each taking one day. Call this the North loop. Probably need to allot a whole day to see Chartes, then can go south to see Chambord and call this the West/South loop. Caveat--we did this on two separate trips, one to the North, the other to the West/South. I guess you could make it from St. Michel to Chambord, however, think you would be beat by the time you got there. Finally, we stayed at Chambres d' hote(use the French website-it's cheaper according to our British friends) and RS recommendations for lodging. Also, we found DK's Top 10 Normandy invaluable. Have fun!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
How many days are you allocating from the day you leave Paris until you have to be at CDG? I pretty well know the area, but need something to work with.
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2778 posts
I can't answer all your questions, Janet, but I can give you my thoughts on some of them. I can't tell how many days you have, but I would say the more days the better in Normandy -- I loved it.
We took a 9:00 train from Paris to Chartres, toured the cathedral (took the Malcolm Miller tour which was great) and then drove to Dinan in Brittany, arriving in time for dinner. I think it took around 4 hours for the drive. So you could do Chartres in half a day, but it's a nice town so a whole day would probably be better. Still, I was satisfied with a half day.
We drove from Dinan to Mont St. Michel (less than an hour), toured MSM on our own, then drove on to Bayeux (about an hour and a half I think) and still had time to see the tapestry before dinner. You can see MSM in 2-3 hours. I didn't want to linger because it was getting really crowded.
I don't think you want to go to Rouen, Honfleur and LeHavre on the way to Bayeux. That sounds hideous to me. You could pick one. We went to Honfleur and loved it. The streets are narrow and the driving was pretty bad, which is why I don't think you want to try driving in and out of three towns in one day, not counting Bayeux.
I would try to allow time to see the tapestry in Bayeux, especially if you are a history buff. We loved it. The British cemetary is also in Bayeux.
We took Battlebus tours for two days and spent another day touring on our own, not counting the day we arrived in Bayeux and saw the tapestry. We did not go to the museum in Caen. It's expensive and opinions are mixed, though some people love it. We wanted to be outside seeing real sites.
We did not go to Giverny or see any chateaus. As you have no doubt figured out, there's not enough time to see everything, so you have to prioritize based on your interests. I would also consider traveling time, so as not to waste too much time getting from place to place.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I do not think you would regret more time seeing any of these places, but it sounds as though you do need more time. To be a bit more responsive to your questions:
(1) If you are nimble and get up early I think you might be able to visit Giverny and Rouen on the way to Bayeux. Be sure to allot time some other day to see Bayeaux and Caen, unless you view Bayeaux simply as a place to sleep (which would be a shame).
(2) I do not think Mt. St. Michel & Chambord in one day is a good idea. I concede that if you are doing this trip in the summer when there is lots of daylight and you get up early and have lots of energy all day it is logistically possible.
(3) Chambord & Blois, then to Paris, is certainly feasible, if you start in the Loire. I'd think about taking a train back into the city after such an athletic itinerary. To heck with driving to Orly.
(4) You do not need a whole day to see Chartres. But I think you would not regret more time at any of these places, with the possible exception of Giverny.
I hope this helps you to make your choices about what to see and what to leave until next time.
Posted by
bethesda, md, us
212 posts
We did get up early in Paris and picked up a car in time to see Giverny, then Rouen (to see the Cathedral front Monet painted), then Honfleur and Bayeux, arriving just in time to see the tapestry before it closed for the day. (Afterwards, still time to see the cathedral there.) Next day, had enough time to go from Utah beach back to Colleville cemetery. Next day, on to Mont St. Michel, and then driving due south to onite at Angers, at far western point of Loire. Next day, stops at Saumur and Azay-Le-Rideau and Amboise and onite at Blere. Next day, Chenonceux and Blois and onite at Chambord. Next day, Chambord and to Chartres and onite there. Then to DeGaulle.