I'm planning to spend 5 days in Paris (including Versailles) and then heading west toward Normandy and Mont St. Michel. How many days should I allow for sightseeing this area? Where should I pick up a rental car to depart Paris? I want to get a good feel for the Normandy area and take a tour at least plus I'm interested in some of the towns along the way. However, I don't want to waste time either. Then, I plan to return to Paris to catch the train to Avignon and then rent a car there to sightsee in Provence and along the coast. I will return to Paris by train to catch my flight home. I have a total of 19 days available for sightseeing. How many days should I allow for each area? Is there a better plan? Thanks!
Posted by
washington
837 posts
Susan, a couple of years ago, we flew into Nice, then went to Provence, Carcassonne, Sarlat, Chinon, Bayeux, and Paris. We had 21 days and drove through the intermediate stops from Nice to Paris. You have a couple less days. We could have used a bit more Mont St.Michel/Normandy time. We stayed 2 nights each in Chinon and Sarlat and 1 in Carcassonne. I think that for your trip, I would suggest flying into Nice and staying 3 nights. I would use one day to explore Nice, one to use trains and/or buses to explore to the east, and one with a rental car to explore to the west. I would then drive the coast through Cannes, St Raphael, St. Tropez, and Cassis and up to Provence. I would stay 4 to 5 days in Provence then take the train from Avignon to Bayeux. Rent a car to explore Mont St. Michel, Normandy, Honfleur, and Rouen. Then train back to Paris. I would add at least a day to Paris to include side trips to Giverny, Chartres, and perhaps Reims/Leon. Then fly home from Paris.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I think for a visit to Normandy, including MSM, you'd want to spend at least two nights in Bayeux and a night at the Mont. But you might enjoy more time, for instance to explore coastal towns like Honfleur or into Brittany. Rouen is also an interesting Norman city worth a few hours plus. If you have the stamina to get off the plane and drive, there is something to be said for going directly to Normandy, perhaps driving to pretty Honfleur for your first night via Rouen. The advantage is that Paris then becomes a logical break on the way to Provence, which would otherwise be a long (but feasible) train trip. You can return your car in Paris or take the train from Normandy. (Or, Chartres makes a nice stop.) Otherwise just take the train the whole way from either Bayeux or Rennes to Provence, complete with the cross-town change of stations in Paris. It would be best if you could fly home from Marseilles (or Nice if you want to see the Cote d'Azure), but if you must return to Paris to fly home then you'll want to end your trip where you can catch an early TGV that goes directly to deGaulle, bypassing Paris. In Provence consider Avignon, Arles, or Nimes on that score; if you are staying in a small town you can return your car at the train station in Avignon (though I am not sure when the agency opens and that could be an issue for an early train). Alternatively you could depart from Lyon or from Burgundy (Dijon or, with an easy connection, Beaune). It sounds to me that you should spend some time with a few guidebooks setting priorities. You can spend a lot of time in Normandy without getting bored, so it's really a question of what's the best return on the time you have. A question only you can answer. Have a great trip!