I'm planning a road trip from Saarbrucken to Normandy. Can anyone recommend a route that passes through scenic or historic villages and where would be a good place to stay along the way?
Posted by
Auburn, Washington, USA
515 posts
If I am guessing right Kaiserlautern is in SW Germany. I would take the A1 through Bavaria and into France. Sorry if I am totally off.
Posted by
England
375 posts
We have done a road trip from Germany to Normandy, but we did not begin in Saarbrueken so I'm not sure of the exact route you would start with. Why not try Via Michelin to plot the route? The most direct way will take you directly through Paris, but you can try the "sightseeing" feature to route around the big city if you like. We went through Reims and Amiens, then to Rouen, then to Honfleur, then Caen and surrounding areas. Another option would be to route around south of Paris and go through the Loire Valley, which we did on a different trip.
Posted by
Westside, RP, Germany
109 posts
Nan,
Buy a Navigon GPS and program it to "avoid toll roads" in France. That will take you the very scenic (and toll free) way.
Right after you cross the border into France you'll be passing the Lorraine American military cemetary that contains soldiers that were killed in the WWs. Reims also has a lot of WW history.
It would help us to know how long your trip will be as far how many days, how far you'll want to drive each day and what you are interested in as far as history and scenery. For example: Military history, local history, church history, castles, art, etc.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
The direct line of travel from Saarbrucken to Normandy passes through the industrial backbone of France. Although not northern New Jersey ugly, it probably isn't the kind of scenery you had in mind. You may want to verge south through Colmar, and pass over the impressive Vosges mountains before turning northwest in the direction of Paris and Normandy. The main route west of Colmar over the mountain pass is particularly scenic.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Brendon, I guess we can assume that you're not KGB (or you wouldn't have to guess where the major U.S. military base in Europe is). Kaiserslautern is south and west of Frankfurt, less than an hour north of the French border at Saarbrücken.
Bavaria is hundreds of miles to the east.
Posted by
Salt Lake City
1528 posts
You can drive across France in a day easily, so your route can vary quite a bit from a straight line.
We visited Brittany from Landstuhl many years ago. We stayed in Paris on the way there. On the way back we stopped in Blois to see the Loire Valley with its many castles/palaces, and then Verdun for a visit to the battlefields and a starred restaurant that used to be there.
Posted by
Gangelt, Germany
101 posts
Looks like you'll pass by Epernay (champagne region), which is worth a stop. Moet et Chandon does a great tour. Verdun, the WWI war memorial and US cemetery is on the route also, and definitely worth seeing.
We were in Normandy for the 60th and stayed at Manoir de Brion, it's about 20+ minutes from the beaches, but the atmosphere was great and the owners a wonderful elderly British husband/French wife couple.
http://www.chateaux-selection.com/uk/Hotel/Chateaux-Normandia/chateau-manoir-de-brion.aspx