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Normandy Help

Posted by (Carrollton, TX) on

Hi Everyone,

We will be spending 3 nights in Normandy in early July. We have never been there and we are not sure which town to stay in. We are planning on staying one night in one town and two nights in another.

  1. First night: Rouen or Honfluer-
    We are going to arrive in the mid afternoon and just want to stroll around the town and have a nice dinner. We will most likely leave the next morning. Which one would you recommend?

  2. The next two nights: Caen or Bayeux-
    We will be seening the D-Day sites and on our last day doing a trip to MSM. We have thought about staying on MSM but I don't think we are going to do this. I know that Bayeux is cloer to D-Day beachs but as far as the town itself (having dinner, walking the town in the evening) would Bayeux or Caen be better?

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Posted by
4132 posts

  1. Honfleur (but Rouen is nice)

  2. Bayeux.

Of your two pairs, I think these score better on your terms.

Posted by
1864 posts

We went to all of your spots (except Caen) last summer. My suggestion: lst night in Honfleur (if you have extra time, see the cliffs at Etratat if you like impressionist paintings or Les Andeleys for King Richard's castle). Next day, drive to Bayeux, stopping enroute for 2-3 hours in Rouen (a large city) to see the cathedral, the plague spot, and the Joan of Arc locations. Your full day in Bayeux, see Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery unless you want a lot more D-Day. You might consider adding a night in either Dinan (medieval core) or St. Malo (walled city), just across the border in Brittany, both near enough to MSM for a late afternoon stop.

Posted by
6 posts

Honfluer to sleep, Rouen is nice day trip though.

We stayed at the ETAP, great budget deal.

Near Bayeux/Caen stay at Odielle's, in Rick Steve's 2008 or 2009 book. Awesome functioning farm bed and breakfast, she speaks only French (They book via email in English!). It is remote, but you can drive and end up at it after a whole day seeing the coast after leaving Honfleur. (They book via email in English!)

Posted by
1455 posts

If you want to spend a night as a Chateau 15 minutes near Mt. St. Michel, I stayed here and it was great!!

http://www.chateaudebouceel.com/

The place is still owned by the Count/ Countess and its been in his family for generations.

Posted by
18 posts

When I was there I stayed in Mt. St Michel, and it was one of the most incredible places I have ever stayed! Its great because the tourists (except those staying there) filter out of the city at night, so it leave you to explore and enjoy the beauty and wonder of this place without having to wade through people. It's an unforgettable experience.

There is also a place called St. Malo which I believe is it Brittany but only about 20 minutes for Mt St Michel, this place has a true "Pirates of the Caribbean" feel and is a little known gem.

I know neither of these were on your list, but i just had to mention them!!

As far as Caen or Bayeux--I would say Bayeux hands down. Its great! And seeing the tapestry while you are there is a must.

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