Hi - I am planning to drive with my husband from Paris to Mt St Michel in June, to spend the night and go on to Bayeaux the next day. But all the major routes seem to run north south up and down France -- any suggestions? Any suggestions about getting a car in Paris?
ALSO - how about driving on to Beaune from Bayeaux,
vs
leaving car in Caen, and going on by train, a long trip involving a change of trains AND stations in Paris?
You could take a bus tour from Paris to Normandy and Bayeux as an alternate. 2 days for the area plus driving from Paris is rushing alot. We spent 4 nights w/ our rental car and also incl lovely Honfleur.
You have two choices to MSM:
The E05 to the NW, then the E46 to the E401. That will take about four hours, depending on how well you do getting out of Paris and what you find after Avranches. This is the quickest route, but not very exciting unless you pause at Rouen or Honfleur.
The other way is SW out of the city toward Chartres and Le Mans and then north. The last twenty miles on this route can be a bummer and can easily take you five hours. The advantage is that you can stop in Chartres for the cathedral.
For perspective, you can see all you want to see at MSN in two hours and it's better from dusk onward.
Tossing Beaune into the mix adds possibilities. A straight shot from Caen is about five hours (but the Paris ring road could slow you down a bit). If I were going to do this, I'd use the Chartres route above to MSN and then the Rouen route heading to Beaune (it wouldn't add but about a half hour driving time). A car is handy for Beaune and makes it easy to slip into Dijon (Beaune can get old fast).
Get a car as close to your hotel as is convenient. You can't, by simple geography, be more than a couple turns and fifteen minutes from the Peripherique ring road which will put you well on your way.
Hello,
If you want to avoid the highway that goes through Rouen & Caen, the most direct route is to take the N12 out of Paris through Dreux & Alençon until Pre-en-Pail and then change to the N176 to Avranches. Total time is 4 to 5 hours.
No major difficulty. The road is in good condition and it can be quite pleasant if you like driving through the countryside.
I'm sure you've thought about this, but this is a lot of driving. I think it's a wash between driving from Bayeux versus taking the train. Both are long, but you'll probably want a car in Burgundy (or a bicycle).
I assume you are staying one night on MSM and another in Bayeux, since not enough time to to see Bayeux and drive to Beaune in the same day. If so, why not see Bayeux first, and take the train there? Pick up your car the next day and drive to MSM.
You can go on www.viamichelin.com and calculate any combination of drives you want to see how much time it takes. We have used this site for multiple trips and it is wonderful!!! I would suggest limiting drive time (ie Beaune from Bayeaux is a LONG drive) to enjoy the small towns along the way. The Loire Valley with all the chateau is only a few hours from Bayeaux and has wine vineyards as well. Good Luck!
How many total days is your trip? Do you like driving in the countryside vs freeways? The red national roads on Michelin maps are well maintained, well marked and usually 2-4 lanes. The yellow roads are usually 2 lanes but equally well maintained and well marked. The French countryside is so lovely, and stopping in small towns/villages for a meal or to pick up picnic supplies is one of the things we enjoy the most. We will often take the "back roads" to a location and use the freeway to return or to pick up time as needed. Picking up a car in Versailles would give you the option of going to either Bayeux or Mt St Michel first. From either location to Beaune will take some planning and some time, but as someone else mentioned, you have the opportunity to see some beautiful sites and country en route.
How many total days is your trip? Do you like driving in the countryside vs freeways? The red national roads on Michelin maps are well maintained, well marked and usually 2-4 lanes. The yellow roads are usually 2 lanes but equally well maintained and well marked. The French countryside is so lovely, and stopping in small towns/villages for a meal or to pick up picnic supplies is one of the things we enjoy the most. We will often take the "back roads" to a location and use the freeway to return or to pick up time as needed. Picking up a car in Versailles would give you the option of going to either Bayeux or Mt St Michel first. From either location to Beaune will take some planning and some time, but as someone else mentioned, you have the opportunity to see some beautiful sites and country en route.
OOPS---not sure how I sent the previous msg twice.........
