Wanted to share our recent trip with fellow Rick Steves travelers as we stayed at some wonderful places and had fantastic meals. At the outset, I note that we hit a lot of highlights in Normandy/Loire and we did it fast, not slow. While we are proponents of slow travel, for this trip we wanted to see as many highlights as possible so we would know whether we want to return to certain places in the future. We are a family of four with two older teens.
Normandy-Days 1 to 5: Day 1: We picked up our rental at CDG (note-reserve your car for 30 minutes prior to when you think you will pick it up--we saw people waiting for 15 to 30 minutes if not longer for their rentals and this was at around 8:00 or 8:30 a.m.). There is a Starbucks in CDG after you pick up your luggage and clear border control if you want coffee or a bite before heading out of CDG. As we were able to sleep on our flight over, we drove to Chartres to see the Cathedral and had lunch in town. We then drove to Gasny, where we stayed at B&B Les Agapanthes. We cannot recommend this B&B enough--they made dinner reservations for us at a wonderful restaurant a 3 minute walk away; provided the most sumptious, abundent breakfast the next morning on a beautifully laid out table; and had prepared a map with some suggested stops for us on our drive to Honfleur. Day 2: We visited Monet's gardens in Giverny in the morning (well worth it and if you travel slow, consider bringing a book and spending the day at the gardens with reading breaks where benches are provided). After lunch, we drove to Vernon to see the Old Mill over the Seine, then to Chateau Gaillard (which overlooks Les Andelys), which is absolutely breathtaking. If weather is good, worth having a picnic lunch on the grounds. We then stopped at Lyons-la-Foret for a walk around the village and a snack. We ended at Honfleur, where we stayed at the Best Western Le Cheval Blanc. This was good value, especially considering its very central location and that it is directly across from public parking. If coming to Honfleur on at least a summer weekend, consider arriving early or later in the day as there appeared to be a lot of day trippers. We arrived around 3:30, and walked around town up until our 7;30 dinner reservation. We had an excellent dinner at L'Escale. Day 3: In the morning, we visited Eglish St. Catherine and then headed to Bayeux with a stop first at Etretat. We walked up along the Falaise D'Manneport side, soaking in the views, and then walked around the beach some. After lunch, we walked up the other side where Chapelle Notre Dame is located. This was a great stop. We then drove to Bayeux, where we stayed at Hotel D'Agorges. This too was a wonderful hotel with a delightful outdoor area and very gracious and helpful staff. We were in Bayeux for Days 4 and 5. First day, we explored Bayeux, saw the Tapestry, and visited the WWII Museum. Second day, we did a D Day tour with a private guide-DDay4U (Magali Desquesne) who was excellent. We ate at Le Pommier, L'Angle Saint Laurent, and La Rapiere. Reservations a must at all three and all three were excellent. Day 6: We left early in the morning to drive to Mont Saint Michel by way of Saint Malo. We walked around Saint Malo's city wall and out onto the beach and then had lunch at Breizh cafe for the Brittany galettes (make a reservation, even for lunch). We then headed to Mont Saint Michel (MSM). While MSM is out of the way, it is really well worth visiting and staying overnight (more on that in a minute). The light changes throughout the day and the colors of the bay, the marshland, the sky--just incredible. And when the guidebooks say go early or late, please follow that advice to avoid the crowds. We chose to stay on MSM but I would not make that choice again--better to stay at the Relias right across from MSM. And to see MSM at 6:30/7:00 a.m. with no crowds at all is worth stayiing overnight.
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