I had the pleasure to take some family members on a 3-night trip to Normandy by car from Paris: a discovery for them, and the occasion for me to revisit places I hadn't been to in a very long time.
Day 1: Paris to Normandy
We drove off on empty roads on a Sunday morning and reached Honfleur for lunch at the Bistrot du Port (good value, reservations required on that day) and had a walk around the town: up to the beautiful wooden church Ste Catherine, and around the old harbor. Very charming, but it confirms my view that unless you are interested in the Satie and/or Boudin museums, 1-1.5 hour is enough time to have a good look around the town - making it a perfect stop on the way to somewhere else! The cobblestones are very uneven, anyone with mobility issues should take this into account.
We then kept going along the beautiful D513 coast road until Dives-sur-Mer, and joined the highway for the rest of the way to our base in Vierville-sur-mer, an Airbnb a few minutes' walk away from Omaha Beach. We settled down, walked to the beach, then headed to dinner in nearby Grandcamp-Maisy at La Trinquette, a fantastic fish and seafood restaurant with a very generous prix-fixe menu. Reservations needed, can be made online.
Day 2: Omaha Beach & vicinity
We started the day at a cidrerie, La Percée, with lovely owners and a delicious cider and Calvados tasting. There's nothing like Calvados at 10:00!
Then, we toured the former German installations at Pointe du Hoc, where it is easy to see how daunting the Rangers' assault must have been. A highlight for me.
Lunch was a disappointing sandwich after being turned away at a restaurant on Omaha Beach (La Sapinière). It seems that the many tour groups book out a lot of the restaurants, so beware!
The next stop was the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, a humbling sight, with a museum that far exceeded my expectations. Very moving, very informative... very well-done. I felt like I did not need other museums after this one.
Later on, I proceeded on my own to the German cemetery of La Cambe. The small museum there successfully addresses the challenge of perpetuating the memory of soldiers from the aggressor, some of whom were war criminals, and the cemetery is visually very different from the American one: no rows of crosses, just clusters of dark crosses and a large burial mound in the middle. Chilling and humbling.
Day 3: Mont-Saint-Michel
I'll be honest, I dreaded that day... but it turned out great! We left early, reaching the parking lot at 9:00 under a bright sun. Getting to the Mont from the parking lot is a real slog: the shuttle is not that frequent, slow, and mysteriously drops you off almost 1/4 mile away from the base of the Mont. Still, 1 hour after parking, we were at the foot of the Abbey and proceeded to visit it.
Afterwards, we walked back down along the rampart, with great views of the tidal current. We were done before lunchtime, so instead of trying our luck at the Mont, I found a restaurant in Avranches: Le Littré. It was probably one of the best sub-30€ meals I ever had in this country, with delicate flavors, fast and friendly service, a delightful ambiance. Highly recommended!
We drove back through the countryside, with a side trip to the abbey in Cerisy, which we did not visit but just saw the beautiful outside next to the pond.
Dinner was at Le Lion d'Or in Bayeux; the food was good but a bit pricey and it took forever, so I am mixed.
Day 4: Normandy to Paris
This was a bit ambitious but we made it.
Leaving Omaha beach at 9:30, we reached the Jumièges ferry at 11:10 (fun experience), visited Jumièges abbey (impressive as ever), and after a quick pit stop for lunch at a rest stop, made it to Giverny for a 14:30 advance reservation. The gardens were less crowded than I feared, but the house was unpleasant. We were in Paris by 17:00, before rush hour.
All in all, a packed but fun trip!