We just got back from 11 days in France following Rick's 'whirlwind 3-week tour of France by car.' We followed the tour from Paris to Avignon and then wrapped up our trip in Paris for 2.5 days. This is how our itinerary looked:
Day 1: Fly into Paris on Delta (direct from Seattle!) and pick up rental car at Hertz. We drove to Giverny and toured Monet's gardens/home (a great stop!) and then arrived in Honfleur. Hotel: Mercure.
Day 2: Walked Honfleur in the early morning and got the most beautiful pics of the harbor before the crowds arrived. The Normandy Bridge is also beautiful from the harbor and the hotels when coming into town. We grabbed croissants and cafe right in the harbor when the shops opened and then headed out to visit Arromanches, American Cemetery and Pointe Du Hoc. We loved walking on Omaha Beach since my Hubby's Grandfather fought there on D-Day and the American Cemetery and Museum are just staggering--a must visit. We drove to Bayeux and stayed at Le Lion D'Or. Great historic hotel and location. We dined at Pommier from Steve's book and really enjoyed it. We visited the Cathedral before dinner and it was lovely.
Day 3: Up early for a little stroll around Bayeux, breakfast in town and then off to see the Bayeux Tapestry. I wasn't sure if it would be worth it but we loved it- definitely worth seeing once. We headed to Mont-St-Michel and stayed in Hotel Gabriel. The Mont was wonderful to visit and tour the Abbey. A must see. Only heads up is to plan meals carefully- there are fewer restaurants and open/closing times aren't closely followed.
Day 4: Left early for the Loire Valley and our tour of Chateaus. We took pics of Usse (the Sleeping Beauty Castle) from the bridge, toured Chenonceau (our favorite) and Chambord (a mammoth- must see once). Stayed in Amboise at Le Clos D'Amboise which was so very 'French' and really lovely. We ate at L'Ancree des Artistes which we found off trip advisor (reccomended for restaurant reviews since they don't really use yelp). Good food and a nice walk back to the hotel with the lit up town.
Day 5:
Headed South to the Dordogne region and stopped at Oradour-sur-Glane (a very reflective/sad tour, a must see at least once). Headed to Sarlat and even though the drive up there is beautiful (and very windy) we weren't impressed when we first drove into town and checked into our hotel, Hotel D'Composte but Sarlat ended up being our favorite city and night. As soon as you walk into the medieval village it opens up to you. The city is absolute magic by day and night- if you can hit a Saturday the market must be experienced. There was no other time that I SO WISHED I spoke French. You must do a walk through the medieval city at night. It's unforgettable.
Day 6: We spent the morning in Sarlat and watched them open the market while we enjoyed our coffee and pastries and then headed out on Rick's 'scenic Dordogne driving tour'- it was well worth the hour loop. We stopped for lunch in Albi at Le Tournesol and REALLY enjoyed it along with a tour of the cathedral- gorgeous! The wrapped up the day in Carcassonne and had a magical night walking around the castle when it was all lit up- very Game of Thrones!
Day 7: Left Carcassonne and drove through Nabonne to the see the Mediterranean, vineyards and toured Pont-du-Gard aqueduct (a must see!) and explored Arles. Had the best dinner of our trip at Le Crichets and enjoyed Hotel Arles Plaza.
Dy 8-11: Took Train into Paris.
-Only toll that didn't accept our card was the one where you pull the card and pay when you return the card. Keep cash/coins in the car. If you only have cash they will accept and give you change. If you need to call they're very helpful when you're at the machine.
-All of my hotel/restaurant reviews on trip advisor.com or hotels.com
Thanks Rick for the memorable French tour! We will be back! :)