Help plan trip to Normandy

[Anonymous]

Flying into CDG Paris and renting car. Will have 4 days, very flexible, late September. Would love to hear best experience, itinerary, hotels, restaurants and any information you can share. Couple with no children traveling. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Is this focused on D-Day?

[Anonymous]

If you are interested in military history, I can give good tips on what to see.

[Anonymous]

Don’t forget Mount St. Michel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t forget Mount St. Michel

Agree! Touristy--but, no place like it.

Drove to Mount St. Michel and then to St. Mere Eglise and the Normandy beaches. Too many years ago to be helpful to you now with hotels, etc. But, it is quite doable in four days. We did it in less.

[Anonymous]

Bayeux. Stay st the castle b&b (don’t remember bam). See the tapestry before museum close (late afternoon, and you get an audio tour but I suggest going back through once you’ve listened to it to see more detail). Eat somewhere where there are savory crepes and hard apple cider. (Rick steves books have recs). Wander around town as it’s beautoful. In summer the cathedral has choral singing programs for little cost and are beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Same pp as above. We didn’t want to do the driving so did Operation Overlord tour of the beaches. 8 hours and they do both Omaha and Utah and the hedges. Amazing and led by knowledgeable guides (some former French military themselves).

[Anonymous]

Thank you.! Yes, interested in DDay, Omaha Beach, American cemetery, etc.

[Anonymous]

The museum in Caen is a must for history buffs.

[Anonymous]

We did this trip two years ago. From CDG we drove to Chantilly which is a beautiful town just outside Paris and stayed at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume. We roamed the village, visited the Chateau, had dinner then crashed from jet lag. Early the next day we drove and visited Rouen and then headed to Normandy and stayed at the Chateau La Cheneviere which is very well located. The next day we had a personal guide and spent the whole day visiting St. Mere Eglise, Utah Beach, Pont du Hoc, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery and other famous spots. The following day we drove down to Mont St Michel early in the morning before the crowds arrived and then headed back to Normandy stopping in Bayeaux to see the Bayeaux Tapestry - a must see! We then visited a few more WWII sites and then went back to Bayeaux for dinner at L'Angle Saint Laurent which was fabulous. It was a great four days. The places we stayed at were very high end but beautiful. We were there in the middle of September and the weather was excellent. It was an exhausting few days but well worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did this trip two years ago. From CDG we drove to Chantilly which is a beautiful town just outside Paris and stayed at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume. We roamed the village, visited the Chateau, had dinner then crashed from jet lag. Early the next day we drove and visited Rouen and then headed to Normandy and stayed at the Chateau La Cheneviere which is very well located. The next day we had a personal guide and spent the whole day visiting St. Mere Eglise, Utah Beach, Pont du Hoc, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery and other famous spots. The following day we drove down to Mont St Michel early in the morning before the crowds arrived and then headed back to Normandy stopping in Bayeaux to see the Bayeaux Tapestry - a must see! We then visited a few more WWII sites and then went back to Bayeaux for dinner at L'Angle Saint Laurent which was fabulous. It was a great four days. The places we stayed at were very high end but beautiful. We were there in the middle of September and the weather was excellent. It was an exhausting few days but well worth it.

This sounds perfect. I'm the PP who went too many years ago to be helpful. I think I'd copy this itenerary.

[Anonymous]

If you can afford it, I highly recommend getting a personal guide for the D-Day beaches. There is so much to see, and they can tailor the tour to your interests. Look on TripAdvisor for reviews.

I also recommend staying in Bayeaux. It was one of the few villages that wasn't completely obliterated during the war, and is very charming. The tapestry is amazing. You can do a day trip to Mont St. Michel from there. We stayed at the Churchill, which isn't fancy, but is quaint, and just a block or two from the tapestry museum, and is the departure point for most tours.

If you want to stay in the countryside, Relais & Chateaux has some nice properties: https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/destinations/europe/france

[Anonymous]

There is also a nice museum near the Pegasus Bridge location. And one on Juno Beach.

[Anonymous]

Go to St-Malo, the town where All the Light We Cannot See takes place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to St-Malo, the town where All the Light We Cannot See takes place.

This is what we want to do! DD and I loved the book! Would very much appreciate any suggestions on places to stay and restaurants. Also, would you suggest a guide for St. Malo or just wander and rely on serendipity?