You could also stop by Versailles on the way back if not Giverny.

Just east of Giverny is La Roche-Guyon, right on the Seine, with a chateau at the foot of the cliffs. It's one of the Plus Beaux Villages of France--small but scenic--and a nice drive from Giverny. In fact,on the Michelin road maps you'll see a lot of scenic roads in that area, if you have time to wander.

Looks like a nice trip. You'll love the Bellefontaine. I wouldn't plan to see the tapestry at the end of your first day there (just getting to Normandy with jet lag will be a stretch) - it's really dark inside the building that houses it - I'd fall asleep.

Leave yourself some time on the day you land for your driver to take some rests on the way to Bayeaux. We landed in CDG - got our car, drove to Giverny, ate lunch and looked around and then drove to Bayeaux. My husband was driving and we stopped at a rest stop on the way (even though it is a short drive) for him to catnap before continuing the drive. This is a person I've never seen take a nap in 20 + years of marriage but he needed one or he was going to fall asleep at the wheel. Make sure and be safe and plan for a few stops to either nap or stretch legs.

If you don't go to see the tapestry on the first day, work it into your schedule somewhere. It is not to be missed!

The Green Guide has a good tour of the beaches, and I think you have chosen the "best" ones.
You would have time to stop at Giverny, have lunch in Vernon and see the gardens. Then drive to Bayeux.
You could return the car easier to Orly, even stopping at Chartres on the way back. Orly is closer and a quick cab ride into Paris. The car return is VERY easy, and just across the street from the taxi queue.
And do work in the tapestry.

Spend the night in Petit Andelys at the charming little hotel/restaurant La Chaîne d'Or, right on the banks of the Seine. Walking around the village is a good way to get out the kinks after a long flight, and there are nice walks around the river as well.

The restaurant is the very model of a proper French country restaurant, with French (of course) doors that open out toward the river bank. We've recommended the hotel to any number of people, and they've all loved it. Ask for a room at the back for a river view.

I would take the tapestry tour in the afternoon, when most of the bus tours have left. the same with Mont St Michel. the American cemetry closes at 4:30 PM.

Ditto on seeing the Bayeux Tapestry. It doesn't take very long. Tell the kids the story ahead of time. And tell them it's a long cartoon.

And we're are you flying from? Driving a strange car on strange roads in a foreign country is very hard, even dangerous, after a overnight multi-time-zone flight.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed the museum in Caen as it may this whole region and the war come alive for us. It is NOT a boring museum and it very interesting in preparing you for what happened on those beaches.
After around 4pm, Mont St. Michel becomes magical without all of the tourists and tour buses-try and spend a night on the mont and enjoy the sea air and views!

The Musée Mémorial in Caen can easily occupy you for half a day, seriously. It's a brilliantly conceived series of exhibits (and there's a nice caféteria there).

I agree about the tapestry museum that it is not to be missed and does not take long. I would recommend a tour for Normandy. We hired a private guide several years ago so I do not have his contact info. I believe his name was Raul and they owned a B & B outside of town. He was very good and it sure made it easier and more enjoyable. We also loved Mont S. Michael. We arrived when they opened and it was nearly emypty, although this was late November.

Thank you so much, everyone: this is all fantastic advice! I'm especially glad to hear so many recommendations for the tapestry--something I've long wanted to see. Also Giverny (we are definitely going, either on the way to Bayeux or on the way back), Chateau de la Roche-Guyon, Petit Andelys, and museum at Caen--I had also wondered whether that was worth it, as opposed to the WWII museum in Bayeux itself, and it seems so. Had not considered returning the car at Orly--will look into it!

I only wish we had more time, as we will have difficult decisions to make! I'll keep checking this thread in case anyone has more advice for us, particularly re: the driving bit, and the castles

Thanks again!

<<I had also wondered whether that was worth it, as opposed to the WWII museum in Bayeux itself>>

Oh dear God, yes! In fact, I would scratch the museum in Bayeux off the list, given your short time there. The Mémorial and the museum in Arromanches (which will take an hour at most - it's quite small, and the actual town, is more interesting and useful). DO plan for a bit of time at the American Cemetery. It's a big place, and you get this haunting feeling the moment you get there that makes you want to wander and reflect for a lot longer than you anticipated. I've been there at least four times, and it never ceases to throw me for a loop and take way more time than I thought I'd need.
Le Mont-St-Michel I can really take or leave - frankly, once was enough, but I had to go many more times as a tour guide,and then took my family there a couple of times, and it usually leaves me cold except very early in the morning or late afternoon and after. There's no denying its historical import or just the gorgeousness of the place, but in mid-day in tourist season, it's really just a PITA. And this is from someone who regularly notes that you don't often get the chance to see what a medieval pilgrimage site was like, replete with all the hawkers of cheap souvenirs, which is of course just what it's like today as well.

Oh, good to know about the museum in Bayeux. Not sure if we will make it to Caen--if it's rainy on Saturday, we might do that instead of Chateau Gaillard. Actually, it's supposed to be rainy the whole time we are there, aargh. So sad.

Re: Mont St. Michel, it will be the first time for us, so we can't miss it! But I am wondering when to go--get up early (which would be painful) and plan to arrive around 9:30 or, as jean253 and dutyfree suggest, get there later in the afternoon. Just want to make sure we have enough time on the Mont--I think the kids will love it, souvenir stands and all.

Thank you again! This is so, so helpful.

The dreaded tour buses start piling into Mont St Michael at around 930am and then suddenly around 4pm they are gone and the beauty/quiet of the place returns.Walking the ramparts at night after dinner was truly special to me!

I cannot recommend enough going to that museum in Caen -no matter what your age and what you "think" that you know about
WW2 it captivates your interest.St. Cirq-so glad that you said a half day there as our family stayed that long there and loved it!

We did exactly what Underhill recommends (probably from an earlier recommendation of hers!) a few years ago, and La Chaine d'Or in Petit Andelys is a perfect place to spend the first night after arriving at CDG. It's not too far of a drive (less than 2 hrs, as I remember), and the hotel is indeed a very charming place with its bucolic setting along the Seine.

dutyfree, my kids were something like 10 and 13 when we visited the Mémorial, and four hours just flew by - they were totally engrossed.

Our family trip to Normandy if that helps:

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/normandy.html