gnaij

We will be visiting Cherbourg and Le Havre by cruise ship in and May, and would like some suggestions on day trips from these places.

This is our first trip to France, and we are looking for some nice scenery. Some thoughts so far:
-Cherbourg - possible destination: American D-day beaches; What else is in this area? Is the town itself worth a look?
-Le Havre - possible destinations: Rouen, Honfleur, Bayeux; what would be a good driving itinerary for this day? I'm told Le Havre itself is a dump...
Is Mont St. Michel too far for either (or if not, is there anything worth seeing on the drive there)?

For a family of 4, will renting a car and driving ourselves be the cheapest option?

The ship stops from 7 am to 7 pm in Cherbourg and 7 am to 9 pm in Le Havre, though we'd like to set out mid-morning after breakfast and be back by 6 pm on both days in time for dinner.

kerouac

What about visiting Cherbourg and Le Havre themselves? They may appear to have a very discreet charm as opposed to major tourist destinations, but if you scratch the surface, you may make some worthwhile discoveries about both of them.

I made a photo report about each of them, but hey, maybe I'm weird.

Cherbourg: http://tinyurl.com/28dr4bz

Le Havre: http://tinyurl.com/6g96axt

Padraig

Cherbourg to Mont St. Michel is quite manageable in your 12-hour time frame, even allowing for some delay in disembarking and picking up a car. The drive takes about two hours. I suggest going there first, then reviewing your options on the return trip. You might be able to fit in a visit to Utah Beach, Ste Mere Eglise, and Ste Marie le Mont.

gnaij

Once there, how much time does it take to see Mont St. Michel? (trying to estimate how much of the day it would eat away)

I'm getting about 90 euros a day for an economy-sized rental car. Does this sound reasonable?

Gretchen

I would see the DDay beaches from Cherbourg. And from Le Havre Honfleur would be a pleasant way to spend the day. You could drive around the countryside a bit and visit a cheese making farm probably.

Padraig

I think many people would be happy with about two hours at the Mont. Some might like more time, but it's a matter of balancing priorities.

If the berthings at Cherbourg and Le Havre are on consecutive days, you could play with the idea of spending a night on shore.

I like Honfleur, but it's basically a postcard view and I would not give it a day when Bayeux is also within range.

[Kerouac is not weird, but is more likely than most of us to know what is under that stone over there.]

gnaij

I checked Michelin: it's around 2hrs from Cherbourg to Mont St. Michel and 2:10 from Le Havre to Mont St. Michel (so almost the same distance!). Bayeux is 1:26 from Cherbourg but 2:25 from Le Havre.

Would it make sense to do D-day beaches and Bayeux from Cherbourg on day one and then Mont St. Michel and Honfleur from Le Havre on the next day?

I'm throwing place names around only because I've heard them mentioned here. Of the sights in Normandy, what should be my priorities in terms of visual appeal? Caen? Etretat? Dieppe?

Any suggestions on specific routes to take (other than the most fastest that searchable maps spit out)?

Cherbourg and Le Havre are on consecutive days, but it would be considerably more expensive for a night's lodging, a couple meals, and dropping the car off at different points. Alternatively we could make the days long, but someone in my party lacks the stamina.

Thanks.

gnaij

I'm leaning towards the following:
-from Cherbourg, go to Mont St. Michel, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Utah Beach (8 hours roundtrip)
-from Le Havre, go to Rouen and Honfleur (5 hours roundtrip)

Does this sound about right? What routes (aside from the main motorways) are worth the extra time in scenery? [specific highway numbers or towns would be helpful here] http://www.viamichelin.co.uk has a "sightseeing option" but I don't know if their suggested routes are worth trying, considering how pressed for time we will be on the first day.

Also, suggestions for a light lunch on either day?