1 Day in Normandy - Need Advise
 

My wife, cousin and I will be in France from April 13-23rd on our first trip to France. After five days in Paris, we will have 4 days in Amboise with a car and would like to do a day trip to Normandy and/or Mont Saint Michele.

My wife is really pulling for MSM and I would love to see Normandy. I already know that the drive is substantial, but on our previous trips we have really enjoyed the cross-country, come across the unexpected type of traveling. On a trip two years ago we drove out of Rome, got lost on the way to Siena and had a great time pulling into unknown villages and exploring.

With that said, I would love to know how doable this day trip is and get some advise from folks who have been there before. Here's some questions that I've got:

1. Which day trip would be the best from Amboise?

2. If it's Normandy, what is the best way to see/tour the area? I've read about hiring guides in the parking lot in Bayeaux and of joining a bus-type tour. Does anyone have advise here?

3. Any other day trips that some of you can advise from Amboise, other than the obvious Chateaus? Maybe some specific tours/tour guides that someone can recommend?

We have also hired Michael Osmon in Paris as a personal guide for 2 days, but still have 2.5 days open in Paris. Any suggestions there would certainly be appreciated.

Also, any knock-your-socksoff restaurants that you've come across. My wife's a real foodie and is looking to eat her way through the trip and drag me willingly with her.

Thanks,
Matt from California

You'll need to be more specific. Normandy is a very large area, which includes Mont St-Michel. Some parts could be done in a day trip, while others would really be too much.

Actually, le Mont-St-Michel is in Brittany, but anyway, lavendereye is right, your question is too general. Normandy is huge. Look at a map, get a sense of distances, and figure out what your priorities are, then see if you can accomplish them.

Or just sign up for one of those all-day tours out of Paris or Bayeux.

St. Cirq is one (if not the) most knowledgeable Fodorites when it comes to France, but in this case I must correct her. Although Le-Mont-St-Michel(50170) is as close to Brittany as can be, it is still in the Normandy département of Manche.

Either destination is pretty far for a day trip. Nearly 300 miles R/T to Mont-Saint-Michel, which would probably take 6 hours hours. Bayeux is about 400 miles R/T, almost 7 hours total. (Per Viamichelin.com.)

So, both are possible but won't leave much time at either place unless you can discipline yourselves not to stop along the way and don't mind driving back to Amboise in the dark. If you go to MSM, note the tide schedule:

http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/ho...avril08_gb.htm


If it's raining or rain is predicted, I wouldn't do either long drive.

Sorry about that, but not being to Normanady before, I presumed that everyone would know that I meant the D-Day beaches area.

We would really like to visit at least Omaha, Pont du Hoc and the American Cemetary. Any other things that are a no-miss here and how does that work on a day trip from Amboise? I'm assuming that you can visit these beach areas quite quickly.

Also, any other towns that are a no-miss in the Loire?

Thanks, Matt

Driving time from Amboise to Omaha beach is 8 (eight) hours (return), so it will be too much for a daytrip.

I would strongly suggest a loop drive and overnight stay in Normandy.

If you are in Normandy, there is a lot to see:

- D-Day beaches, cemeteries and museum.

- Mont St. Michel.

- The Bayeux carpet.

- The charming town Honfleur.

- Historical Rouen and the Seine Valley.

Around Amboise, castles are the main attractions. You can easily visit three or four castles a day. So better skip a day in the Loire Valley for an overnight stay in Normandy.

I stand corrected, laverendrye. Even as I was typing that, I was wondering whether my memory was faulty.

MattKn, IMO you need a bare minimum of 2 days to do justice to the WWII sites in Normandy. You can race from beach to beach, but why would you want to? The whole idea is to pause and reflect. We spent a full 4 hours in the Memorial Museum in Caen without even realizing that kind of time had passed.

We have done the reverse of one of your options, that is driving from Bayeux to Amboise. Checking viamichelin again, it is a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive one way and my memory tells me it was an relatively easy drive. Your best option would be to spend two days in Amboise and 2 in Bayeux. Even with 2 days in Bayeux you will not be able to see everything you might want to see. On our first trip we took a guided tour of the Omaha Beach side of the invasion and our tour lasted until 8 PM. Last year we returned to see the Utah Beach side and on both trips we dedicated 3 days to that part of our trip. We are returning in 09 for the 65th anniversary of D-
Day and will spend at least 4 days.

If you are determined to go to the D-Day sites and are limited on time due to trying to make it a day trip, start at the American Cemetary which overlooks Omaha Beach. From the cemetary you can walk down to the beach and see some of the German gun emplacements. Good luck.

Hey guys, thanks so much for the great advise. One other question on our itinerary: What about a day trip to the D-Day sites on one of our free days in Paris? I know that there are organized minivan tours that leave around 7am or so and return at 7pm or so. Any experience with these?

Again, thanks a ton for all of the help. We are considering shortening our stay in Amboise to only 2 nights and moving onto Bayeux for one night. That's all the flexibility that we've got this late in the planning. Any hotel advise, and of course I'll check the forums for hotel advise there too. Thanks, Matt

However this plays out for you please be sure to see MSM - it is a very special place.

This is my opinion only but after you have seen two or three chateaus the rest begin to look alike.
Chenoceaux is the one we enjoyed the most. If you have the flexibility to limit your time in Amboise to two days and visit Bayeaux and the landing beaches I would definitely do this. Bayeux itself is very nice but if you are at all interested in WWII history and want a moving experience, you should not miss the American cemetery and Omaha beach. While there last June 6th we met a woman from Paris who was helping an American man find his way around the Omaha and Utah beach area. The man was the son of an American 101st Airborne veteran and the son wanted to visit some of the villages his father fought around. The Parisian woman told me she had 13 children which amazed me but I became even more amazed when she told me they were adopted. She went on to explain that her adopted children were 13 American servicemen interred in the American cemetery at Colleville and that twice a year, June 6th and All Saint's day she traveled from Paris to the cemetery to lay flowers at their graves. I was so overtaken with gratitude that all I could do was give her a hug and thank her. It answered a question that I had after walking among the white crosses and seeing so many flowers at many of the grave sites. Many French people have not forgotten our soldier's sacrifices and they honor their memory.

So you can see visiting these places can be a very moving and memorable time. This was our second visit and each time we have had the opportunity to meet wonderful French people and U.S. veterans of the invasion. MSM is nice but I wouldn't substitute any of my visits to the landing beaches for almost anything else I have seen if France. Like I said before we already have our reservations for 2009's anniversary.

Let us know what you decide and your impressions of what you see.

Sorry, I meant to add that my wife also wanted to see other sites rather than the landing beaches but she is as enthusiastic as myself about returning.

Hello,

my advice, dont drive from amboise to normandy, it s long!

I would take the train from paris (1h45mn) to Caen then i would book a d day tour from memorial of caen, i know the museum very well because I am working there :)
they offer tour including gold beach, americain cemetery, omaha, pointe du hoc, battery of longues!

oh and for suggestions around paris, why not giverny, the house and garden of Monet? it s great in the spring!

bookmarking for visit - thank you.

g.

I loved staying overnight on Mont St.Michel - after the daytrip crowds have left, it was magical walking around, I almost felt like I was on a medieval pilgrimage.

In Amboise, be sure to tour Leonardo DiVinci's home that Francis 1 gave to him - there is a fascinating exhibit of his many inventions.

OK, folks. Thank you so much for all of the insight and advise. We are going to try to pull off a day trip from Paris during one of our "free days", or we are also willing to do the grueling drive from Amboise and take in the Normany beaches then. Either way, we'll definitely see the D-Day area and I will watch and see if my wife really wants to push on that same day and go to Mont Saint Michele.

We are leaving on our trip in two hours and are very excited. We got bumped up to Business Class on Air France and are very excited about the flight alone. I will follow up with this thread and let you guys, and others, know how our side trip to Normandy worked out.

Bon Jour, Matt