How about visiting Vitre on our way from Paris to our B&B near MSM (skipping Fougiere altogether), then next morning MSM and Dinan in the afternoon?

Sure - that would work.

I hope your read my itinerary about MSM. Our favorite time there was at night between 7PM and 11:30 pm walking on the ramparts. Try to work that in.

Stu Dudley

Even if we don't find accommodation on MSM, we could take the shuttle bus in the evening and do a nice walk on the ramparts after dinner? We'll make sure to get a B&B close to a shuttle bus.
Now I'm wondering if indeed we don't have too many different B&B locations. The problem is that I don't like to drive too much every day with 2 kids. If we would have a base in let's say Honfleur, it would still take 1.5 hour to go to e.g. Rouen, Bayeux, Veules-Les-Roses, etc, and 1.5 hour to go back. 3 hours per day in the car seems a bit of a waste.
However, it may be an option to skip the 2 nights in Bayeux if we go straight from MSM to Honfleur and visit Omaha Beach and Bayeux on the way (arriving at a B&B near Honfleur in the evening). Is Bayeux worth a whole day, or is it all about the tapestry? As I said, we're not into the WWII stuff so I think a guided tour on Omaha Beach will be enough.
Next day we could do Deauville and Honfleur and stay a second night in Honfleur. Then the coastal drive via Etretat and Veules-Les-Roses to Rouen where we stay the final 2 nights.
That means we reduced the holiday to 6 nights/7 days. Is there a specific area where you think we should spend more time?

Maybe an extra night in Honfleur to see Pays d'Auge?

Bayeux is noted for 3 things - the Tapestry, proximity to the WWII landing sites, and the fact that it was the only village in the area that was not leveled in WWII. Compared to the hundreds & hundreds of villages & towns we've explored in France - Bayeux is not that notable, IMO. Not sure the kids would get much out of the Tapestry, and since you are not particularly interested in the WWII sites - except for a glimpse of the beaches - skip a stay in Bayeux. Honfleur is much more interesting.

I think the plan to add a day to Honfleur for the Pays d'Auge is a good idea. I'm not a big fan of Deauville.

Stu Dudley

Thanks, Stu! Deauville is not a must, but I thought a relaxing day at the beach would be nice. Although I understand the weather in Normandy is quite unpredictable...

We were in Normandy the 2nd & 3rd week in June this year, and the first 10 days were not that great, then it got horribly hot for the remaining 2 1/2 weeks of our trip (2 weeks in Brittany near Dinan, followed by a 1/2 day in Paris - when we never left the air conditioned hotel room - except for dinner).

We were in Brittany last year for the last 2 weeks in June & first two weeks in July. It was "record temperatures" for most of our trip.

Deauville would be fine for a "day on the beach".

Stu Dudley

So airconditioning would be advisable in the summer months? I noticed many of the B&B's and gites don't have it

>> So airconditioning would be advisable in the summer months? <<

If next year is like the last 2 years - air conditioning would be beneficial. We have rented 72 gites in France and several apartments. Except for Paris & 1 of the apts in St Tropez - none have had air conditioning. However, most of them had thick walls so you could close all the shutters in the daytime & keep the place cool. Several had fans, which helped. We have friends who stay in Gites & they purchased a fan in France. During heatwaves, we either spent a lot of time in the pool, or drove in an air-conditioned car during peak heat times of the day.

Stu Dudley

Air con in Britanny, not really needed, the walls are thick and correct control of window shutters should solve this.

Thanks a lot. Looks like the plan is coming together. Next step is to find accommodation!

As it stands now we'll do MSM and Dinan on a Sunday. Would that be okay?

No market on Sunday but there might be a grenier (car boot sale) https://vide-greniers.org/22-Cotes-Armor/Dinan-22 worth checking nearer the time.

Note that most shops in Italy are closed on a Sunday. Except in heavy tourist towns. Some may be open in Dinan. However, the port in Dinan is the "place to be" for Sunday lunch. Parking is difficult/impossible around the port.

Stu Dudley

Best to park up on the Dinan hill (inside the walls, your GPS will show the car park) and walk down to the port.

Normandy in Corona time
 

Originally I planned a 9 day trip to Normandy for this summer. Coming from Paris, I would spend 3 nights near MSM, 3 nights in Pays d'Auge and 2 nights near Rouen. Assuming France will welcome tourists this summer, I am wondering if I should change my itinerary. MSM will be closed presumably, so maybe an idea to skip that far corner of Normandy and spend some more time in other areas. Any ideas?

Everybody has their own perception of tolerable risk.

The recent news about Kawasaki Disease would make me think twice about traveling this summer with young ones until they know more about its connection to Covid. France may welcome tourists everywhere in the country this summer, but I wouldn't base a decision purely on seeing a government welcome sign. I'd be doing my own research on Covid in the specific areas of the entire itinerary. FYI, so far, France has done less testing per capita than most other European countries. Your drive from Rouen would be through Belgium which currently has counted more deaths per capita than the rest of Europe. Yes, they are just statistics, but you have to start somewhere....

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...129-6/fulltext

You should also continue to check the status of all the places you hope to visit. Currently, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is closed, as are the Peace Memorial in Caen and the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach. MSM is open to tourists, but its abbey is currently closed.

I wouldn't assume that France will welcome international tourists this summer, and even if it does, I wouldn't come here. Stay home and stay safe.