Should I plan my trip to avoid Normandy on the May 8, VE Day holiday? Or should I plan to be there to attend any special events? Since it could be long weekend for some, would the roads be more crowded and accommodations hard to get...especially near the WWII sites?

There will certainly be ceremonies, but it will not be crowded. May 8, 2007, is a Tuesday, so quite a few French people will make a 4-day weekend of it, but it will have nothing to do with Omaha Beach.

Avoid Normandy on VE Day only if you're not interested in WWII and the landings. We were there in September 2004, and several small towns had special displays and commemerative services--but nothing was really crowded.

I used to avoid "special" events and days but have since discovered that, for me, those dates are in fact the best times to visit. I seem to learn a lot about the culture and attitudes of people when they are outside their "normal" routine. Think Semana Santa in Sevilla, Christmas markets in Germany, or Normandy on the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Special days that each left special memories. One word of caution: Make reservations early!

It seems that most people (that I've noticed) come in for a day tour, not for overnights. The roads around Omaha Beach have not been crowded at all when I've been (including Memorial Day 2005).

If people are making it a 4-day weekend the likelihood would be more that the highways returning to Paris would be the most crowded. JMHO We returned to Paris from the Loire on May 8 in 2005 and the traffic approaching the peripherique was incredible--at a crawl for about 2 hours.

We had a horrible time with the peripherique this past trip - but it had nothing to do with Normandy, and I think only a handful of people would make it a weekend there.

Thank you all for the insight. What about Honfleur, Mont Saint Michel and Bayeux? My itinerary would put me there during that long weekend. Would they be busier than usual?