Enroute to Bayeux
 

Once we arrive in Paris we pick up our car and head for Bayeux. Since we arrive in Paris early, we have the whole day and could make a stop. I have seen much written on Honfleur and was wondering if its worth a few hours visit. We are also considering Rouen and Etretat. I know the museum in Caen is a choice, but we plan to hit that on the way back from MSM to Paris. I know folks will say visit Honfleur instead of MSM, but I have always wanted to go there after seeing the movie MindWalk. It's on the must see once list.

Honfleur is a beautiful little city, but don't even think of going on a weekend - it is full of Parisians and tourists, and I mean full. Around dinner time on Sunday it empties out. I think it's worth a few hours and a nice lunch overlooking the harbor.

Rouen is larger and with more traffic, but is still an interesting place - especially the Jeanne D'Arc Church - an over turned boat.

If you only have a few hours, I would choose Honfleur, it is easier to get around on foot, and so picturesque.

Who on earth would tell you to visit Honfleur and not MSM? Ignore them, hey don't know what they are talking about. Both are very very different places. If you can see them both in one visit, go for it.

Enjoy your trip.

Nina

Thanks Nina. I should have said "some folks." I have read here some back and forth discussion on Honfluer vs. MSM. I will be visiting on a Friday afternoon, so if we are not feeling too jet lagged, will try to make it there.

If you're arriving at Paris after a long flight, driving all the way to Bayeux might not be the best plan. You could make a stop at Giverny and then go on to the little village of Petit Andelys, where there's a fine small hotel with an excellent restaurant, La Chaîne d'Or. It's right on the banks of the Seine: very relaxing after a flight. The next morning you could go on to Rouen for part of the day, then on to Honfleur and spend the night. The hotel L'Ecrin there is very pleasant and has its own walled parking, a great advantage in Honfleur.

I can't imagine recommending Honfleur over Mont St-Michel; there's just no comparison. Honfleur is a pretty fishing village, while MSM is the second highest rated spot in France after Paris. Both, however, draw hordes of tourists--because they are so interesting.

I find a big disconnect between visiting Honfleur and le Mont St-Michel. They are SUCH different places. Honfleur was, 20 years ago, one of the truly unique and beautiful still authentic fishing villages in Normandy. Unfortunately, that isn't so any more, but it's still worth a stop. The restaurants are great, the Musée Boudin is wonderful, the oldest wooden church in Europe is still there; it's bound to capture your heart.

Rouen is also a great venue - fabulous restaurants and a sizable pedestrian walking area plus great history.

Can you manage both Rouen and Honfleuer on your way to Bayeux? Depends on how early your flight arrives and how much stamina you have...

Underhill - our flight isn't long, we are just flying from Boston. We debated back and forth whether to visit Paris first or last. But in the end decided it was just easier to get the car from the airport and go. The issue is whether we get any sleep. I am debating whether to bring an Ambien, but then I worry that I might not wake up at all. And usually we are okay after the flight. You know you are so excited to get there that despite having no sleep your adrenalin kicks in, but then it rushes just as quickly out about half way through the day.

St Cirq - I can't imagine doing both Rouen and Honfluer in one day - well I can, just not on the day we arrive. As I mentioned before we plan to stop at the Caen Museum on the way back from MSM to Paris. Would you recommend Rouen over that? I think the full day Battlebus tour may be enough for us, but if the museum is really inspiring, I think we should go. That said I saw Travelnut’s pictures from her last trip, which included Rouen -and the pedestrian area looked lovely. That’s what led to me to question Roeun or Honfluer. In the end it's really going to be one of those how do we feel days. It could easily end up Caen Museum on the way to Bayeux and Honfluer or Rouen on the way back.

Hmmm . . . planning really is half the fun :-)

Your plan of getting the car and going to Normandy if very logical. We did it but with the plan of seeing Giverny and then spending the night in Rouen. Then from Rouen to Honfleur for that next night and then Bayeux. You don't say how much total time you have to spend. I will tell you that Rouen was a welcome sight!! We drove up the north side of the Seine so it was very scenic. If you are set on Bayeux as your first night, I suggest you just "go". You can "stop by" any number of places as you wish. But you are going to be jet lagged, maybe because of the "short" trip.
Get the Michelin Green Guide to Normandy. It recommends many nice drives such as the Abbaye Road out of Rouen toward Honfleur--a string of Norman abbeys.

Gretchen - hubby just called and quite ironically he was in a bookstore. Had him pick up the green guide. Thanks.

It will really help you and picque your imagination for things to do.

If you can spend the night in Honfleur, I give a great big second to Underhill's suggestion to stay at L'Ecrin. It is like staying in someone's private museum - except it is large and bright and they with friendly service. I can't begin to describe everything there. The breakfast room is delightful.

Any hotels along your route will require advance reservations.

I have a question for you job816 ---- (pleading/sobbing/whining voice ...."can I go with you ;-)

Nina

Got by bag all ready to pack you in, Nina :-)

To give you an idea of the "feel" of L'Ecrin, after we returned home I discovered I'd lost somewhere an expensive scarf purchased on behalf of a friend. I finally located it at L'Ecrin, and the owner kindly mailed it to me without asking for payment.

Job, you don't mention when you're taking your trip, which has quite a bit to do with the size of crowds in Honfleur mentioned by others, as does the time of day. We were there weekend before last and the crowds were not all that heavy. Nor will they be as dense on a Friday as on a Saturday or Sunday. Early in the morning, you can have the Quay St. Catherine all to yourself. As for dining outside on that quay on the Old Harbor, it's fine for the view, but if food is your priority, better step a street or two away, to the Ancrage, the Absinthe, the P'tit Mareyeur or its sister restaurant the Grenouille,

WE spent a day and night in Rouen two years ago and loved it; would like to go back. Highlight - the artificial flower shops - yes really. They are just superb. also the town is very interesting and the restaurants /cafes great. Don't minss it!

Hi job816:

We just did a similar trip in May.

D1 BOS to CDG, car, drove to visit Giverny, then stayed in Les Andelys where Underhill suggested to you.

D2 Drove to Caen Museum, then to Bayeux
where we stayed 4N.

D3-4 Battlebus DDay tours

D5 Bayeux

D6 Train to Paris.
D 6-11 Paris.

Flew from BOS, got car and drove 90 minutes to Giverny. But our hotel was only 15 minutes away so it worked well for us.

We originally considered driving to Rouen or Honfleur to visit and then on to Bayeux but it's just too far to drive the same day you arrive.

My husband didn't sleep on plane.

If we did have a direct reservation in Bayeux our first night then I would have been both driver/navigator. That wouldn't have been fun and I'd have needed a place to nap somewhere. The jet lag does catch up to you, more so when driving.

If you already have a first night reservation for the Logis Les Rampants, I find it difficult to say if you'll have the stamina to do something and then drive all the way to Bayeux that first day.

Have you considered not driving but going into Paris and getting the train out to Bayeux?

I know it's backtracking (that's why we added one more day to our trip) but with your DDay tour on D2 you will not need a car.

You could rent one in Bayeux, pick it up in the evening after your tour returns by 530pm or pick it up first thing on D3 when you head to MSM.

If you have your heart set on driving the day you arrive, now that you have the michelin guide, I'd look for something that's has you driving more directly in the direction of Bayeux.

Also, after visiting the Caen museum, you could return your car in Caen. Then train into Paris after visiting the musuem. The rental agencies are right across the street form the station.

Maybe the money you save on 2 days car rental will cover prem tickets to Bayeux, and prem tickets from Caen to Paris, with something left over.

I know it's a tough decision but you want to have time to enjoy your visit.

We had to keep telling ourselves we'll be back, and we will, because it's such a lovely area. However, there is only so much you can do.

Just some thoughts, Good luck.

Hmmm DiG - you have given me some things to consider, but since we need to be in Bayeux the second day for the D-Day tour, I think we should be there the night before. And for me, getting the car works better than backtracking into Paris. As St Cirq said in another post and I really agree with . . .

>> . . . Pick up a rental car at CDG and drive to Bayeux or wherever you've decided you're going to stay. It's easy, even after an overnight flight, unless you suffer terribly from jetlag...and even then it's an adventure<<

But I also agree with you that there is only so much one can do. I plan to take with me enough information that we can play it by ear. I am even debating some cider tasting in the area of Lisieux, which I just read about tonight. We really enjoy visiting vineyards – only this case it will be apple farms. However, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of taking the train back into Paris.

If your past travel experiences have resulted in not leaving you with heavy jet lag fatigue, then driving into the Normandy countryside, like lovely Lisieux, is a good idea.

We also took St.Cirq's advice but knew our limitation would be about 90 minutes of driving.

One of the things we enjoyed was being able to stop somewhere to break up the air and car travel. The fresh air, and walking in Giverny was definitely a body recharge, and then of course to see Monet's inspirational setting.

I agree you should be in Bayeux the night before. Battlebus is a solid company and they run on time so the day's tour isn't jeoparized.

We found the Michelin green guide to be a valuable resource. I'm glad you bought it and are reading.

Enjoy!

The Bayeux tapestry is a world treasure you must see in Bayeux. A 230 foot long history of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, it dates from at least the 15th century.

MSM can be very crowded, especially in summer. I recommend that you stay on the island. That way you can arrive in the late afternoon as the hordes are leaving, enjoy leisurely rambles over the island in the evening, a nice dinner and an early visit to the monument in the morning and be on your way as that day's hordes begin to arrive.

Rouen centre ville is a wonderful walking experience; the new cathedral, incorporating remnants of old stained glass windows, is a wonderful celebration of light and architecture.

Etretat is worth a visit; you can walk out on the cliffs and enjoy the view along the shoreline.

The Colleville cemetery from WWII is a sobering reminder of the cost of war.

We (DH, teenage son and I) flew from California into CDG and picked up our rental car on June 10th at about 10am. We drove by way of Les Andelys and Chateau Gaillard, where we devoured a pseudo-picnic lunch, and then drove on to the Bayeux area, arriving at 4pm. We were exhausted after dinner but slept well! No jet lag at all (but a different story returning home last week!) It's a beautiful drive and, by California standards, there is no traffic whatsoever.

We believe in avoiding large cities whenever possible when driving a (stick-shift) rental car in Europe, thus our opting to drive by way of Les Andelys.

BTW - my boys are history buffs and took the "Band of Brothers tour with Battlebus and HIGHLY recommend them. They still can't stop talking about it.

Have a wonderful time in Normandy - we spent 4 nights and were most impressed with the kindness of the folks and the beauty of the countryside.

Jes

We just got back from Normandy and I can make the following suggestions: If you can, stay overnight on MSM. It is well worth it. The crowds of tourists leave around 5pm and don't come back until 10am the next day. It is much more peaceful and pleasant in the evening and early morning.
We drove from there to Bayeux to see the tapestry, but didn't stay to walk around the town because it was raining.
We went to the Memorial Museum in Caen, which is fascinating and has very well done exhibits and videos. You could easily spend a whole day there.
We were only able to make it to one of the D-Day beach sites (Arromanches) because of the rain, but it was very moving and interesting.
The next day we drove from Caen to Giverny. We stopped in Honfleur for lunch, which we enjoyed alot. Nice little restaurants around the harbor. If you're into shopping, there are lots of interesting looking shops. But I would rate MSM much higher than Honfleur for its architecture, history and amazing ambience.
We never made it into Rouen to see the historical section. I had neglected to take into account that Rouen is quite a big city, with extensive industrial areas around the central, old section. If you have your heart set on visiting there, plan your route carefully and have specific directions on how to get where you want to go.
We did stop to see Chateau Gaillard -- stunning ruins on top of a high hill overlooking the Seine. Worth a stop.
And of course Giverny is lovely.
Keep in mind if you're planning to drive on scenic routes -- the French have gone roundabout mad, and there are numerous roundabouts to navigate in each town you pass through. It can get very tedious and exhausting. They seem to leave off critical information on every third or fourth roundabout. I can say though that I was very impressed with the quality of their roads - very well maintained.