melodyesch

Hi. My husband and I will be in France May of next year (2013) but I really want to narrow down our itinerary. We will arrive Paris on Sunday morning (from a river cruise) and want to immediately head out for 5 nights before leaving for home via CDG on noon Friday. We will have seen most of the D-day sights from our river cruise but I want to see the Bayeux Tapestry and follow up on any D-day stuff my husband needed more time on. We will also fit Mont St. Michel in there somewhere (on the way from one region to the next?) So we'll do Sunday and Monday nights in Bayeux and Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Amboise (or just the reverse) before heading back late Thursday to spend the Thursday night near CDG for our noon flight the next day.

So how to do this? Should we get the car from CDG on Sunday morning, head to Bayeux and then on to Amboise, ending back up at CDG?

Thanks so much!

dugi_otok

You can do it like this.I hope DH likes to drive.
Sunday morning rent a car from an rental agency near the boat dock or at Orly airport. Do not go to CDG.I like a clockwise loop.

1.Drive to Amboise. Possible stop at Chartres. You have time for 1-2 Chateaus or Clos-Luce.

2. Amboise. Tour 2-3 chateaus east of Tours. Make one of them Chenonceaux. Others to choose from are Chambord,Cheverny (the feeding of the hounds is gross),Chaumont, Blois, and if you must Azay west of Tours. I also liked Loches a ways south.
We stayed at Le Vieux Manoir. Gloria s very helpful in dinner recommendations and touring.
www.le-vieux-manoir.com

3. This is tough.
A.To stop at Mont Saint Michel on the way to Bayeux makes for a long day, but doable.5-6 hours of driving plus the Le Mont climb.
B.You could drive directly to Bayeux(3 hr drive) and see the tapestry today and maybe the Caen Memorial Museum today.
C. You could sleep on or near Le Mont.3-4 hr drive. See Le Mont late and in the evening all lite up. If you book two nights in Bayeux you could keep A or B as open options.Let how you feel at the time or the weather help you decide.

4. If you chose A you will have a full day Tapestry and more D Day. If you chose B you can drive 1.5-2 hrs to Le Mont and beat the crowd.Not sure of May crowds.1.5-2 hr to drive back. If you chose C you can do Tapestry and D Day stuff after driving from Le Mont.Sleep in Bayeux.

5. Meander back to CDG hotel. Possible stop is Honfleur and other D Day stuff, Calvades,cheese, apple stuff.Turn in car.

5. Fly home at noon.

The good thing is you have a year to agonize over your decision.