I have roughly time for a 3 day / 2 nights road trip away from Paris. Can you please advise if the following schedule is ideal? If you feel there is a better way to spend my time, or would like to offer an alternative, please let me know. I would really want to visit MSM but I don't know if that's possible to fit into the schedule.

Day 1: Pick up rental car in Paris in the morning, drive to Rouen and stay for the rest of the day
Day 2: Drive to Etretat and stay for lunch, then drive to Honfleur for dinner and stay for the night
Day 3: Drive from Honfleur after breakfast, stopping at Giverny to visit Monet's exhibition, return the rental in Paris at night

very possible, car pick up at CDG might be easier

Yep - that's doable. Perhaps take the train to Rouen, stow your bags at the hotel (near the station), visit Rouen. Next morning rent a car at the station, & off to Etretat.

Stu Dudley

Thanks! Would it be too ambitious to try to fit in Mont St Michel to this schedule?

Yep. There is quite a bit of time-consuming overhead to visit MSM. Mainly parking, getting on/off shuttles, etc. Plus it is almost a 3 hr drive from Honfleur. Then 4 1/2 hrs back to Paris (skipping Giverny). You may need to add 2 nights if you want to visit MSM & Giverny.

We spent a night at MSM in 2019.
https://stududley.shutterfly.com/57
Click "full screen"

Stu Dudley

Thank you for your comments so far. I updated my itinerary. Can you please advise if it's doable?

May 16 (Monday): Flight arrives to CDG at 4pm and will rent a car and drive to Rouen for dinner and overnight stay

May 17 (Tuesday): Breakfast at Rouen and start driving to Mont St Michel at 12 noon. Arrive at MSM at 3pm. Visit MSM and stay at MSM for the night

May 18 (Wednesday): Check out from hotel at MSM and drive to Honfleur for lunch. Sightseeing in Honfleur and also visit Etretat in the late afternoon. Spend night at Honfleur

May 19 (Thursday): Return to Paris and check-in to hotel / return rental car.

Not visiting Rouen? By the time you get there, even the cathedral front might not be in the greatest light.

https://flic.kr/p/GWHfZh https://flic.kr/p/GWH5X3

Wow. Doable but....

I hope your flight into CDG is short. Driving 2+ hours after a long flight is not a good idea.

Anyway, why not:

Monday. Arrive CDG, train to Rouen (about 2.5 hours)
Tuesday. Rent the car, drive to Etretat, drive to Honfleur
Wednesday. Drive to MSM
Thursday. Drive to Rennes, return the car, train to Paris (1.5 hours)

Your plan involves probably 11 hours of driving. The above is maybe 6 hours of driving.

Here's the tide table for MSM:

https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/tide-schedules/

^^^ Ditto

"May 16 (Monday): Flight arrives to CDG at 4pm and will rent a car and drive to Rouen for dinner and overnight stay" . . . NOT if you are flying in long haul. Just no. Take the train to Rouen, and relax one evening. Pick up car the next day and head out.

Thank you. I am only flying from the UK so I feel confident of driving immediately after I land at CDG

I am thinking of leaving Rouen a little bit later (maybe 1:30pm) so I can see more of Rouen before going to MSM. How many hours do you feel one should give Rouen?

We spent about 4 hrs in Rouen a few years ago - but we are not big "church goers". No lunch.

Stu Dudley