I just finished posting this question (at length) and lost it! So here goes again.
I'm going to Normandy for 2 weeks (solo) April 24, staying first 2 nights in Chartres to see cathedral, get over jetlag before picking up car. Then to Les Andelys for 1 night before heading to Honfleur, then Bayeux area. I'm going to do this at a leisurely pace, as I love the smaller roads in France, villages, seeing chateaux churches, abbeys, and don't want to hurry it.
I don't mind staying in several places along the way (I pack light!)

One question I have is how to work-in Rouen? I could stop there for a few hours on my way from Les Andelys, but have heard that it's a pain parking and driving in the city (I'm paranoid about city-driving - I get too much of that where I live). And a few hours might not do justice to Rouen. The other way is to end the Normandy trip there before heading back to Paris and CDG. I thought I could drop car in Caen, train to Rouen and spend a night or two. However, one of those days would be a Tuesday (the museums are closed) and also May 8, which is a French holiday. Would Rouen be too dead that day?

My plans are to spend several days in Honfleur (Hotel L'Ecrin) to see area around there. Then to Bayeux area. I have a long list of things I want to do in both areas, as far away as Coutances and maybe Falaise. Definitely not Mont St. Michel as I've seen it and don't want to fight those crowds. Next question: where to stay near or in Bayeux? I've booked Ferme de la Ranconniere in Crepon for 4 nights. It has great reviews, a good restaurant and sounds lovely, and is a real bargain (not insignificant!). I have loved staying in countryside and village-type places in the past and like to be able to eat where I stay.
Being older, solo and tired at night that works for me. However, will I be sorry not to be staying right in Bayeux? Any opinions!

Would appreciate any feedback re Rouen and Bayeux. The hotels in Rouen don't sound so charming. The Mercure seems to be the best option (ugh).

Greetings fellow Sue.

One suggestion: Drive straight from Les Andelys to Bayeux area, then double back to Honfleur only after doing Bayeux. Then, after your nights in Honfleur, drop car in Deauville, then take the train from Trouville-Deauville to Rouen. For example, you could leave Trouville-Deauville at 10:49, arriving in Rouen at 12:43 (1 change in Bernay, lasting about 30 minutes.)

Alternatively you could drop the car at Rouen airport and take a cab in from the airport, this would also avoid most of the in-city driving (and I hear you, we hate it too.)

OR: To avoid the May 8 thing, work Rouen as a daytrip from Honfleur on a non-holiday day. Perhaps drive to Elbeuf-St.Aubin, a small place just south of Rouen - park the car, and take an 18 to 25 minute commuter train into Rouen. You might want to do a reconnaissance of Elbeuf on the way in from Les Andelys, to familiarize yourself with the parking situation to ease this option.

Sue, thanks so much for your reply! Your ideas have me excited - things I would never have thought of myself. I actually like all of your options, so I'm going to get out my maps (of which I have many!) and mull this all over. Rouen as a daytrip would allow me to stay an extra day or 2 in one hotel.

Also, I never thought of dropping off car in Deauville (even to go back to Paris). Sounds easier than doing that in Caen or Rouen. Thanks so much for your input!

We stayed at the Hotel d'Argouges in Bayeux. It's about a five minute walk down to the restaurant district and cathedral area. This location offers an easy route in and out of the city. http://www.hotel-dargouges.com/ The Lion d'Or is closer to the sites, not sure if the driving is easy.

We also stayed at the dreaded Mercure in Rouen. Basic, plain, good location. Hard to drive to.

Right now I'm reading Henry Adams' Mont St-Michel and Chartres. If you haven't read it already, you might want to before your trip. In the first few chapters he discusses Coutances, neaby churches, Bayeux and Caen cathedrals, Abbaye St-Vigor in Cerisy-la-Foret and other sites in the area of Bayeux.

Sue, I'm planning a similar trip, though including more Brittany, almost exactly a year after you. I'll look forward to your report--especially what to expect in weather and traffic.

My husband loved l'Chaine de Or in Petit Les Andelys. Hope your weather is good.

We stayed at Le Lion d'Or last spring and really liked it. It was charming, our room was nice, the dining room is beautiful, and the food was good. You drive through a double gate and park in the cobblestone courtyard inside the fenced hotel area.

We ate dinner one night in Bayeux at Le Petit Bistrot, a very small restaurant near the cathedral and a Fodors recommendation, and it was probably the best meal we had on our trip. Don't miss the B. Tapestry.

We also loved the Lion d'Or in Bayeux. Many of the guests were staying there for the excellent on site dining. Also liked L'Ecrin in Honfleur.

Greetings again fellow Sue.

I am glad to have helped kick-start your creative juices re your Rouen dilemma. The info is fresh in my mind as I hope we will ourselves finally manage a Normandy trip next spring, health of family members permitting.

For ourselves, we have only 12 nights, 9 after accounting for 3 nights in Paris, and being complete nutcases, and not as sane as you quite clearly are, we are squeezing in a bit of Picardy as well as Normandy. (We swapped Brittany for Picardy/the Somme after much soul searching.) Dou you ever find it hard to let go of visiting things after you've read about them?

I have been reading on other posts that several have stayed at L'Ecrin in Honfleur. Anyone remember the price ranges for a double room?

The 2006 Michelin Guide gives a price range of 90€ to 170€ for rooms at L'Ecrin. For convenience, ask for a room on the courtyard instead of in the house--easy handling of luggage, as the walled parking lot is immediately adjacent.

As for Rouen, we stayed across the river at the Novotel--good value for the price. The main thing is getting driving directions to find the place; it's out by the big convention center, about a 10-minute drive from Rouen itself.

we stayed in rouen for a night about 18 months ago - so in about april, I guess. Parking wasn't easy, but doable. however, the one way system is a peach and might be a bit too much if you were driving and navigating, unless you've got satnav.
I think I'd try to train there if i could and pick up my car elsewhere.
Good luck!

Thanks Jean. When the 07 Michelin Green Guide comes out, I will be heading to Barnes and Noble.

When I go to Rouen, I always park on the other side of the river, St Sever, and walk across the river. Or you can take the metro, you'll see the lines on one of the bridges over the Seine, and it runs every five minutes. Many hotels in Rouen but I have never tried any out. There is a tourist information office by the cathedral in Rouen.

Rouen has a good art gallery, a nearby metal museum, a small Joan of Arc museum, lots of shops, a market Saturday morning at the east end of town. St Sever shopping centre has a fair market Thursday morning.

Normandy: When out and about, filled baguettes are a good cheap snack/meal. Many shops will shut from around noon - 2:30pm. Some all day Monday, including banks (which are usually open Saturday). Out of hours, only French debit cards work with fuel pumps.

We stayed at Ferme de la Ranconniere a couple of years ago and it's not that far into town, maybe 15 min. It is very quite and the breakfast buffet was a great way to start the day. I think you made a very good choice.

Thanks to all for the replies so far - very helpful. Pausanias, I just reserved the "St Michel-Chartres" book you mentioned - I'm sure I'll enjoy reading that.

Sue, I was also going to try to get to Brittany on this trip. In fact, I was all set to do this trip last May, with Brittany, but had to cancel due to health issues. This time, I decided I can only do so much, especially doing my own driving/navigating, and I ain't a young'un! It's so much fun planning -I' ll be doing the same for Brittany NEXT year, hopefully. Keep me posted on here with any interesting tidbits you come up with for your Normandy planning.

Eric, I was glad to see your comment on the Ferme de la Ranconniere. I really think that kind of place will work for me. And being close to Bayeux I can still spend time there, with quiet nights!

I'm still trying to figure out Rouen.
But I will definitely not drive there to visit it. However, another question for anybody who may know. I had an idea of driving to Lyons-la-Foret when leaving Les Andelys, then over to the Route des Abbayes and Jumieges. It looks like I have to cut right thru Rouen to do that (and Michelin seems to say so). Does anyone know how this route is. Looks fairly easy on the map,
(but that's usually the case on maps).

Hopingtotravel, I'll be interested in keeping up with your Brittany planning.
By the way, in my recent correspondance with Hotel l'Ecrin, they quoted me 95 euros or 115 euros for 3rd floor room in the main house(smaller rooms) or 170 euros for a large room on the 2nd floor.
I opted for the 95E one - hope it's not too bad. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the annex rooms aren't so nice (maybe it was Trip Advisor?) I guess I can lug my suitcase up 3 flights of stairs (or maybe the nice man will take pity on me). He sounds quite nice, by the way.

We had an annex room at L'Ecrin, and it was just fine, if a bit colorful. The owner is a very pleasant man; I had left an expensive scarf in the room (not for me!), and he had it packaged and sent to me without requesting payment in advance--or any payment at all.

Lyons-la-Forêt is on the Les Andelys side of Rouen; just take the D2 out of town. After your visit to Lyons-la-Forêt, take the D32 to the N 14 for Rouen. You could make a slight side trip to visit the Abbaye de Fontaine-Guérard on the way.

You can then bypass Rouen--carefully-- and head over to the Route des Abbayes and Jumièges. Get driving instructions from mappy.com or viamichelin.com so as to avoid the interesting roads and traffic around Rouen (see my trip report from September 2004 for the entire horror story).

Underhill, I had read your trip report before, and really enjoyed. In fact, your "Rouen" part is one thing that made me decide I didn't want to drive there! And I think I was wrong about the Annex rooms at the L'Ecrin not being nice - I just reread Trip Advisor and saw nothing negative about any of the rooms there. I hope I'm not making a mistake getting a third floor room.
In France, I guess that's really the 4th floor! I'm sure my 95E room will not be one of their finest.

I have trouble with viamichelin routing me on "scenic" roads - I wish I could tell them I don't want to go fast, just pretty!

Somewhere on viamichelin.com and mappy.com are buttons to indicate that you don't want fast roads. Good luck!

On viamichelin, I think the button Underhill is referring to is under 'customize your route - preferences' where you can indicate whether you wish to 'favour motorways' (generally, however, the default is no) or 'avoid tolls' for which 'yes' would definitely help you avoid motorways.

But it doesn't necessarily help one hit the nice 'green' scenic routes on the Michelin maps. To do that, one usually has to 'force' the program by searching for a place on one of those scenic routes, and indicating it as a stopover.