To each his own.

My purpose is not to suggest that the driving approach is wrong, but only to point out the merits of train travel, which I feel have been overlooked.

I travel to relax, not to manage the logistics of automobile transport (including renting, returning, insuring, licensing, navigation, fueling, incidents, accidents, flat tires, and mechanical malfunctions). Everyone has a choice of what they do with their time and energy abroad, and <u>my</u> preference is to use them enjoying the sights and sounds and people and food rather than wrestling with traffic.

Furthermore: the most efficient way to see Europe is to travel at night, when the sights are closed and the landscape is dark, rather than using up valuable daylight hours moving from place to place. In a car, this means dealing with unfamiliar driving conventions and routes at night, a task that is difficult enough by day. In a train, it means getting to the train station in the evening, having a relaxing ride for two or three hours, and checking in at the next stop rested and ready to explore. (It also means you can have a little beer or wine with dinner, which is absolutely not an option in a car.)

Driving directions from mappy.com are very helpful, particular when autoroutes are involved. They show the signs to look for.

Robespierre, I agree that train travel is preferable, however, in this instance I believe the Normandy area would be difficult to see by train. If you have toured Normandy by train, I would be very interested to see your trip report or hear how you managed it.

As far as I can tell, getting from Rouen or Honfleur by train to Mont St. Michele would be diffuclt but you may prove me wrong. I'd like that.

My husband and I did the Loire by train even though everyone advised against it because he did not want to rent a car. We ended up spending a lot of time waiting on trains and trying to read schedules, etc. etc. and could not see all the places we wanted.

RonZ, I have been looking at viamichelin, mappy, and someone mentioned expedia which I have not been able to figure out how to use yet.

Here's my train itinerary:

First day:
Paris -&gt; Bayeux (trains @ 10:43,1 2:25, 14:57)
Bayeux tapestry &amp; cathedral

Second day:
Guided tour of D-Day museums and beaches
Lunch @ Port-en-Bessin
Bayeux -&gt; Pontorson-Mont St. Michel (train @ 17:14)

Third day:
Mont St. Michel
Pontorson -&gt; Rennes -&gt; Paris

I agree with Robespierre that train travel is more relaxing, and always prefer to do that for long distances. It's especially nice to be able to get a train right at CDG (say, to Lyon, Tours, Avignon, etc.) then enjoying the first city a day or two without a car.But since Normandy is so close, and you would definitely need a car there to see much, it's debatable. Getting to Gare Lazare seems a little difficult.
In the past, however, I have gone straight to Gare de Lyon or Gare Montparnassee from CDG using the Air France Bus - a breeze! And it's only around 11 euros. I still don't particularly want to get right off the plane onto the autoroute, especially if I'm alone. I would do that much more willingly with a navigator.

My husband used the maps section of the Expedia site to produce very detailed routes for us to use in September.

I would strongly suggest getting the VERY detailed Michelin map of Normandy. You never know when you may stray off the beaten track and not have an Expedia printout.
LeMans is hardly in Normandy.
I think you may want to spend a day seeing the WWII sites/sights. It is quite awesome. I have never particularly wanted to do it but it is truly amazing.
I also recommend the Green Guide (Michelin) to Normandy--gives many trips that you may not think about that coincide with the route you are taking.
Leaving the car in Chartres is a good possibility--or going to Orly to return and then taxi to your Paris hotel.
And as for sis, as I understand it, you are the driver. Her jet lag shouldn't be a real problem.
Rouen is an interesting city. Our hotel was not up to par so I won't recommend. Their museum has a wonderful impressionist wing.
Bayeux is a wonderful city on its own--cathedral and the Tapestry are not to be missed.

Gretchen, I go with both types. Looked for a Michelen map of Normandy at a couple of bookstores but didn't find one so will have to order it.

Robespierre, thank you for taking the time to make an itinerary. Looks possible but ..... not all the places I want to see.

I have found a lot of good information in the Fodor's Normandy book .

That got posted accidentally before I had Honfleur and Giverny factored in. The former would be easily accessible from Caen. Depending on when I got out of CDG, I might aim for Caen instead of Bayeux, and make the 45-minute ride to the coast part of the D-Day tour.

Giverny is so close to Paris it's hardly juggling the whole itinerary to include it. I'd just hit it on the third day on the way back.

But as I said, how one chooses to tour is subject to personal preference and infinite variation. Once in a while someone suggests an approach that a traveler simply hadn't considered before, and that's all I wanted to do here.

I am still thinking about both options so your suggestions are appreciated Robespierre. We don't get in util 10:55. If we were to train, we could go into Paris, spend the night near the train station, leave the next A.M. Could go directly to Rouen or stop in Giverney. OR How about taking a taxi to the St. Lazare station, take a train to Vernon (Giverney), possibly see Giverney Friday, spend the night, take train to Rouen?...

I'm just trying to imagine doing this with my sisters. One is a good traveler but still likes to bring a big suitcase, the other is, welll, she is the youngest and never traveled. Likes to bring a trunk. I would have to whip them into suitcase shape. he he he

To maximize your use of daylight (of which there admittedly is no lack at that latitude in the summer), you might want to extend your first day in Paris into the evening (if you can keep going), and take the 9:20 to Giverny. You'll be ready for a good night's sleep and a fresh start in the morning with the logistics behind you.

At that point, renting a car would give you flexibility in making the sweep up along the coast from Mont St. Michel through Calvados to Honfleur, perhaps dumping the car in Caen and taking the train back to Paris.

I'm going to post one more time on this with some time info. We arrived at CDG at 8AM. Our luggage was somewhat delayed so we probably got to the AutoEurope desk at 9. We had an early lunch at 11:30AM in a little town just before Vernon. On your timetable you could be in Vernon mid-afternoon, see Monet's garden and check into a B&amp;B. Somehow that sounds SO much easier than taxiing into Paris (a 45 minute ride), getting a hotel and starting over the next day, or especially taking a late train to Vernon.
We just returned from Paris last month--by early evening we are really ready to have a bowl of soup and go to bed early. Next day we are on &quot;their&quot; time.

Gretchen,

I didn't mean to imply that we used the Expedia maps solely; I never travel with a Michelin map of the area we're visiting. The Expedia maps were a useful supplement, especially as they could be enlarged to make for easier reading en route.

Make that &quot;I never travel withOUT a Michelin map...

Hey Ronda--I don't want to stop the planning momentum here, but I wouldn't do Giverny in the afternoon in July. The tour buses roll in shortly after opening at around ten and don't go away until four or five. Think dawn or early evening attack. I'm serious.

You have a ton of options. Les Andeleys is what, 10 miles away? You could even go there for the afternoon/night and do a quick backtrack at dawn the next day. You could do Jeanne's Auvers sur Oise plan, you could stay in Giverny (we stayed at La Reserve right outside of town and loved it) and hit the garden/leave the next day.

I agree with Amelia about Giverny in the afternoon. I went one May from Paris (on a tour bus) - and you can hardly see the flowers for the people. Though a beautiful place, that wasn't too enjoyable.

And P.S. Try to get to Mont St. Michel either early or late - for the same reason, mobs of people.

I like the idea of going directly to Les Andeleys, checking in, perhaps relaxing, and see Giverney later. I'll have to check the times and see how late it is open.

Day One - Friday - Arrive, drive to Les Andeleys or Auvers-sur-Oise. See Giverney in the late afternoon. If not open, see on Sat. a.m.

Day Two - Saturday - Drive to Rouen, see old town and shop at Saturday market. Drive on to Honfleur. Spend night (where? Honfleur or elsewhere)

Day Three - Sunday - Drive down coast, see some of D-Day memorials, drive to Mont St. Michele, spend night.

Day Four - Monday - See Mont St. Michele, drive to Chartes, turn in rental car, see Cathedral and town, spend night.

Should we see Versailles while in this area or wait and do it as a day trip from Paris?

Day Five - Tuesday - Train to Paris
Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten - Sunday, Day 11 - Monday - Depart Paris.

I'm reading like mad and trying to figure out what all we should see. I have read about little villages in Normandy and those sound appealing. Got to get that map.

Checking on rental cars. Thanks again for the great info.

flagging

Ronda,

Speed reading, I note you asked where you should stay in Honfleur, my favorite town in France. This is fodder for a whole other string, but for me, the answer is the Cour St. Catherine, a delightful bed and breakfast in the historic district: giaglis.com

Where you should park in Honfleur is a whole other matter.