Which Michelin maps for Normandy and the Loire?
 

I'm just starting to plan my summer 2015 trip to France. It will be about 2.5 weeks with one week in Normandy, approximately 5 nights in the Loire region and the balance in Paris. I have a GPS with Europe maps but would also like to purchase Michelin maps now to begin the route planning. We'll land at CDG early in the morning and pick up our rental car heading to the area in or near Les Andelys for our first night with a stop at Giverny on the way. We'll then visit Rouen, Pont-Audemer, Honfleur, maybe up to Etretat before heading toward the D Day beaches staying in Bayeux. After the beaches we want to wander through the countryside of Normandy before heading down to the Loire. I haven't yet identified all the towns we'll stay in and need the appropriate map (and more research) to plan. After the Normandy region we'll head down to the Loire. We're looking to split our nights first west of Tours and then further east of Tours. I'm thinking we'll drop off the rental car in Orleans to take the train into Paris.

I haven't been able to figure out which Michelin maps I'll need and what scale is best for the rough itinerary above. Can anyone make recommendations? I'd appreciate any assistance as I'm anxious to place my Amazon order!

Thanks for any and all help!

France is divided into several regions and each region into a few departments. The regional maps are of the scale 1:200,000 and the departmental maps are of the scale 1:150,000. Either is fine. The regional maps cover more area but the departmental maps sre a bit easier to read and show the starred attractions in the corresponding Michelin Green guides and these are what I prefer. So figure out what regions or departments you'll be traveling in and buy the corresponding maps.

You can buy the Michelin maps from their website and here is a link to the page that shows you the 1:200,000 scale maps of France: http://tinyurl.com/4bt96ev

And here is a link to the page that shows you the 1:150,000 scale maps of France:
http://tinyurl.com/6mt4n64

You can get regional maps here: http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/ins...ional_maps.htm

Thank you both for such prompt replies!

FMT - You've answered a big question. I definitely want the departmental maps. That must be the size I had for my trip to Provence last summer. The detail with attractions and recommended drives is what I'm looking for. Also, thank you for the link. I was able to identify that I need to order maps 303, 304, 317 & 318. I know that I can easily purchase them once in France but I love maps and love to pour over them when in the trip planning phase. And, since my cousin who is traveling with me on this trip is seriously map challenged, I'll need to familiarize myself prior to getting behind the wheel!

Here is my trip report from 2012 (with photos). Chapters Eight through Fifteen are all about our time in the Loire and Normandy. Have a great trip.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...ance_2012.html

((H))

The regional maps are fine for most people ("Normandie...") but if you are into intense exploring, the more detailed departmental maps are even better. No need to buy them in advance. If I haven't bought them at FNAC in Paris before making a trip, I just stop in any hypermarket and buy them there.

I am a huge fan of Michelin maps and often I do my vacations in France having done no research whatsoever and plan all my sightseeing by reading the icons on the Michelin maps. The regional and departmental maps have the same icons but as I mentioned, you get the starred attractions on the departmental maps.

If you weren't already aware I'll give you my tips about reading Michelin maps to plan interesting and scenic explorations:

The Michelin maps have icons for all kinds of historically/touristically interesting things such as châteaux, ruins, churches, abbeys, scenic view points, caves, Roman sites, megaliths, designated scenic roads and many other things. Usually when I'm exploring various regions in France I just look at the map and I am able to plan interesting and scenic drives just reading the map. For instance, I usually look for a designated scenic road, which are highlighted in green, and I especially look for towns with the historic church and/or château icon. I also try to make sure the route goes through as many small villages as possible. Usually putting all these things together I find interesting and scenic drives without even knowing where I am going and with no assistance from a guide book. Often these places are never mentioned in guidebooks and remain completely unknown to many tourists.

On a non-related note, if your cousin is map challenged they should be the driver and the map reader (you) should be the navigator. My wife drives and I navigate. Helps maintain marital bliss. ;)

BTW, you can look at these threads for tips on exploring Lower Normandy and the Loire. They have links to all the major tourist office websites in both areas. If you aren't familiar with French tourist office websites they are one of the best (and most underutilized) travel planning resources for researching a vacation in France:

Lower Normandy:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#39058384

If you're visiting Pont-Audmer you should really spend some time exploring the lovely Pays d'Auge area (cidre and cheese country). Tips about that in the above thread and more here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#55447556

The Loire: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-de-france.cfm

Maitaitom - I'm so glad you chimed in with a link to your trip report. I LOVE your trip reports! Your sense of humor really does make me LOL. Being from Maryland, I roared at the "Spiro d'Agneau". Vacuuming had to wait while I read your entire report. I thank you for providing good humor, my dirty floor still awaits attention.

Kerouac - I do know I can easily buy them once in France, but, the OCD planner in me has to have them while in the planning stage. That way I can use all my multi-colored highlighters to mark in carefully planned different colors all the villages, chateaux, historical sites, museums, churches/cathedrals, etc. I want to visit and routes to drive. I love maps and I love the planning stage. It's a disease! LOL! BTW, would you have any of your wonderful photo essays of the Loire or Normandy to recommend?

I am afraid that I have not covered those areas photographically yet, unless you want to count Deauville.
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...uville-october

You can click on this link and see my photos and descriptions of exploring the Pays d'Auge region and visiting Trouville:

http://tinyurl.com/7xhz6v5

FMT - you hit the nail on the head. Exactly what you described about the Michelin maps is what I love about them. The icons and green routes really help me planning my trips. I'll be pouring over the maps' icons then do google search, google image to learn more and decide if something goes on the definite list (and receives a highlight on the map). Way, way back in 2000, another friend and I drove the Route de Cidre. I loved that countryside and am planning to retrace that route and also the Route de Fromage. Do you have any other specific roads or lovely villages to recommend in that area? Thank you for those threads. My vacuuming will likely be delayed until tomorrow while I peruse them! I will pass on your suggestion to allow my cousin to drive. She's a TERRIBLE driver and literally doesn't know left from right. If I said - turn left at the next intersection, we'd simply sit for 10 minutes until she figured out which of her hands is the left one. There'd be a death in the family if I let her drive. LOL!

Jeez, planning your route for the next day is what you do by spreading the Michelin map on the bedspread in your hotel room after dinner. If you have totally plotted everything ahead of time, you'll have to just watch television.

Kerouac - thanks for your Deauville photo link. Wonderful as always. And, certainly more picturesque than I remember from our whirlwind drive through way back in 2000.

<If you have totally plotted everything ahead of time, you'll have to just watch television.> Actually, we plan on imbibing on the Calvados we've purchased from the Route de Cidre! A fine meal with spirits before, during and after is our mantra. TV doesn't figure into the equation! LOL!

BTW, I do plan like crazy but throw plans to the wind some days and just wander. Breaks from my OCD are allowed and encouraged!

FMT - thanks for the link to your Route de Fromage photo essay. We're so going to do that. We LOVE raw French cheeses. Besides the Camembert, I must have more Livarot and Pont l'Eveque. After looking at your TR, I did some googling and found this site: http://travel.michelin.com/web/desti..._s_Pays_d_Auge

It has information on local artisanal and farm produced foods in the area. I'm so excited to find the link and will definitely incorporate several of these into our itinerary.

You can try these sites too:

http://www.normandiealaferme.com/rec.../2651/limit:50

http://www.madeinpaysdauge.com/en/gc...se---sale.html

http://www.fromage-normandie.com/fr/annuaire.html

http://www.normandie-degustation-ter.../index-en.html

More cheese and cidre stuff in this thread, which also mentions some villages to visit:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...andy.html#4719

You'll see the designated scenic roads on the map in the Pays d'Auge and they're all good to follow. Lots of scenic roads in that area that aren't even designated as such on the maps.

First, if you love maps, take a look at the Geoportail website. It uses the IGN maps and offers you a zillion different layers (buildings, property lines, hydrology,elevation, and lots more). When I need to know the specific location of something obscure, I can always find it here. If we were doing a lot of walking in one area, the IGN paper map would be the one I'd buy. The website doesn't offer scenic routes and doesn't have the routing flexibility of Viamichelin or Google maps.

http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil

Second, a suggestion for Normandy. We had a great day driving along the Seine in the Parc Boucles de la Seine. We visited the traditional old farm that's now the HQ of the park. We drove along the fruit route, rode the free ferries from one side of the Seine to another, visited Jumieges and looked back at the white cliffs on the other side. There's also a Route des Chaumieres (thatched-roof cottages). Vieux Port has a lot of those, with irises growing on the roof ridge and Jaguars parked in the driveway. We stopped in La Bouille for bread and pastry and a look at the well-kept town. We stayed close to the river nearly the whole drive, except for going through the Forest of Brotonne, where we saw a herd of wild boars crossing the road.

Here's a map of the Parc area.

http://www.pnr-seine-normande.com/carteInteractive.php

The next day we really enjoyed Pont Audemer and its market.

There's so much to see in Normandy, and most people on Fodors seem to think Giverny and the WWII landing beaches and Honfleur are all there is to it. It's beautiful countryside (well, a lot of France is).

There is also the <b>Michelin Battle of Normandy Map No.102</b>, a reproduction of a 1947 commemorative map. It is 1:200,000.

Hr

FMT - thanks for the additional food related links. I can already feel my waistline expanding! LOL! Also thank you for that tripadvisor thread and your contributions within it. Great information!