France Itinerary
How long was your stay?
5 Days
How did you travel?
As a Family
Tell us why you traveled to this destination.
It was my mother’s first trip to France, and as a big World War II buff, we knew she would want to see the D-Day Beaches in Normandy. Bayeux is an ideal base to explore Normandy, and survived much of the war relatively unscathed, meaning it has a well-preserved medieval center. A good place to stay to explore further, and a place to visit in its own right!
What was your itinerary?
Day 1: Arrived in France, drove to Bayeux
Day 2: Visited the Bayeux Tapestry, the Bayeux Cathedral, the Old Mill, Á La Reine Mathilde
Day 3: Explored Mont-Saint-Michel, little city-island, Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
Day 4: went to D-Day Beaches, Gold Beach, D-Day Museum, the Arromanches 360º Circular Cinema, and the Normandy American Cemetery
Day 5: Travelled harbor town of Honfleur, the Church of Saint Catherine
Give us all the details! Tell us where you went and what you did on your trip.
Day 1: My husband, daughter I arrived in France. We met my mother and sister at the train station in Paris and rented a car, which we drove north to Bayeux. Upon arrival, we checked into this amazing, old Airbnb right in the center of Bayeux. We got settled in, and took a quick walk around Bayeux.
Day 2: We had the day to explore Bayeux. It’s such a cute, historical town! We visited the Bayeux Tapestry, the Bayeux Cathedral, and the Old Mill. For coffee, we made a quick stop in the adorable Les Volets Roses. For an afternoon pick-me-up (tea and pastries), we visited the beautiful Á La Reine Mathilde.
Day 3: On the third day, we were up early to make the hour-and-a-half drive to Mont-Saint-Michel. We parked and walked across the bridge to the beautiful little city-island. It was quite cold, so we stopped for a quick crepe and coffee before walking up to the top, to see the Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey. We took a short guided tour (which I would recommend) and then explored on our own. It was a long day, so we stopped at the nearby L’Atelier St Michel Ardevon et Café for a quick bite and to get some snacks for the road.
Day 4: Our fourth day was our epic trip to see the D-Day Beaches near Arromanches-les-Bains, in Normandy. We visited several viewpoints of the beaches and explored Gold Beach. We visited the D-Day Museum, the Arromanches 360º Circular Cinema, and the Normandy American Cemetery. We did have to take turns with my daughter (who was only 2) in the museums and the cinema, but otherwise, it was a day full of history. If we were to go again, we would engage a tour guide, because there is so much more to see!
Day 5: After a quick farewell tour of Bayeux, we drove to the harbor town of Honfleur. Honfleur is a very fun little town to explore, and we happened upon an outdoor market that we explored, and sampled several local specialities. We also visited France’s oldest wooden church in the center of Honfleur: the Church of Saint Catherine. Then, back to Paris we went!
Would you recommend this trip to a friend?
Yes
What was the highlight of your trip?
Mont St-Michel, walking the streets of Bayeux, exploring the adorable harbor town of Honfleur
If you were to take this trip again, is there anything you would add or do differently?
November was a bit chilly on the northern beaches of France, so October might be preferable: better weather but still fewer crowds! Also, we’d get a tour guide for the D-Day Beaches, there is SO much information and it is such a complicated history, an expert would be helpful to navigate everything.
@amygreatworld – (Insta)
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