Normandy and Brittany

[RooFlyer]

Planning a trip to these areas next European summer, immediately after the LHR lounge crawl Interested in any tips or special places - esp on the history side.

Staying 2-3 days at

La Rochelle (saw your TR @Jacques Vert )
Vannes, Carnac, Josselin
Dinan, Mont St Michele
Caen, Bayeux
Rouen and Abbaye de Jumieges

More after little places/sights/accommodations within those areas; the many other towns I can find.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Planning a trip to these areas next European summer, immediately after the LHR lounge crawl Interested in any tips or special places - esp on the history side.

Staying 2-3 days at

La Rochelle (saw your TR @Jacques Vert )
Vannes, Carnac, Josselin
Dinan, Mont St Michele
Caen, Bayeux
Rouen and Abbaye de Jumieges

More after little places/sights/accommodations within those areas; the many other towns I can find.

We stayed here for four days and explored Bayeux (tapestry) etc and the Normandy towns, beaches (WWII) and WWII cemetries.

Lion d'Or Bayeux | Home | 4 star hotel Bayeux

Welcome to the Lion d'Or, a 4 star hotel located in Bayeux. Discover the charming rooms and the gastronomic restaurant La Table du Lion.

www.liondor-bayeux.fr

Nice hotel, good restaurant, easy car access and close to centre of town for walking tour.

 

[RooFlyer]

The rough route

 

[LDN via BNE]

Bayeux

If you want to see the tapestry make sure to leave time in London to do so. The museum in Bayeux closes on 1 September 2025 for renovations, with the tapestry going on display at the British Museum in 2026.

 

[karen blancfield]

I was hoping I could contribute as we’ve just done a 10 day drive but we were a bit further north. Really loved Etratat and we finished at Monet’s Garden in Giverny before dropping the car back at CDG. Every day was a pleasure in May.

 

[RooFlyer]

Nice hotel, good restaurant, easy car access and close to centre of town for walking tour.

Where's the parking? 35 rooms - can't see much room for them.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you want to see the tapestry make sure to leave time in London to do so. The museum in Bayeux closes on 1 September 2025 for renovations, with the tapestry going on display at the British Museum in 2026.

Damn! Thanks for letting me know. I found:

The tapestry will be on display at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027. The Bayeux Museum is loaning the tapestry to the British Museum, which, in return, will lend the Anglo-Saxon treasures from the Sutton Hoo ship burial. This includes the Lewis chessmen, 12th-century chess pieces carved from walrus ivory. The Sutton Hoo treasures feature items such as gold coins from the Viking era, a sword, a shield, and an iron helmet.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Where's the parking? 35 rooms - can't see much room for them.

Was parking in the grounds when we stayed there. Not sure what it is today. Email and ask?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Was parking in the grounds when we stayed there. Not sure what it is today. Email and ask?

Btw for a Carnac we stayed in a best western on le plage. Was ok but can’t remember the name now.

 

[RooFlyer]

Btw for a Carnac we stayed in a best western on le plage. Was ok but can’t remember the name now.

Might give the Lion d'Or a miss if the tapestry isn't there; on the $500/night saved x 3 nights, looking at this (to cover the Carnac area)

Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa | Luxury hotel with sea view

Enjoy the Sofitel experience at our 5-star hotel by the sea in Quiberon, with luxury seawater spa treatments and gourmet French cuisine.

sofitel.accor.com

 

[VPS]

Have you considered Honfleur. It is beautiful

IIRC Caen wasn’t very exciting

 

[trooper]

It might be a little specialised? But Pegasus Bridge and its adjacent museum was very good....

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have just come back from Brittany.
I stayed in Rennes (meeting there) and did Mont Saint Michele and Saint Malo day trips from there due to timing.

If you get a chance @RooFlyer I wouldn’t discount at least a day exploring Rennes. Parts of the old town are absolutely beautifully preserved with amazing half timber buildings and cobbled streets.

The second pic is the view from the Airbnb I stayed.

 

[RooFlyer]

Parts of the old town are absolutely beautifully preserved with amazing half timber buildings and cobbled streets.

That was your office view, wasn't it?

The second pic is the view from the Airbnb I stayed.

Le nom, s'il vous plait?

 

[Princess Fiona]

That was your office view, wasn't it?



Le nom, s'il vous plait?

It was indeed
La maison de vacances

 

[ellen10]

We really enjoyed a visit to St Malo. We had the best mussels and frites there overlooking the old fort in the sea.

Mont Saint Michel we loved and especially because we stayed on the Mont. Which is the best experience in the evening and early morning before the hordes of day trippers, magical! We stayed in a modest hotel called Le Mouton Blanc, nothing flash but right in the centre. A walk up to the Abbey is a must and amazing views all round. And its also amazing to see the change in the huge king tides.

The huge museum in Caen is amazing covering the history of so many wars and of course the beaches of Normandy.

We also loved staying in the beautiful town of Honfleur and its lovely harbour.

 

[VPS]

We really enjoyed a visit to St Malo. We had the best mussels and frites there overlooking the old fort in the sea.

Mont Saint Michel we loved and especially because we stayed on the Mont. Which is the best experience in the evening and early morning before the hordes of day trippers, magical! We stayed in a modest hotel called Le Mouton Blanc, nothing flash but right in the centre. A walk up to the Abbey is a must and amazing views all round. And its also amazing to see the change in the huge king tides.

The huge museum in Caen is amazing covering the history of so many wars and of course the beaches of Normandy.

We also loved staying in the beautiful town of Honfleur and its lovely harbour.

Ah I remember now that’s why I went to Caen to see the museum and then went onto Honfleur.

I’ll have a look through my notes and photos when I get home at the weekend and see if there’s any other things to mention.

There was an excellent art gallery that I went to somewhere around there so I’ll have to find the info for you

 

[OATEK]

Planning a trip to these areas next European summer, immediately after the LHR lounge crawl Interested in any tips or special places - esp on the history side.

Staying 2-3 days at

La Rochelle (saw your TR @Jacques Vert )
Vannes, Carnac, Josselin
Dinan, Mont St Michele
Caen, Bayeux
Rouen and Abbaye de Jumieges

More after little places/sights/accommodations within those areas; the many other towns I can find.

We stayed around St Malo and enjoyed the walled town - about as touristy as Mont St Michele, and went to the quaint rail museum at Dinan.

If you have been to all the Overlord beaches before, then Honfleur with its little harbour, and the long beach front around Trouville (featured in a Poroit episode) were very enjoyable.
Honfleur - wooden church - this is the detached tower.

Honfleur harbour

 

[Jacques Vert]

Planning a trip to these areas next European summer, immediately after the LHR lounge crawl Interested in any tips or special places - esp on the history side.

Staying 2-3 days at

La Rochelle (saw your TR @Jacques Vert )
Vannes, Carnac, Josselin
Dinan, Mont St Michele
Caen, Bayeux
Rouen and Abbaye de Jumieges

More after little places/sights/accommodations within those areas; the many other towns I can find.

Sounds great. Of course, La Rochelle is in Charente-Maritime, not Normandy or Brittany, but I am sure you already knew that.

Mont-Saint-Michel:

• Try to time your visit to Mont-Saint-Michel to coincide with Spring/King tides;
• be sure to check-out the dam (barrage) that was built to de-silt the bay;
• about 10 minutes drive from the Mont-Saint-Michel car park is the only German War Cemetery/Mausoleum in France (at Huisnes-sur-Mer); at the back of the courtyard climb the stairs to a viewing platform for one of the best views of the Mont and the Bay;

Dinan: While travelling from the Mont to Dinan (or vice versa) the short detour to visit Saint Malo is highly recommended.

Vannes: As mentioned in my trip report Vannes is one of my favourite towns in Brittany, well worth a visit.

• Look at taking a day cruise on the Golfe de Morbihan (not sure whether you can start from Vannes which is at the head of the Golfe but ask at the local Office de Tourisme); (it may be easier to go from Port Blanc or Locmariaquer, both of which are between Vannes and Carnac);
• If you have time there are lots of nice towns and villages along the South Brittany Coast to the west of Vannes.

Carnac:

• I was a little underwhelmed by the stones at Carnac but I'm sure they are more of interest to you;
• A visit to one of the numerous islands off the coast of Brittany could be of interest: the biggest of which is Belle Île. The road from Carnac to Quiberon to get the ferry is subject to heavy traffic so it would be best to stay the night before in Quiberon to be sure of getting to the ferry terminal on time. Check out my TR.

U-boat bases: There were 5 German U-boat bases on the west coast of France in WW2 (Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire, La Rochelle and Bordeaux). Brest and Bordeaux are too far way and the one at La Rochelle is not open to the public. Lorient and St Nazaire both have guided tours available.

La Rochelle:

• Tours of the medieval towers at the harbour are worthwhile;
• a day trip to the Île de Ré is worth a visit (but it was EUR18 to cross the bridge last time I was there), it may be better value to take a ferry;
• also look at a cruise to the Île d'Aix: it was here that Napoleon spent his last days in France and wrote his letter of surrender;
• Near Île d'Aix is Fort Boyard, and a cruise from La Rochelle will go past the fort.
• Lots of other things to see and do around La Rochelle including the Marais Poitevin.
• You have probably already checked out my TR so no need to repeat them here but feel free to ask questions.

If I think of other things of an historical nature I'll add another post.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[RooFlyer]

Many thanks for all that JV

Mont-Saint-Michel:

• Try to time your visit to Mont-Saint-Michel to coincide with Spring/King tides;

by sheer cough I'll be there on the 2 days of the highest tides of the month . I guess the best visit time is when the tide is full? Not quite perfect - 8am one day, 9am the next.