Chapter 01
The route
The route from Paris
If you want to see a completely different France, with sheer cliffs above the ocean, medieval towns, apple orchards, castles and oysters right by the sea, go to Normandy. This is our five-day road trip, and we now want to recommend it to literally everyone.
- 01Start
Paris
- 02Day 1 · Mont-Saint-Michel
sunset and the tide
- 03Day 2 · Brittany · Dinan
medieval, on the River Rance
- 04Day 2 · Brittany · Cancale
oysters by the sea
- 05Day 3 · Honfleur
the cradle of Impressionism
- 06Day 3–4 · Étretat
white cliffs and arches
- 07
Day 5 · Rouen → Paris
Chapter 02
Before the trip
Before the trip
Save before the trip
The route day by day
Five full days to see all the highlights. Want to go slower? Stretch it to 6–7.
- 01Day 1 · Paris → Mont-Saint-Michel
Leave after lunch → about 4 hours on the road → the island at sunset and the tide → overnight near Pontorson
- 02Day 2 · Mont-Saint-Michel → Dinan → Cancale
Sunrise by the sheep field → the abbey → galettes → medieval Dinan and the River Rance → Cancale’s oysters → the little house in the village
- 03Day 3 · Honfleur → Étretat
The old harbour → the wooden church of Sainte-Catherine → Musée Eugène-Boudin → Maisons Satie → sunset by the ocean
- 04Day 4 · Étretat
The clifftop gardens → paths along the cliffs → the Impressionist picnic → SUP and the sea → dinner at home
- 05Day 5 · Étretat → Rouen → Paris
The cathedral → Joan of Arc’s square → the plague cemetery → a Norman dinner → beer in a former church → home
Chapter 03
Insider hacks
Insider hacks from the trip
- 01To Mont-Saint-Michel in the evening, for the tide
The water surrounds the island right before your eyes. Put your phone on time-lapse. The tide times change every day, so check them before you set off.
- 02Free parking in the evening
From September to June the official car park is free from 18:30 to 03:00. The free Le Passeur shuttle takes you to the island in about 12 minutes.
- 03Sunrise by the sheep field
Shoot at 2×–5×: perspective compression makes the abbey huge. Close the gates behind you: this is a working farm, not a photo set.
- 04Abbey tickets online and in advance
The island itself is free and open around the clock; you only pay for the abbey.
- 05Book your boat in Dinan ahead
We really wanted to go out on the River Rance, but there were no boats left.
- 06At least two nights in Étretat
It’s a place where you want to stop rushing anywhere.
Chapter 04
Top places
The top places on the route
Here, every few hours, it’s not just the town that changes, it’s the whole genre of your trip.
Mont-Saint-Michel
An island abbey that the tide turns into a different place twice a day
Dinan
Medieval Brittany: half-timbered houses, ramparts and the River Rance
Cancale
Oysters straight from the farmers, right on the waterfront
Honfleur
The old harbour where Impressionism was born
Étretat
White cliffs and arches that Monet painted
Rouen
Gothic architecture, Joan of Arc and beer in a former church
Chapter 05
Food
What to try
Here the sea meets rural France, so oysters, scallops, pâtés, lamb and cheeses sit happily side by side on the same menu.
Cheeses
Camembert, Livarot, Pont-l’Évêque, Neufchâtel
Oysters
From Cancale, right on the waterfront by the bay
Scallops
Coquilles Saint-Jacques: Normandy leads France in scallop fishing
Terrine
Country pâté with cornichons and a baguette
Agneau de pré-salé
Salt-marsh lamb from the meadows around Mont-Saint-Michel
Cider
Perfect for a picnic by the sea
Chapter 06
Links
Useful links
Point your camera at a QR code, or tap if you’re reading on your phone.
Before you set off
Tide times
They change every day, so check right before your trip
Parking
Parking and the Le Passeur shuttle
Current rates and the free evening hours
Honfleur
Honfleur’s museums
Tickets are sold on site: Musée Eugène-Boudin, Maisons Satie, Duo and Multi Pass
The full guide $ 9.99
The mini guide is the skeleton of the route. The full version is 25 pages of everything that made this trip ours: specific places, stays, insider hacks and stories that make you want to live Normandy, not just “see” it.
- where to leave the car by the sheep field and how to get that shot
- a secret picnic spot at Mont-Saint-Michel, away from the crowds
- our Airbnb near the island and 3 real castles for the first night
- a little house in a remote village under a starry sky
- apartments in Étretat looking straight onto the cliffs
- the “Impressionist picnic”: what to bring and where to paint the arches Monet painted
- Honfleur: Erik Satie’s audio-play museum and our coffee spot
- Rouen: the plague cemetery, the mummified cat and beer in a former church
- the story of every place, short and never boring
- all the links and QR codes on one page
Save the route and make sure you take a car.
We Travel Always
The full guide, $9.99
25 pages: where we slept (with links), the secret picnic spot at Mont-Saint-Michel, the village house under the stars, the apartments facing the Étretat cliffs, and every link on one page. Send us “Normandy” in a DM.