The Best of the Northern Coasts in a Week

You arrive in Paris Roissy CDG and meet your friendly private driver at the airport. You have around 3 hours of private driving transfer to Bayeux, in the heart of Normandy. Get relaxed and take a nap in the comfortable and spacious A/C minivan. 

On the way, you can make a stop in Giverny, to visit the bucolic Gardens and House of Claude Monet, the famous Impressionist painter. The artist gardener sought to transform a simple orchard into a magnificent and colorful garden: Japanese cherry trees, flowerbeds of nasturtiums, tulips and roses, this is an explosion of colors for each season (from April to October)! 

Arrive in Bayeux in the afternoon and check-in to your hotel. 

Two cross-Channel invasions, almost 900 years apart, gave Bayeux a front-row seat at defining moments in Western History. Bayeux was the first French town to be liberated (on the morning of June 7, 1944) and is one of the few places in Calvados to have survived WWII practically unscathed. A very attractive and historic town, Bayeux makes an ideal base for exploring the D-Day beaches and is full of 13th- to 18th-century buildings plus a fine Gothic cathedral.

This morning, go for a private visit of Bayeux. You admire its medieval architecture as well as the lace and porcelain that made the richness of Bayeux. The Museum of Art and History relates to perfection these aspects in a modern setting. To end this guided tour, you visit the world-renowned Bayeux Tapestry Museum to rediscover the history of the Conquest of England by William the Conqueror.

In the afternoon, your private driver-guide drives you to the nearby city of Caen (approx. 30 km) and you start with him/her the moving visit of the Memorial War Museum. 

Located in the immediate vicinity of the D-Day Landing beaches, the Memorial of Caen visitor center is among the essential sites focusing on the Battle of Normandy and the history of the 20th century. From the origins of the WWII to the end of the Cold War, museographical displays tell this terrible side of the history of the 20th century. 

Caen is one of Normandy's most important cities and is a delightful small town to visit. The home town of William the Conqueror, hero of the Battle of Hastings of 1066, Caen was vital for the D-Day and the Normandy Landings in World War II. 

Optional: 2-hour private Segway tour in Caen, a funny and original way to visit this small city! 

No doubt our best American tour (small group / approx. 9 hours)! 

You cover a large area, stopping to visit all major sites in the U.S sector (we have a similar full day tour dedicated to Canadian and UK sector, please ask). You discover the extraordinary actions of the paratroopers in Sainte Mere Eglise and the Airborne Museum. You also go to Utah beach where landed the U.S 4th Division. During the day you can discuss a lot of subjects about the war (from German occupation to French Resistance) and speak about so many different soldiers' war stories. After a quick stop at the German Cemetery, you visit Pointe du Hoc. This German battery attacked by the U.S Rangers will put you right in the atmosphere: the beach, the cliff, the bunkers, the bomb craters... and we will make sure to make a stop at the best-known beach - Bloody Omaha.

Four miles long, no picture or movie has yet made it a justice. A second stop at Omaha is the heart-breaking U.S cemetery, for yet another perspective of the beach from the high ground. Your guide will give you time on your own at the end, to either stay longer in the cemetery or save time for the Visitor Center.

Your driver-guide brings you back to Bayeux at the end of the day. 

Continue your vacation with friends and experience the alchemy of landscape, art, gastronomy and authenticity in this off-the-beaten-track part of Normandy.

Your drive takes you past Lisieux, home of Sainte Theresa of the Infant Jesus and the basilica shrine to her is visible for miles around. Just a few miles south of the city, the Chateau of St Germain de Livet is a fabulous example of Norman architecture complete with turrets, a moat and a glorious glazed tile façade. Livarot is just down the road where you will have a stop to learn about the tasty cheeses of Normandy, their unique flavors are so highly coveted that they merit a national label. Taste some and you’ll be convinced that the grass really is greener in Normandy, as the proof lies in the quality of the dairy products!

Once again, the Touques river leads you through the heart of the Pays d’Auge, in the village of Coudray-Rabut, where you indulge in a welcome sip of hard cider, pear brandy, or the infamous apple brandy named “Calvados”. You need some lunch after all this sampling and a stop in Deauville fits the bill. This glamorous beach town is home to the American Film Festival and to numerous equestrian events.

To round out the day, you take the stunning coast road to Honfleur, located at the mouth of the Seine River. Honfleur is known as the jewel of Normandy and the tiny, picturesque port gave inspiration to numerous painters such as Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin. The town houses a museum dedicated to the latter. 

Enjoy a private transfer to the train station of Caen to pick up your rental car. You say goodbye to Normandy and hit the road to Mont St Michel (approx. 120km/1.5 hour). 

You meet your guide in the parking area and make an extensive exploration of this iconic monument. This granite rocky islet living at the rhythm of the most important tides in Europe was elected as a sacred place after the Archangel Michael's appearance. Its construction has changed through the centuries: from the Middle Ages until the 19th century, various styles have mingled. Religious and military architecture has combined to make it unique. It has even been considered the Eighth Wonder of the World.

After your visit, continue to Saint Malo. You spend the rest of the time at leisure and discover the corsair city. The ramparts of Saint-Malo were built as early as the 12th century, well before the golden age of the King's corsairs. After the great fire of 1661, the granite wall was completely rebuilt. It was enlarged in the 18th century by Garangeau, the engineer-architect and disciple of Sebastien Vauban, Louix XIV's royal architect.

The fortifications of Saint-Malo today include eight gates, three posterns and three bastions. The ramparts, lined with crenellations and flanked by several towers, are classified historical monuments. A tour of the ramparts is the most satisfying walk you will make in Saint-Malo! 

The day is free at your leisure, but here is our suggestion to experience some of the most scenic roads and landscapes of Brittany: 

Forty or so kilometers in length, the Emerald Coast (Côte d'Emeraude) runs along the north side of Brittany, between Cancale and Cape Fréhel. It is named after the sea's emerald color. This magnificent coastal area can be enjoyed on foot, on horseback, by bike… it's a hikers' paradise! There are 350 kilometers of marked paths. In summer, all manner of water sports and outdoor activities, and even spa therapy breaks, await holidaymakers at the seaside resorts, like Dinard, Saint-Malo, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, Saint-Lunaire or Saint-Coulomb, and on the lovely, sandy beaches…

One unmissable attraction on the Emerald Coast is Cape Fréhel, to the west, an impressive site and a listed ornithological reserve. Its cliffs stand 70 meters above the sea. Walkers and cyclists can follow the Rance Valley trail, which is marked with arrows. Windmills, ship-owners' country houses called “malouinières”, and fishing villages can all be seen along the way. 

No tour of Cancale would be complete without a trip to the oyster beds or the Marine Farm, and a tasting of specialties from the sea. The Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions has an exhibition of objects, costumes and traditions that are part of local life in Cancale.

Drive back to Saint-Malo at the end of the day. 

The day is at your leisure, but here is our suggestion to explore some of the two most typical medieval cities of the countryside: Rennes and Dinan. 

A crossroads since Roman times, Brittany's vibrant capital Rennes sits at the junction of highways linking northwestern France's major cities. It's a beautifully set-out city, with an elaborate and stately center and a superb medieval quarter that's a joy to get lost in. At night, this student city has no end of lively places to pop in for a pint, while the restaurant selection is superb.

Set high above the fast-flowing Rance River, the gorgeous narrow – and sometimes plunging – cobblestone streets lined with crooked, creaking half-timbered houses of Dinan's old town are straight out of the Middle Ages. This guarantees a tourist bonanza in the warmer months, of course, but choose anything slightly off-season and you may find the place deserted. Even when it's busy, by around 6pm, someone seemingly waves a magic wand and most of the crowds vanish and a sense of calm settles once more over the charming town.

Drive back to Saint-Malo at the end of the day. 

NB: This tour can also be done with a private driver-guide, please ask us. 

Optional: Horse and Cart tour of the coast near St Malo. 

Early in the morning, you head to the train station of Rennes (approx. 1-hour drive). Drop off the car and take your train (approx. 2 hours 50 minutes) to the airport of Paris Roissy CDG. Take your international flight back to your destination. 

NB : if your flight is in the morning, you’d better spend the last night at the airport and leave Brittany in the evening on Day 7.