Normandy and Loire Valley: Castles, Cathedrals and Coast

Start with two nights in Bayeux, then use Tours for the Loire. Book the substantial Mont-Saint-Michel excursion and the Bayeux–Tours journey before fixing castle visits.

France · Published planning example

Mont Saint-Michel and its abbey in Normandy — Normandy, France

Duration: 5 days
Travel style: Mid Range

Day-by-day itinerary

Open a day to read the plan and its spending notes.

Day 1Travel to Bayeux and explore the centre

Normandy
Take the booked train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Bayeux and leave your bags. Walk around the cathedral and old centre. The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is closed, with reopening planned for autumn 2027; choose another operating museum if you want an indoor visit.

€110 for one whole private room, €47 for meals, €10 for local travel and €8 for extras. Add paid visits, excursions and intercity or airport tickets. These are chosen allowances; use your actual bookings.

Estimated day spending: €175.00
Day 2A planned Mont-Saint-Michel outing

Normandy
Arrange the complete journey from your Bayeux base before booking the abbey. Mont-Saint-Michel is a substantial trip, with connections or an organised excursion depending on your date. Do not assume a direct morning coach. Allow for the approach shuttle or walk, abbey steps and the return to Bayeux. Stay in town instead if those connections leave too little visiting time.

€110 for one whole private room, €47 for meals, €10 for local travel and €8 for extras. Add paid visits, excursions and intercity or airport tickets. These are chosen allowances; use your actual bookings.

Estimated day spending: €175.00
Day 3Use the day for Bayeux to Tours

Tours

Tours, France

Check the complete rail journey and any changes, which can include a transfer in Paris depending on the departure. Leave castle visits for tomorrow. After reaching Tours, put down the bags and choose a meal around the centre.

€110 for one whole private room, €47 for meals, €10 for local travel and €8 for extras. Add paid visits, excursions and intercity or airport tickets. These are chosen allowances; use your actual bookings.

Estimated day spending: €175.00
Day 4One day for Chenonceau

Tours
Choose a suitable regional train to Chenonceaux and check the last useful return before booking. The station is near the château. An adult leaflet ticket is €19 and the audio option €24; concessions have separate conditions. Give the house and gardens time, with lunch before returning to Tours.

€110 for one whole private room, €47 for meals, €10 for local travel and €8 for extras. Add paid visits, excursions and intercity or airport tickets. These are chosen allowances; use your actual bookings.

Estimated day spending: €175.00
Day 5Tours and onward travel, or an extra Amboise day

Tours
If departing, keep a short Tours walk and the booked onward train as the plan. To visit Amboise and Clos Lucé properly, add a night and allow for the walk or local connection from Amboise station. Both interiors in a departure morning can leave too little time for the return train.

No overnight stay; €47 for meals, €10 for local travel and €8 for extras. Add paid visits, excursions and intercity or airport tickets. These are chosen allowances; use your actual bookings.

Estimated day spending: €65.00

Arrange the overnight stops first

Start with two nights in Bayeux, then use Tours for the Loire. Book the substantial Mont-Saint-Michel excursion and the Bayeux–Tours journey before fixing castle visits. Match the main journeys to the room locations, then book the visits you most want. Keep arrival afternoons flexible.

Destination details

Normandy · Tours. These guides explain local arrivals, admission choices and practical places to start.

Build the budget from nights and days

The day figures add up to €765.00 for one traveller, before the extra costs listed below. The day notes show the stay, meals, local travel and small extras separately. A private-room allowance buys the whole room; divide that part only when sharing. A final day in these destinations has no overnight allowance. These are chosen spending plans, not measured averages or available room offers.

Add paid visits, day-trip transport, intercity tickets and airport journeys. Replace the stay line with your full booking cost, including taxes and cleaning. Do not add the city budget cards on top of these day amounts; they are an alternative way to plan the same spending.

Itinerary route

1
Normandy Day 1 to 2
2
Tours Day 3 to 5

Journeys between stops

How to get from one stop to the next. Journey times are approximate; use the ticket and timetable links to choose a departure for your travel date.

Day 3: Normandy to Tours

Train · About 2 hr 45 min

Compare tickets for your travel date and check the fare’s change and refund rules.

If you have fewer days

Spend 2 days in Normandy and 1 day in the Loire Valley if restricted to a 3-day weekend.

Make this trip cheaper

Compare your room and daily spending choices in the cost calculator. Check each journey fare, including local transfers, and count tickets covered by a pass only once.

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Make the itinerary fit your trip

Change the days in each city, leave out stops, and update the estimate without changing the published itinerary.

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