Weekend
Stay in Bayeux. Day 1: the Bayeux Tapestry and an afternoon tour of the American sector. Day 2: the British and Canadian beaches or the Caen Memorial.
3 days
Add Mont-Saint-Michel on day 3, ideally staying nearby to see it in the evening light.
5 days
Start in Honfleur, visit Étretat, continue to Bayeux for two days on the D-Day beaches, and finish at Mont-Saint-Michel.
7 days
From Paris, visit Giverny and Rouen, then Étretat and Honfleur, two or three days around Bayeux and Caen, and end at Mont-Saint-Michel. Return via Rennes by TGV.
When to go
May, June and September bring mild weather and long days. Around 6 June, anniversary events fill hotels near the beaches. July and August are busiest; winter is quiet, with some attractions on shorter hours. Expect changeable weather and pack a rain jacket in any season.
Getting around
A car gives the most freedom. Without one, use trains between Paris, Rouen, Caen and Bayeux (see the train map) and join tours for the beaches and Mont-Saint-Michel.