AJPeabody

In our last driving trip (pre-covid) our car had a built in GPS. The rental guy set it for English, put in our first destination (hotel) and from then on it was very easy. Mrs. P's usual map monitoring job was outsourced to the electronic brain.

pgtraveler

I visited Paris, Brittany and Normandy last summer solo and rented a car. I have a terrible sense of direction, but with Google maps I had no problem driving by myself. Well, I mean a few times I missed a turn or something, but I was always able to get back on track.

There is a photo festival in La Gacilly that you might be interested in. https://www.festivalphoto-lagacilly.com/en Are you taking a workshop from Valerie Jardin? I think she runs them in Cabourg. I used to follow her.

That being said, I also love Paris, and you can't go wrong wandering around doing some street photography there. When are the Olympics over? I wouldn't want to be there during the Olympics.

I wrote a trip report with pictures, if you are interested you can click on my user name.

Rocket79

Yes! This is a Jardin workshop. Thanks for this. I am going to look into that photo festival! The Olympics will be over by then; going mid-late September. I want to let everyone know that I appreciate all of this input SO much! I haven't answered everyone individually but I have read over this thread several times. I think my stumbling block more than anything is where to get the car and where to drop it off? Cabourg doesn't seem to have a car rental place, and I'd probably want to drop it off in a different city. That's what we did in Italy. Is that allowed in France? When I think about getting a bus or taxi to wherever the car is, and then doing that at then end, it seems as though maybe this would be a better idea for a longer trip. And pgtraveler is right, there is a lot to photograph in Paris. I think I will email Valerie to get her input since she's actually from Cabourg. I just hate to bug her as she's leading workshops now, and I'm not sure it's appropriate. But I can try!

Again, thank you, truly! pg - I look forward to reading your trip report, thank you for pointing it out!

ETA: As for Paris - Couple questions:

• I have never seen the passages. Are they a worthy use of time? I'm not a shopper, per se, but if there are old book shops, or cool architectural aspects for photography, I'd be interested . I've looked them up, and I don't think I'm interested in the couple that resemble newer shopping malls, but if one were to pick two or three, which ones?
• Further, if anyone has intimate knowledge of Paris outside the main center areas - I'm thinking outer neighborhoods that are safe and worth exploring, please tell me about those.

Thank you!

Michael

The passages are interesting and particularly appreciated during bad weather:

tomboy

Rental: on 6 trips to France, we used gemut.com (a travel bureau etc based in Oregon) to rent a car, with whom we became familiar on a trip to Germany 20 years ago
They are quite knowledgeable re Europe; very competitve rates (they are brokers for Sixt, Avis, Hertz etc) (you might get a rate on a Hertz car cheaper than renting directly with Hertz), and, cust. servicewise, could easily help you with acquiring a car in/near Cabourg after your camera class is over (no sense in having a rental car sit at your hotel while you're in classf or a week)

There are some previous thread re: passages:

1. The covered passages of Paris
2. Paris Passages - Nice Article in San Francisco Chronicle
3. What's your favorite indoor passage In Paris?

Rocket79

Thanks again everyone! For the links and photos and car info!

Koutence

It sounds like you have a wonderful adventure ahead! Since you're not comfortable driving alone, staying in towns accessible by train is a great idea. From Cabourg, the closest train station is Dives-Cabourg, about a 10-minute drive away.

For your post-workshop travels, consider exploring charming towns like Honfleur, Deauville, or Trouville-sur-Mer, all easily reachable by train and offering picturesque settings for photography and wandering.

If you prefer returning to Paris, you can explore different neighborhoods like Montmartre, Le Marais, or Saint-Germain-des-Prés, each offering its own unique charm and plenty of photo opportunities.

As for train schedules, websites like SNCF or Omio provide comprehensive schedules and routes, allowing you to plan your itinerary without typing in specific destinations.

Enjoy your trip soaking in all that French charm and capturing beautiful moments through your lens!