WHAT WAS THE BOAT LIKE? HOW MANY PASSENGERS? WAS IT TOO COLD IN OCTOBER?

Not sure I understood your question, but my mom and I took the overnight ferry from Southhampton to Cherbourg, and rented a car at the ferry terminal in Cherbourg to travel Normandy. This is a wonderful trip! The French were wonderful (this was in Feb 2002 after 9/11), and we just had a wonderful time. Plan your trip using Frommer's or Fodors Guide to plan the towns you want to visit.. .. ..Mont St Michel, St Malo (in Brittany), Operation Overlord on the coast of Normandy, and there are oodles of old midieval town and villages throughout Normandy, but we used the guide book and the town they recoommend are fabulous and charming! The WW2 museum in Caen is wonderful as is the castle former to William the Conquorer (Norman). . The architecture in the Norman towns and villages are fantastic, and to some degree reminded me of Germany. We planned a week in Normandy and it wasn't enough. We could have easily used 2 weeks in Normandy alone, to stop and really smell the roses. I have travelled the world, and this trip was one of my most memorable. Do it.. .. ..and plan it well with your guidebooks, and you will have a terrific time. It's easy by car, and with my mom, we stayed in (of all places) Best Western hotels because I could book them in advance. The hotels were very, very nice, better than even in the States, and most of them had pretty fancy gastronomic (expensive) restaurants. We got a good rate because she is a senior, and the dollar at the time was very strong. You'll pay more now, but hey, it will be worth it! France is a truly magical place.. .. .. .. .. .