Intex

Does anyone have any recommendations for a nicer hotel (***, ****) in Bayeaux and Honfleur.
for this month or next (Aug/Sept)

If we wanted to visit both D-Day beaches and honfleur, would it be best to stay in either town, and drive to visit the other, or split the time bewteen the 2 towns. I am trying for 2-3 nights only.
Thanks

eurogals

We stayed in both places in September 2007.

Honfleur
Hotel L’Ecrin
19, Rue Eugène Boudin – 14600 Honfleur - France
Tel : +33 (0)2 31 14 43 45
Fax : +33 (0)2 31 89 24 41
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.honfleur.com

It was a very nice place, just a short walk from the harbor.

Bayeux
Churchill Hotel

Nice, clean, convenient, but nothing spectacular. The Bus tour for the DDay beach tour leaves from the parking lot at the hotel in the morning. This was nice.

carolyn

We enjoyed our stay at Le Lion d'Or in Bayeaux. Our room was nice, the bathroom fairly large, the dining room was very pretty, and the food was good. Also recommend Le Petit Bistrot for dinner, a very tiny place near the Cathedral.

Underhill

We too enjoyed our stay at L'Ecrin. A real plus is that the hotel has a walled parking lot, and there's a good bakery just down the street.

Fodorite018

Another vote for the Hotel Churchill. We had 2 rooms there last June and loved it. One room was tiny, but very nice. The other room was very large. The location was great, the rooms were nice (not luxurious, but not bare bones either), and the owners/staff were extremely helpful.

Lolo12

I also stayed at the Lyon d'Or in Bayeaux . We had one of our most memorable dinners at their restaurant and have recommended it to several people over the years.

cmeyer54

Lion D'Or was our choice in Bayeux. It has off street parking for guests which was a plus for us; we had a family/quad room on an upper floor that was pure Norman - exposed beams, etc. Nice location and I second the restaurant recommendation - it was outstanding! We also had a good dinner at le rapier and also did a last minute dinner at a little creperie with an outdoor patio along the canal which was lovely. As for timing...we spent 5 nights in Bayeux and never go to Honfleur. We did the beaches with a guide for 1.5 days, drove to Mont St Michel for a day, toured Utah Beach, St Lo and St Mere Eglise for a day and did the tapestry, cathedral, market for a day and spent the last half day visiting the mulberry harbor and wandering Bayeux. Be sure to stop at the Peace Museum in Caen on the way if you have time. Well worth the stop!

cpmac

If you have three nights stay one night at Honfleur to make the most of Honfleur. Then two nights at Bayeux.

At Honfleur you'll see one of only two wooden churches in France. It was built just after the 100 years war as stone was scarce and ship builders were out of a job. The church was bult by ship builders but using architectural methods.
There's the harbour inside the vilage that used to be surrounded by the town wall. When the wall was knocked down in the 17th C very narrow houses were bult on the slope that was left bare.
Walk up to the cote de grace where there's a carrillon that sounds on the hour and a chapel bult in the 17th C.
From the cliff you can see the Normandy bridge and Le Havre which was founded in 1517 to trade with the new world, and it was the founding of Le Havre that caused Honfleur to stop in time.

At Bayeux you have the choice of the Lion d'Or, Churchill, Bruneville, Luxembourg, Argouges. They all have web sites.
If you want to be in the absolute calm there are the Chateaux Cheneviere, Sully or Audrieu a few miles out of Bayeux.

Don't try and visit the beaches without a guide. You'll waste your day and regret it. Take a private guide, a minibus tour or an audio guide.
Many people recomend the Memorial museum at Caen. If you have half day to do it and a day to visit the beaches I'd say do it. But don't try to visit the museum and the beaches in one day. If you have just one day visit the beaches. They are unique, museum information can be gleaned from internet and the history channel.

Don't miss the bayeux tapestry, which is 950 years old and 200ft long and tells the story of William the conquerors invasion of England that changed the course of English history thus world history.

tower

Intex:


If you haven't already left fpr France, may I suggest the elegant Chateau De Sully...just 3 kms north of Bayeux..and en route to the D-Day sites. We loved it a few years ago, and our daughter and her DH were just there last year and were very happy with our recommendation. Their restaurant was quite a treat..the grounds are quite lovely. Ask for room #25, third floor (no elevator)..outstanding views...very large quarters.

stu t.

http://www.chateau-de-sully.com/

hopingtotravel

We really enjoyed L'Ecrin in Honfleur. Beautiful flowers and decor. Maybe one of the better bathrooms I've seen.

We also stayed in Chateau Sully -- I'm trying to think how to rate out experience. For the price, I'd say maybe a C-. Maybe we didn't have the greatest room. Or maybe the waitresses, and bar staff were having a bad day?

I did like the decor, the grounds, the food, the computer in the lobby and it was extremely convenient to getting to the D-Day beaches.

StCirq

I like the Hôtel d'Ecrin in Honfleur and the Château de la Bellefontaine in Bayeux.