paris to normandy?
Jul 22nd, 2006, 04:17 PM
#1
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paris to normandy?
i'll be in paris in a few weeks... is it possible to go to normandy for a day (leaving paris very early and returning very late)? i'd prefer bus or train, but i have no idea where to start looking. is it possible to get off the bus or train and walk around and get back on or is it necessary to have a car in normandy? i'd love any help! thank you!
Jul 22nd, 2006, 04:57 PM
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Here's my Normandy mini-tour plan:
Normandy can be visited very economically as follows:
* Take early train from Gare St-Lazare to Caen
* Get day ticket from http://www.busverts.fr
* Visit Peace Museum
* See Pegasus Bridge at Ouistreham
* Work your way down the eastern beaches to Arromanches via the <font color="red">dd</font> route
* See the Mulberry Museum
* Stop at Port-en-Bessin for fresh seafood lunch
* Go through the western beaches and cemeteries as far as Pointe du Hoc
* Go back to Bayeux and see the Tapestry if you have time
* Take the last train to Paris
Here's the map of the Busverts network, showing the <font color="red">dd</font> route:
http://www.busverts.fr/_ete/images/carte1_ete.gif
Normandy can be visited very economically as follows:
* Take early train from Gare St-Lazare to Caen
* Get day ticket from http://www.busverts.fr
* Visit Peace Museum
* See Pegasus Bridge at Ouistreham
* Work your way down the eastern beaches to Arromanches via the <font color="red">dd</font> route
* See the Mulberry Museum
* Stop at Port-en-Bessin for fresh seafood lunch
* Go through the western beaches and cemeteries as far as Pointe du Hoc
* Go back to Bayeux and see the Tapestry if you have time
* Take the last train to Paris
Here's the map of the Busverts network, showing the <font color="red">dd</font> route:
http://www.busverts.fr/_ete/images/carte1_ete.gif
Jul 22nd, 2006, 05:51 PM
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This is an excerpt from my trip report regarding or daytrip to Normandy. I don't know if you are looking for a tour but I can highly recommend this one:
We did our daytrip from Paris to Normandy with www.paris-trip.com. It was the highlight of our two week trip (one week London, one week Paris). Our driver was Lionel and he was excellent! He has travelled all over the world and was extremely knowledgable in French history and current politics. His own family story is quite interesting.
He kept us entertained and informed the entire trip, despite the long drive. They usually only do the trip on Thurs. and Sat. but if you have a group of 6 or more you can schedule any day. We were 6 (my husband and I our two kids (age 10 and 13) and my Mom and Dad), so we scheduled it for a Wed. and were the only ones on the tour. The van only holds 8 people, so that is the max. they can take anyway.
The tour is 160€ per person, not cheap but we felt it was worth it. (The price does include admission to the Caen Peace Memorial, everything else was free). He picked us up right at our apt. and returned my parents there, and then dropped us off at a restaurant not too far away. The most difficult part is getting picked up at 6:30am, we were at the restuarant for dinner a little after 8:00pm.
We saw Ponte de Hoc (Omaha Beach), the new and old memorials, the American Cemetery, Arromanches, and the Caen Peace Memorial. He took us to an incredible lunch at Arromanches with views of the mulberries and the best oysters we have ever had.
I agonized for months whether to do this as a daytrip or wait until another time when we could spend more time there. A month before we left I decided to just go for it. I am so glad we did, as I said, it was the highlight of our trip. I admit, I could have spent more time at the Caen Peace Memorial, but with the kids, I think it was just right.
We did our daytrip from Paris to Normandy with www.paris-trip.com. It was the highlight of our two week trip (one week London, one week Paris). Our driver was Lionel and he was excellent! He has travelled all over the world and was extremely knowledgable in French history and current politics. His own family story is quite interesting.
He kept us entertained and informed the entire trip, despite the long drive. They usually only do the trip on Thurs. and Sat. but if you have a group of 6 or more you can schedule any day. We were 6 (my husband and I our two kids (age 10 and 13) and my Mom and Dad), so we scheduled it for a Wed. and were the only ones on the tour. The van only holds 8 people, so that is the max. they can take anyway.
The tour is 160€ per person, not cheap but we felt it was worth it. (The price does include admission to the Caen Peace Memorial, everything else was free). He picked us up right at our apt. and returned my parents there, and then dropped us off at a restaurant not too far away. The most difficult part is getting picked up at 6:30am, we were at the restuarant for dinner a little after 8:00pm.
We saw Ponte de Hoc (Omaha Beach), the new and old memorials, the American Cemetery, Arromanches, and the Caen Peace Memorial. He took us to an incredible lunch at Arromanches with views of the mulberries and the best oysters we have ever had.
I agonized for months whether to do this as a daytrip or wait until another time when we could spend more time there. A month before we left I decided to just go for it. I am so glad we did, as I said, it was the highlight of our trip. I admit, I could have spent more time at the Caen Peace Memorial, but with the kids, I think it was just right.
Jul 22nd, 2006, 06:05 PM
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Paste the URL into http://babelfish.altavista.com and select "French to English."
If you have any specific questions after exploring the site, I will be happy to answer them if I can.
If you have any specific questions after exploring the site, I will be happy to answer them if I can.
Jul 24th, 2006, 03:23 AM
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I second Gretchen's suggestion, especially their mini-van tours where they have about 7 people with your own private tour guide. They pick you up at your hotel at about dawn and return you to your hotel in Paris at about 8 pm. If you have any hesitation about other options this is the easiest and very satisfying.
