lynnh242

We are arriving at CDG at 8:25 am and plan on taking the train to Bayeux from Saint Lazare. Does anyone have an idea what time we should book the train for? It's a direct flight from the states so hopefully we should arrive on time! Plan on using TGV....

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

grandmere

That's a tough call; "chances are" a direct flight will arrive on time, but you never know when there can be a delay with take off, etc. And there could be a delay in landing, etc. (I am giving worst case scenario, but it does happen)

To my knowledge you can't take a TGV to Bayeux; it would be a regional train. Since you don't have to make a reservation for a regional, I think I would just wait until you get to St. Lazare and buy your ticket.

Good luck!

StCirq

The TGV doesn't go to Bayeux. To be safe, I'd book a train after noon, especially if you're checking luggage. If it's a weekday, looks like there's one at 12:10 and one at 13:45.

When you land at CDG it can take a half-hour or more for the plane to taxi to the gate. Then long lines at immigration. Then a half-hour or more to gather luggage. Then the trip to Saint-Lazare (depending on how you go, an hour or so).

Scootoir

I can't give advice on time to book your train (we stayed one night near St. Lazare before taking the train the next morning) however I suggest taking the train to Caen rather than Bayeux. If you will be renting a car to tour Normandie there is a row of rental offices opposite the station. It's a larger town with more car rental choices. On your return to the station you can visit the Memorial Museum.

lynnh242

Hmmm....I am a bit confused! So, it would be better for us to just go to the train station and pick up tickets there to Caen (rent car) than to buy them before hand?

Thanks in advance!

grandmere

I suggested waiting b/c of uncertainty of when you would arrive at St-Lazare, but the trains that St. Cirq mentions should work. And if you get tix ahead of time, the price would be a little less.
Bottom line: hard to predict "better" way to do this, IMO.

Gretchen

Have you considered just renting your car at CDG. You can be in Bayeux by late lunch time, if you want. It is easy to rent and you are on the sort of "right" side of Paris to get to Normandy.

StCirq

<<pronounced CAHN)>>

Ummm...no, it's not. Perhaps you're thinking of Cannes.

I agree that taking the train to Caen and picking up your rental car there will afford you lots more rental options. Bayeux has a teensy rail station. It's only about a 20-minute drive from Caen to Bayeux.

apersuader65

Arriving at 8:25 on which day of the week?

We arrived at that time on a Friday morning from Chicago in March 2011. Took RER to GdN, transferred to St. Lazare, and were in Station 45 minutes before the 12:10 train. Unfortunately, we bought non-refundable Prems for the 13:45. I'd second the Caen then drive from there, especially if you're renting a car.

StCirq, how do you pronounce Caen? I always have said Cannes like can, and Caen like con. Is that wrong?

apersuader65

Looking at your itinerary thread, you're arriving at CDG on a Friday morning. I'd definitely recommend training to Caen, You'd arrive by around 2:15 p.m. and be able to rent car there and be at the peace museum before 3:00. It closes at 7:00, so you'd have 4 hours at the museum if you choose. You can then drive to Bayeux for your hotel and be ready for the D-day tour Saturday morning.

StCirq

apersuader, you can listen here:

http://www.forvo.com/word/caen/

You don't even pronounce the "n."

Cannes is pronounced CAHN, not CAN.

Gretchen

apersuader's day of arrival after a flight would absolutely do me in. 'Way too much, especially the museum, but that's me.
I could drive from CDG to Bayeux--or even Caen (for the night) if that became the plan. But then it is dinner and bed and ready THEN to start the next day. Just a thought.

FrenchMystiqueTours

A last minute, walk-up cost of a train ticket to Caen (I checked for tomorrow) is 33.30€ and one bought three months in advance is no less than 15€ (some are still about 33€) so I would just pay extra to not have to worry about catching a specific train.

Use the website www.tgv-europe.com for train info and make sure it doesn't redirect you to the RailEurope site. If that happens enter another country as your ticket collection country until this stops happening.

Christina

con (as I think you are pronouncing that in English, not the French word I hope) or cahn or whatever transliteration you use is fine, really. I wouldn't say the n isn't pronounced, it's not silent (it is definitely not "caw"). It's just nasalized in French, but it's better to use an n than nothing. (That audio clip actually sounds close enough to cahn for my ears.) And there is a big difference in pronunciation even among native Frenchpeople regarding the "a" in Cannes (how flat it is). That is true for many words with an a without a circonflex, actually.

apersuader65

I'm not sure how catching a two hour train ride, THEN renting a car for a 15 minute drive to the Museum would be more taxing than renting a car and taking a 3 hour drive out of Paris to Caen would be, to each their own. I found the train ride particularly relaxing myself and was somewhat recharged when we arrived in Caen. The rest of the family slept on the train, which was great for the first day, but bad for the jet lag the next two days.

I'd probably agree with FMT's advice to buy the ticket when you arrive, assuming there's just two of you. A bigger group may change that equation for me - 30 euros vs 60 euros for an hour and a half delay.

PalenQ

easy - from airport hop RER to Gare du Nord and follow signs for RER E - take it to Saint-Lazare station - terminus I believe and follow signs for Grandes Lignes - mainline part of Saint-Lazare station - buy one ticket at the airport TGV station - one ticket for airport to Paris to S-Lazare to Bayeux - I think you can buy it all at the TGV station in terminal 2, which also has RER trains.

Some trains on the Saint-Lazare to Bayeux route may be Corail TEOZ trains the do require seat reservations and if so it comes with the ticket but many are TER regional trains you can just hop on - some services require a simple change of trains at Caen.

Good sources of info about French trains - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Eschew any discounted tickets as they are train-specific and as French Mystique says not that much less than regular full fare - planes can be late - getting baggage can be longer than expected, etc - you may want to wait to Saint-Lazare to buy the ducat to Bayuex for the next train you can catch.

PalenQ

a check on www.bahn.de - German Railways online schedules for most European trains shows that all trains are "Schnellzugs" or regional trains on which seat reservations are optional and IME not needed - trains about every hour from Saint-Lazare. so a full fare ticket should be good on any train anytime - at least that day!

lynnh242

Thanks to all for your advice.....it is a great help! We will just get out tix when we arrive in Paris.

Gretchen

I'll try once more for apersuader.
When we arrive at 8, we usually go to our hotel by taxi, walk around for a while, have appropriate meals, etc. Do things that we don't really have to remember well like buy museum/Metro tickets.
Or on another trip, drive to Rouen, check into a hotel, and have dinner, walk around the city, etc.
Doing a LOT of train/travel things, plus a museum just seems like a lot--but they can decide.
Just because you "CAN" fit things into a length of time doesn't mean you should actually PLAN it, especially after flying overnight. That is my only point.
It might be interesting to ask apersuader IF he/she has done that itinerary being suggested.

Gretchen

Apologies. Apparently apersuader DID do this.