John

My wife and I will be in Paris for 2 nights in mid-June as a stop-over between a week in England and a week in Italy. We'd really like to see the D-Day beaches (particularly the American Cemetary) while we're there. We only have 1 day available to do this and cannot spend the night in Normandy because we are flying out from CDG to Florence early the next morning. Therefore, we must do it as a day-trip from Paris. <BR> <BR>I could really use some advice as to the best method of transportation between the beaches and Paris as well as for touring the beaches themselves. I've read that you can take the train to Bayeux and then tour the beaches from there. Is it practical to rent bikes in Bayeux to tour the beaches or do I really need to rent a car? If I'm going to rent a car, would I be better off renting a car on the outskirts of Paris (I definitely don't want to drive in Paris) and driving to the beaches or is the train still the best approach? Also, should I arrange for train tickets/car rental, before we leave the States? So far I've had limited success finding solid answers to my questions on the web so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

justtrying

In June there should be bus day tours from Paris. I can't give you names, but I believe I found that info in guidebooks. When I planned such a tour for my parents in the "off season" there were no such tours. They took the train to Caen, bussed or took a taxi to the peace museum, and took a minibus tour from the museum. We reserved seats on the minibus tour well before they went. Getting back to the station and to Paris was difficult, but they accomplished it in the same day.

elvira

Ways to do this: <BR>1) Take a CityRama or ParisVision tour from Paris. <BR>2) Get a good map of the area; rent car outside (like in Versailles) of Paris, and do the drive/tour yourself. <BR>3) Take a train to Bayeux, and pick up a tour there; at the hotel across from the train station you can pick up Normandy Tours run by Jean-Marc Baconl <BR>4) Take a train to Bayeux, rent car for D-Day beach tour. If it's a nice day, rent bicycles instead, but it's a pretty long ride if you're not a bicyclist. <BR> <BR>A car rental for one day can be pretty expensive, so compare cost to bus tours from Paris, and train + tour from Bayeux.

Lauren

The distances you want to cover are much too long to do it by bicycle unless you had several days. It is a good clip from Bayeux, for example, to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. <BR> <BR>If you just have one day, the least stressful way to do this would be a bus tour or a private guide and driver. You could not do everything in a day whichever option you chose, but you could do a few things.

Fred

Many choices from Paris: <BR>There are several ways to see Normandy and the D-Day Beaches. You can drive and do your own tour, you can drive or train and take a tour out of Bayeux (train takes about 2 1/2 hours from Gare St Lazare) or Caen, you can just take a day trip with ParisVisions or Cityrama. You can take a few other tours. Here's information: <BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------ <BR>Brochures for these two should be at your hotel or if not, just stop in any of the larger hotels and look on the counter. <BR> <BR>Paris Visions <BR>214, rue de Rivoli <BR>75001 Paris <BR>Tel: 01-42-60-30-01 <BR>Fax: 1-42-86-95-36 <BR> <BR>Cityrama <BR>4, place des Pyramides <BR>75001 Paris <BR>Tel: 1-44-55-60-00 <BR>Fax: 1-42-60-33-71 <BR>------------------------------------------------------------------- <BR>You can take a train to Bayeux and take a tour with Bus Fly tours which operates van tours of the Normandy Beaches out of Bayeaux. They offer two tours each day leaving at 8:30 and 1:30. The tours are scheduled for four hours. <BR> <BR>Bus Fly Tours <BR>B.P 204. 25, rue des Cuisiniers <BR>14400 Bayeux <BR>Tel: (from U.S.) 011-33-2-31-22-00-08 or 011-33-2-33-39-23-52 <BR>Fax: (from U.S.) 011-33-2-31-92-35-10 <BR>E mail: [email protected] <BR>Web site: www.busfly.com <BR>---------------------------------------------------------------- <BR>You can take a tour called Normandy Tours given out of Hotel de la Gare in Bayeux - right by the train station . They give half day tours (in English). The tours are usually about 5 hours, and only costs 140F. It takes you to Omaha beach, the American Cemetary, Pointe du Hoc, and Arromanche to see the WWII Museum. <BR>Tel: 011-33-2-31-92-10-70 <BR>------------------------------------------------------------------- <BR>You can take a private driver with a van who will pick you up at your hotel, drive you to Normandy, and give you an all day tour. Speaks perfect English. He takes only cash. Nice guy - say hello for me if you should go with him. He uses a van that accomodates up to 6 people. Charges by the tour, not per person. <BR>Jean-Marie Ceccaldi <BR>44 rue Ginoux <BR>75015 Paris <BR>France <BR>Tel (home) : 011-33-1-45-75-43-12 (from U.S.) <BR>Cellular: 06-09-03-31-53 <BR>Fax: 011-33-1-40-93-07-32 (from U.S.) <BR>----------------------------------------------------------------------- <BR>You can take a guided tour from the museum in Caen. <BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------ <BR>You can take a tour by Col Chilcott . He conducts private tours of the Normandy WWII sights. He charges per tour plus the cost of diesel and lunch, for a whole day. The day lasts as long as necessary. He's retired from the British military and owns a 300 year old farmhouse in Bayeux where you can stay also. Contact him at: <BR>[email protected] <BR>Web page: http://www.vrbo.com/vrbo/352.htm <BR>Tel: 011-33-2-31-22-39-09 (from U.S.) <BR>Fax: 011-33-2-31-21-97-84 (from U.S.) <BR>For more Paris informatiomn e-mail me - [email protected]

Kathy

John, <BR>Even if you're inclined, you will never have adequate time to bicycle this venue on the trip you're planning. <BR> <BR>My aunt & uncle rented a car & obtained cassette tapes (a set of 2) from the Olivia & Hill Press. (They have a web site.) These were developed with a board of national tourism in France. I think they ran about $20 & included a map & list of accomodations & restaurants in the area. The guide, a retired professor of French, conducts the "tour" as you drive, with all the bits of history, where you should make the next turn, etc., included on the audio tape. I realize this is not always everyone's cup of tea, but my aunt & uncle loved it. <BR>Best Wishes, <BR>Kathy