Bayeux to Caen
 

We will be staying in Bayeux for three days in September and plan on travelling to Caen to visit the museum. Is the train the only option?

We plan on spending one day on a guided tour and perhaps renting a car for another. Any suggestions on destinations within an hour or two of Bayeuex that wouldn't be covered on the guided tour?

Thanks

Please rent a car and enjoy the gorgeous Normandy countryside. Rent the car and drive to Bayeux in the first place maybe.

Hi Mike - I did this trip with my father last year. Ours was mainly a war tour but we did enjoy Caen very much. Two things that stood out for me were William the Conc's tomb - living in England gave me a feeling of coming "full circle" if you know what I mean (I enjoyed touring many of the churches and cathedrals dotted around). I also enjoyed one of the German war cemetaries. Do I sound ghoulish?

Anyway, I agree with Gretchen - see if you can rent a car. We did the train option and gave up after 3 days. It was lovely just touring around and we never had a problem with parking..

Trains take about 20 minutes from Bayeux to Caen. From Caen station, you can get a tram to the city centre, or it's 15 minutes' walk. There are buses from Bayeux, but they're much slower and less frequent - the web site for the local bus company is www.busverts14.fr.

Thanks for the advice. Seems driving is a good option. Any car rental companies in Bayeux? All I can find on line are located in Caen.

On its Web site, www.autoeurope.com, AutoEurope shows a limited selection of cars for Bayeux--and a lot more for Caen. If you're not familiar with AE, it's a consolidator that finds you the best rate from among several companies with which it has contracts. If you find a better price on your own, AE promises to either match or beat it. Two prices are shown for each car: "basic" and "inclusive." If your credit card provides insurance coverage in Europe, you can save money by choosing "basic" and declining Collision Damage Waiver coverage. Whatever route yoou go, book in advance from home. You'll pay a lot more if you wait until you get to France.

When in Caen, be sure to see the Abbaye des Hommes and the Abbayes des Femmes. Both are superb ecclesiastical structures; the cloisters Abbaye des Hommes has been incorporated into the town hall.