seetheworld

We would like to take a day trip (by train) from Paris to Normandy. I'm just wondering how difficult it will be to get around ( to Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery for example). Taxi? Bus? Or is a car rental at the train station preferable?

Thanks.

nytraveler

It really isn;t possible to tour the invasion beaches/area by public transit. I would either organize a tour form Paris (a VERY long day) or one from Byeaux or ? - and get a crack of dawn train to pick it up.

We did ourselves by car - but were in the middles or a road trip of France and Belgium,

Cathinjoetown

The Memorial Museum-Caen does a day pass which includes the museum (fantastic) and a five-hour tour of the beaches.

I looked into this a couple of years ago, they were very helpful via email with advice about the day. Can't remember whether they offered to meet the train, we ended up going a different time.

www.memorial-caen.fr

FrenchMystiqueTours2

Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery are easily reached by public transportation. You take the train to Bayeux and from there either a taxi to the cemetery or bus 70. The bus leaves 10 minutes after the train from Paris arrives and takes 32 minutes to the stop outside the Cemetery.
http://www.busverts.fr/affichage.php?id=281

ktcat

If you are staying at a hotel in Paris, check with them to see if they can arrange for a day trip to Normandy. Most hotels can set that up. We did that a few years ago and ended up going on a small (only like six or seven people) mini-van tour of Normandy. The driver/guide was well informed and picked us up at our hotel. We got to see a lot and the trip was well worth it. Happy travels!

FrenchMystiqueTours

And I believe there are D-Day tours organized by the tourist office in Bayeux that are timed with the morning arrival of the first train from Paris. Check with the tourist office:

http://www.bessin-normandie.com/

seetheworld

Thanks for all the suggestions and links! Sounds like a trip to Normandy will be more than doable.

Sue_xx_yy

seetheworld - I'm a bit late 'in' to this thread, but just a comment: It is doable, as in, people have done it, but I would not say, more than doable. It's an average of 2.25 hours each way from Paris St. Lazare to Bayeux and back. Factor in time to get to the station in Paris, then to set up your local transport arrangements in Bayeux/Caen, or connect with your tour, and you have a big hunk of your day spent in transit, or concluding transit arrangements. For this reason, if you are determined to do a day tour out of Paris, either do it the way ktcat did, or rent a car in Bayeux and use "Major and Mrs. Holt's pocket battlefield guide: Normandy landing beaches" (see Amazon). I strongly recommend getting this guide ahead of time.

If going by train, you would likely arrive mid morning in Caen/Bayeux - too late for the tours leaving at 8:30 a.m, yet a precious 2 hours or so too early for the 1 p.m tours. In addition, the 1 p.m tour means you would not likely make any train headed back for Paris that left Caen earlier than 18:41, arriving Paris 20:45.

ktcat managed to arrange a tour that satisfied him/her, and it sounds like you would be content with similar. Just know that the beaches landing area is HUGE. This was the largest invasion in history. There were many different types of equipment and trained personnel involved, from parachutists to infantry landing in specialized vehicles. Getting even an overview of all this takes more than a half day, net of Paris commute time.