Day Trips to Normandy
 

I am interested in getting information about day trips to Normandy from Paris. After a river cruise on the Rhone we will be spending a few days in Paris. We are interested in going to Normanday to see some of the WW2 landing beaches, cemetaries, etc. However, we do not want to rent a car. Are there any good day trips to Normandy?

sjc

You really need a car to discover the landing beaches. The only thing I can recommend which you can probably reach by train is the "Memorial" in Caen. Very intersting as
a completion after the "beaches". It
's a very different museum, not only about World War II,but also about
the world wide history after the war and especially about peace.
I would advice you to visit the landing beaches first (+ the
American cemetary in Colleville) and to end with the Memorial in Caen.

I've never taken one, but I bet both ParisVision and CityRama run day tours to the D-Day beaches.

Type "wwii" or 'Normady" in the search box and you'll find many discussions about how to do it. There may be some places in Paris but it's tough on a day trip.

There is a train to Bayeux that takes 2 1/2 hours from Paris and then you can hire a company for a 1/2 day tour. (Again do a search to find recommended companies). Bayeux also has a bus that will run to the American cemetery and another to the beaches but plan for a VERY long day if you try it.

You would probably enjoy your visit to Normandy more if you spend two days AND one night there--why waste the time on two days getting to Normandy from Paris and back? You could take a morning train from Paris, spend the day sightseeing with a tour company, spend the night, and then reverse the process the next day. You'd be able to see much more by combinding the day trips.

There is a round trip, one day tour from Paris at parisvision.com. I have one booked for June!

You can do a long day trip via tour groups from Paris with little trouble and you will be satisfied. If you have never been to Paris before, unless the DDay beaches are of personal interest, I would suggest foregoing the long day trip. ParisVision or Cityrama are good tours and will obviate your taking a train and making arrangements at Bayeux or Caen.

I don't have any direct advice regarding a tour - we had a car and took a tour out of Bayeux. There are many full-day tours out of Paris.

However, please go! IMHO every American should see the Normandy invasion sites. You will be awed and you will probably cry but the memories of the beaches, the cliffs and the cemetary will never leave your soul!

Brian.

If you check the price of these tours, you'll find that it's usually cheaper to rent a car. In some cases, depending on how many people you have...MUCH cheaper.

Jim,

We do have four people in our group so it may be better to rent a car. Could we take the train to Bayeux and rent a car there? Would we still have time to get the last train back to Paris or would it be better to take a tour?

sjc

I think it's best just to rent your car at CDG. It's easy enough to get to on the RER from Paris, and the drive from CDG to Bayeux will give you the opportunity to stop at Rouen and Honfleur if you wish. It's not that far and it's an easy drive.

If you just took the train to Bayeux, and then rented a car, you'd be paying the same price for the car...PLUS your train fare.

Just a thought.

When are you planning to go, sjc? We had hoped to make a repeat visit to the beaches at Normandy this year, hoping to be there for the June 6 celebrations, but even starting in December, we found all the accommodations within 50 miles of the beaches already booked. We also learned we wouldn't actually be able to get close to the beaches, because of the crowds and visiting dignitaries.

Drat! This may be the last celebration of its type where WWII vets will actually be present.

Mary Fran, I will be there on the 5th!

Mary Fran,

We are planning to be in Paris in early October so crowds should not be a problem. Our main concern is having enough time to see Paris and still get to Normandy to see the WW11 sights. Right now we have only three full days in Paris but we are going to try and extend the time to five days.

sjc

sjc:

In March, we took the train from Paris to Caen in the morning, rented a car in Caen, toured Arromanches, Longues sur Mer, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetary and Pointe du Hoc, then stopped in Bayeux for a late lunch and returned to Caen to take the train back to Paris, arriving around 8 p.m. in time for dinner. Would I have preferred several days in Normandy? Definitely. But if time is an issue, the day trip is doable without rushing or cheating yourself.

Steveboy,

I think that taking a train to Caen and renting a car is a good idea. What station in Paris does the train leave from? Should we buy the tickets here or in Paris? What about the rental car? Should it be reserved here?

Thank you for your help.

sjc