I am trying to plan a trip & I need advice. Flying into London using miles for upper class on VA. A day in London to get my clock working. Train to Dover, see the cliffs, spend the night, take ferry to Calais, rent car drive to Honofleur spend 2 days...drive to Bayeux spend 2 days. My problem now is we are renting a villa/ apt in Rome for a week. How the hell do I get there w/o having to go through Paris? Husband doesn't like Paris( grumpy American who doesn't find the humor in train strikes like I do)
I can do it the other way, a week in Rome then, do the whole Normandy Coast, then back to London ect.
I just need all you seasoned travelers advice. Thank you in advance!!

Obviously flying is the best way to go between northern France and Rome if just wanting to go straight thru - a long long daytime train ride but there is the Thello overnight train (www.thello.com) that being a privately run train may be inured from the SNCF French Railways strikes (but not always could be impacted as well IME).

The chances of a train strike except for those previewed in the coming few weeks, which may not even materialize is small but I'd check Easy Jet from Paris to Italy or other discounted airline.

I'd fly and I'd look at skyscanner to see if Fiumicino or Ciampino airports get to an easy French airport. It looks like Beauvais, CDG and Orly all get there with a direct flight

simple - fly from Paris Beauvais airport to Rome with ryanair.

Beauvais is 50 mile north of Paris

If you want a great tour in Normandy try the website for Chateau de Beaulieu. We just returned from there. The hosts are fantastic and Sharon will give you the real tour of the Bayeux Tapestry. Check it out.

As an alternative to trip to Dover and longish drive from Calais I would suggest you could consider train to Portsmouth. Luggage storage is available at Ferry terminal.

Visit D-Day museum, HMS Victory, Mary Rose, Warrior and other dockyard attractions.

Take Overnight ferry to Caen with cabin to avoid a hotel night, Arrive Caen early morning and your are only a few miles from Bayeux and Normandy D-day beaches.

Drop car (if you hire one) in Caen to avoid one way charges and take train to Paris for journey on to Rome

EasyJet have a 3 times a week flight from Nantes to Rome

I would decide the itinerary based on the temperature. I'm not sure when you are going, but we found Rome to be really hot even in September. Just figure out whether it will be getting warmer or colder and then determine your direction of travel.

Take Overnight ferry to Caen with cabin to avoid a hotel night, Arrive Caen early morning and your are only a few miles from Bayeux and Normandy D-day beaches>

Actually this boat, which I took not long ago, docks at Oustreham, Caen's port and you have bus connections the several miles from the port to Caen's center.

Oustreham was recently itself a focal point of D-Day celebrations, being one of 4 that Obama and other leaders hit together to honor those who died on each - I believe Oustreham was largely a Canadian operation. Nothing much in Oustreham other than the beach IME so most just head to Caen.

Ouistreham is Caen's port, no distance between them really. I recommend the Mémorial Museum in Caen, excellent D-Day museum. Agree with everyone to do the Portsmouth-Caen or Portsmouth-Cherbourg route.

You could also fly Orly to Rome--it's southwest of Paris so wouldn't require going into the city.

I agree - skip Dover and Calais. Ferry to Caen, fly to Rome from Orly.

>>I would decide the itinerary based on the temperature. I'm not sure when you are going, but we found Rome to be really hot even in September. Just figure out whether it will be getting warmer or colder and then determine your direction of travel.<<

The entire trip as spelled out is less than 2 weeks -- the weather won't change significantly anywhere.

You could fly Caen-Rome on Hop! with a stop in Lyon (3:35) http://www.hop.com/en