dhlemaistre

6 of us are headed for a Viking River Cruise (Paris to Prague) in middle October. We are flying in early but only have one day to travel to Mont St Michele and Omaha Beach (only two places we want to go) and want to travel with a private car and driver. The tour companies we have looked at only allow their drivers out 12 hours and have indicated this wouldn't be possible, however, we had friends who did this several years ago (driver's name was Pierre) but they can't remember how they found him. Any suggestions?

Jean

My suggestion is to skip Mont Saint-Michele. Your plan involves 9 hours of driving. Just driving. Then add time in each destination, time for lunch, time for dinner, time for pit stops, etc. (There may be regulations prohibiting a commercial driver working that many hours in a day.) Even driving to just Omaha Beach is 6+ hours, and I assume you'd want to visit a cemetery or monument and perhaps view Arromanches or another landing point like Pointe du Hoc.

If you'd prefer MSM over Omaha Beach, you could take a train from Paris Montparnasse to Pontorson-Saint-Michele in about 4 hours and take taxis to/from MSM. The last 'good' return train to Paris isn't very late, but you'd have enough time at MSM.

Christina

FYI, it is really a male saint, the name is Saint Michel.

I wouldn't know how to find that driver (Pierre Dupont, probably, which is a joke), it does sound impossible to me. I'd pick one choice, that's all, that is most important to you. For me, it would be Omaha Beach rather than a chateau/monastery, and it's closer, also.

That is actually more than 9 hours of driving, it would be 9 (4.5 each way) if it were only going direct to Mont St Michel and back to Paris, not including going to Omaha Beach. And you are talking about October, to boot, which means it gets dark early. In mid-October, sun sets at 7 pm. So whatever you are viewing last can't be after that time (maybe the Mont, some people like it at night). But if you ended up at the Mont, it's still 4.5 hours back to Paris. So you'd have to find a driver willing to drive in the dark back to Park and you get back at midnight or something? No wonder no one will allow a driver to do that.

PalenQ

If you'd prefer MSM over Omaha Beach, you could take a train from Paris Montparnasse to Pontorson-Saint-Michele in about 4 hours and take taxis to/from MSM.>

Train service Rennes to Pontorson is spotty but special buses meet three morning TGV trains from Paris to Rennes and whisk folks right to the Mount (Pontorson station is about 6 miles away) - so more convenient than seems - 3 hr 45 minutes all told not 4.5 - still a long haul even with 190 mph trains to Rennes. Driving may well take longer - trains are quicker to Bayeux - about two hours and then hop mini-bus tours to the main sights.

So you could do one or the other on your own - easily and be 100s of bucks ahead but no way can you do both in reality by train or car. T
For good train info in case you chose one or the other by rail: www.voyages-sncf.com has schedules and advance limited in number discounted fares for Paris-Rennes; Paris-Caen-Bayeux is mostlya flat fare with minor savings possible for advance booking - just buy that ticket in Paris as discounted tickets typically are vali donly on a specific train - full-fare is not much more on trains to Bayeux and you can leisurely look around and hop any train back to Paris-Saint-Lazare - good info also at www.seat61.com - great advice on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

so sorry about diverging to trains to one or the other as perhaps the next best option but if not you maybe others reading will benefit - but consider experience France's superb rail system.

Judy

Have you looked into training, say to Bayeux, and picking up a tour/driver there? At least that might save the drive from Paris time.

dhlemaistre

Thanks for the informative replies. I think we have decided to go straight to Bayeux upon arrival and spend our first night there then hire a local car and driver for the day and rail back into Paris Wednesday night.

Jean

Much better.

PalenQ

so scrapping Mont Saint Michel? It is possible with an early start to visit the D-day beaches and also drive over to Mont-Saint-Michel - not that far and have your driver drive you to Rennes for TGVs back to Paris. A long day though - the Mont should have few lines in October so you can spend a few hours there and blast over to Rennes for trains back.

Or do the mini-bus tours - which to me would be more fun than a private driver because you're with other tourists and the guide will take you to the best places - next day hire a driver to do M-S-M and Rennes.

Best yet why not rent your own car in Bayeux (or nearby Caen) and drive yourselves - driving is a snap here - get a Michelin Green Guide and it lays everything out for you.

dhlemaistre

No, PalenQ. Hiring private transfer to Bayeux from CDG for first night in France. Rented minivan for the day to travel to Mont St Michele, Dick Winters Statue, American Cemetary for Retreat Ceremony ( nice lunch in countryside) and back to Bayeux to return vehicle then rail into Paris that night. Sick we didn't allow an extra day for this part of our trip but are returning next year with just one other couple and will know better!

Thanks for your input!

PalenQ

Best of luck - sounds like a good plan if energenic. Nice to have all decision making behind you. Now relax and look forward to an exciting time.

traveldawg

Click here: CdB Tours - Normandy Guided Tours - World War 2 D-Day Battlefields and Historic Sites at Château de Beaulieu

For your trip next year I highly recommend you check out this place to stay and tour. Run by retired British Officer and his wife. He does the tours and you stay in their chateau. We stayed with them 4 nights in May 2014. Fantastic experience. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Just read a few of the reviews on their site. Eddie and Sharon are great!

PalenQ

I don't know it may just be me but I wish to discover places like the bloody D-Day beaches by myself not be carted and shown around - by bike by myself was great - not everyone can bike but read up on the area - take info along and then discover them by yourself(ves) in quiet solitude and at virtually no cost.

Biking let me visualize the many hedgerows lining the narrow lanes that, hedgerows, proved to be such a stumbling block for Allied tanks (my WW2 father told me about them beforehand) and I noticed those thick thick thickets called hedgerows and saw why - whizzing by on a bus or car would not have been the same.

And I camped - in a camping site - right on the beach by Colville-sur-Mer - at evening I sat and sat and wondered what fear Allied invaders must have felt - like lambs going to the slaughter and gave thanks that I was spared the horrors of war. Contemplating a sight to me is mind boggling - better than be shown it by others with others.

Not criticizing the OP who has limited time and a different bent of mind perhaps and that is fine. Just for others - it is easy to discover the beaches on your own and to me that is sweet.