lucy

We are going to be in Paris on Aug. 22. We would like to know if there are any trains that stop by Normandy and if there are any economical places to stay,and last of all can we see Normandy without a car?

leslie

We were in Normandy in early May and were also very reluctant to rent a car. However, the car made it a lot easier to explore the Normandy coast and surrounding areas. The traffic was not too bad and the roads were fine. It is hard to say what the traffic conditions will be in August as we were there in May. We rented the car at the Paris airport and drove to Giverny, Rouen, Honfleur,Trouville, Caen, D-Day Beaches, St. Michel and Dinan. No problems. <BR> <BR>We stayed at the Bestwestern Hotels in Rouen and Caen for about $70.00/night and they were fine. <BR> <BR>There are trains, but you will miss quite a bit because they limit the areas you can visit. If you do decide on renting a car, be sure to have a good map as the back roads are not numbered and you have to navigate from town to town. I used a AAA map.

Monica

I stayed in Bayeux for 3 nights (May). It's about 7 miles from the D-Day beaches (Arramanches is the closest). I rented a car for 2 days: day 1 to Mont St Michel, which took 1.5 hours to get there; and day 2 to the D-Day beaches. I had a Michelin map, but didn't use it too much. The signs for the mains streets were good and there is one main road that connects the beaches. We visited Arramances, Omaha beach and the American cemetery, Point du Hoc, and Longues Sur Mer. It took about 4-5 hours. Mont St Michel was a great place to visit, but very crowded with tourists. It was my favorite sight on this trip! I even have a photo of my Mom and me (see http://it.uwp.edu/fowler/fodor.htm). <BR> <BR>Bayeux is a pretty town and our hotel was in a good location. Just about a 5 minute walk from the tourist office and center of town. We paid about $75 per night and the room was BIG as well as the private bathroom. Our room overlooked a garden. They also have free parking. On Saturdays there is an outdoor market across the street in the plaza. If interested in hotel information, email me directly at home. <BR> <BR>

elvira

You can see most of Normandy via train: Caen, Bayeux, etc. are on train lines. The D-Day beaches are NOT. Happily, there are tour bus companies in Bayeux (possibly Caen, but I have never tried there) that will take you to the beaches and cemeteries. <BR>We've also done it by car, but we didn't start in Paris (we started in the south of France). We found the traffic to be manageable, with good roads and signage, but be prepared for the farm equipment (tractors, reapers, donkey carts, etc. riding down the middle of the road at, well, a donkey's pace) and rotaries (roundabouts).

Julie

Has anyone taken a tour from Paris to Normandy? cost and was it a good one?

Carmen

Monica, what hotel did you stay at when you visited Bayeax? We are going in late October and are looking for a place to stay.