jennymary

Hi,

I've been reading the posts about Normandy and they've been extremely helpful to me. I still have a bunch of questions and am hoping someone will be able to help me. My husband and I will be in Dublin in November for a wedding. We'd like to take a side trip to Normandy... specifically to see the D-Day Beaches. The easiest way to get there seems to be flying to Paris and then taking a train. We're only going to be in Normandy for 3 nights... and are specifically going to see the D-Day sights. It seems like Bayeux is the spot for us to stay. I checked the train schedule online at www.sncf.fr and there don't seem to be many trains to Bayeux. In addition, according to the website, they'll deliver tickets anywhere in the world except for the US! There are many trains to Caen. How far is Caen from Bayeux? We aren't planning on renting a car.... if we took the train to Caen..is it a short taxi ride to Bayeux? Also, has anyone reserved train tickets online and then picked them up at the station is Paris? Can anyone recommend a quaint, reasonably priced place to stay right in Bayeux. Finally....just how cold will it be in early November?

Sorry for the long message. I'm anxious to book this trip... and any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

mamc

I highly recommend that you try to stay in Bayeux. It is a charming town with several nice restaurants. I think you can get a bus from Caen and it is well worth it as, after you see the WWII Museum (very worthwhile), there isn't a whole lot of charm in Caen. You can easily get guided tours of the D Day beaches and other notable sites from Bayeux. In Bayeux, a very nice, charming place to stay is the Hotel D'Argouges. It is especially good without a car as it is in the center of town. And if you stay in Bayeux, don't miss the tapestry.

laurie_ann

You don't need a bus for Caen-Bayeux. There are train connections through Caen, for example we are taking a early morning train to Caen with a short (7 minutes!) connection to Bayeux. Bayeux seems to be the better town to stay in (the only town in Normandy not completely destroyed in the war) but there is also the museum in Caen www.memorial-caen.fr which is supposed to be great and offers minibus tours of the D-Day sights right from there. We have a reservation for a minibus tour from www.overlordtours.com in early September so if you can wait for our review until after then. There are also many other recommendations on this fodors board for small tour companies for D-Day sights. There are also many detailed postings on this board about ordering train tickets from www.sncf.com. No they won't mail to US (www.raileurope.com has the exclusive concession for that, but it is ofter more expensive than direct), but you just pick up your tickets from the train station in France when you arrive. You still might check with a travel agent as to whether there are any direct flights to Caen airport (even a connecting flight through a Paris airport might be more convenient than a plane, a taxi or metro ride to the train station and a train (2 hours to Caen). Or, check out Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com) which flies to Paris Beauvais airport where there are shuttles to the west side of Paris which isn't far from the Gare St Lazare for trains to Caen or Bayeux. (And a quick check for a random date in September says the ticket on the Dublin/Paris segment is only 0.90 Euros (19.90 Euros on the return) this is not a typo although I know those budget fares you need to also add taxes. Enjoy planning your trip!

Underhill

You actually can buy your train tickets on the SNCF site--just enter "France" for your address and pick the tickets up at the first train station on your arrival. You'll need the confirmation number and the credit card you used for the booking.

jennymary

Thank you all so much. The information is very helpful. Now, I just have to buckle down and sort everything out!

jennymary

Hi again... I'm back! Just checked the rates from Dublin to Paris on RyanAir! Unbelievable... this trip is definitely taking shape. I'm going to send an email to Hotel D'Argouches... since it doesn't look like they have a website.
I have a few more quick questions... How far are the Paris airports (CDG and Beauvais)from the station. How much would a taxi cost to the Lazares station? Just trying to sort out my budget. I'll have luggage and a taxi would be better than a shuttle. Also... We plan on taking a train from Normandy back to Paris on a Friday... and then fly from Paris back to NY the next day. Where would you recommend staying for one quick night in Paris?... looking for something quaint and reasonable in a central location. How much is a taxi from Paris to CDG?

Thanks again in advance for all the GREAT advice.

cmeyer54

We spent a week in Normandy last August. I'll give you our highlights and you can go from there. For an unforgettable guided tour, contact Col. Michael Chilcott (google him to find the email). He's a retired British army Colonel and knows the area so well. We spent 1.5 days with him. He knows the big tourists spots as well as those lesser known with all the little antecdotes which make it all the more worthwhile. We stayed at the Lion D'Or in Bayeux. Had a family suite as our children were with us. See the D-Day sites, also the Bayeux Tapestry which had even our teenaged boys interested. The cathdral is worth the time also. Do not miss the Peace Memorial in Caen either on your way in or out. We also went to the D-Day museums around Bayeux, Mont St Michel, St Mere Eglise, etc. Read before you go - the Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan, etc to get a real feel for the area. As for dinners, we ate at the hotel's restaurant, La Rapiere, and at a place overlooking the harbor at Arromanches. Had decent pizza in Bayeux as well.

MorganB

Beauvais is wayyyyyyyy out of Paris. Probaby about a 1 hour drive. RyanAir offers a bus transfer from the airport into the city. I am not sure how much they cost but you probably can find it on the RyanAir website. A taxi to and from CDG can range from 40 to about 55 euros depending on the traffic.

gradyghost

Hello Jennymary: We are visiting Normandy from Paris in October. You will find that the trains to Normandy use Gare Saint Lazare. We have a reservation on the night before we leave
for Normandy at Hotel Concorde Saint-Lazare (www.concordestlazare-paris.com)which is a 1 minute walk from the station and seems to be nicely located otherwise. I have never stayed at this hotel; perhaps others may comment. We are using it for the convenience. Have a great trip.

mick_how

Hi,
I live near London and have just spent a week in Normandy. We stayed in a cottage in Asnelles, close to Arromanches, where there are a couple of Logis France hotels that would really suit you. To see the sights, you will need a car as they are spread over about 30 miles - I would recommend hiring a car for the three days to make the most of your visit - Major & Mrs Holt's book, Guide to the Normandy landings is an essential item as well!

Good luck...ps It could be very cold in November!

julia_t

mick - I see you are a new poster here - so welcome!

Just one tip when you reply to a thread - check the date it was started. In this case jennymary will have travelled to Normandy in November 2004.

Most of us have been caught out at one time or another, but your post will come up to help others searching here for advice on Normandy.