What a great forum this is! We are going to be in Paris April 14th to 23rd. This is our first trip, and plan 2 side trips - my wife must see Giverny, and my son wants to see the Normandy landing beaches. I've read here about the train to Giverny, and I think that's the way we'll go. What about getting to the beaches, and would both trips be possible the same day?

Thanks

While Giverny/Vernon is on the train route out towards Normandy, it is not possible to do both in one day as a single day-trip. Giverny takes, at the very minimum, 2 hours to walk through the gardens, house, etc. Then you would wait for the next train heading out to Bayeux in Normandy. There is often stops at Caen, as this is not a direct train.

Tours of the DDay beaches are usually scheduled in advance and can be made at the tourist office in town. In Bayeux, we went with 'Bus Fly' tours that had a 12 noon tour departure and returned to Bayeux after 5 pm. (I do not know if they are still in business, they were a terrific tour company with local guides that really knew their historical information). There are about 4 beaches to see along the DDay landing area (Omaha, Juno, etc), as well as the British/American cemetery and also the war museum on the coast. I would give yourself all day for the Normandy sites. If you overnight in Bayeux, you can see their famous Notre Dame cathedral, as well as the Bayeux Tapestry, both in the city centre. It's a charming town and makes a great base for exploring the nearby DDay beaches.

Giverny...Yes
Normandy...No

I wouldn't try it. Normandy deserves at least a full day or wait until another trip when you can really see it. I took my 14 yr old for a few days in Normandy after a week in Paris and we both loved it.

I highly recommend www.battlebus.fr for a tour of the battlegrounds, beaches, and cemetary. The knowlege of our guide made the trip much more interesting and special. He pointed out things that we would never have noticed and told us so many interesting stories as he has extensively studied the battles and has talked to so many veterans.

Nope, not both in one day. Normandy deserves at a bare minimum a full, long day, and a week wouldn't be overdoing it.

Believe them.

Keith

Thanks for the advice. Now that I'm convinced we need 2 days minimum, how would the following work? Take a train out of Paris to either destination first, spending the night locally, then visit the second destination on day two and returning to Paris that evening? And of course, how about train lines and hotel recommendations?

Thank you.

I agree that two days would be best. I think you should start a new thread with your itinerary question as there are some pretty saavy travelers that can help if they see your question.

KenNLynn: What you've proposed would work (train out of Paris, etc). As I had suggested, I would make Bayeux your base. You could catch an early morning train out of Paris, stop in Giverny (the train station is in Vernon). From the SNCF train station in Vernon, you would take the local bus (Ligne 151) that leaves for Giverny every 15 minutes in the morning (8:45a, 9, 9:15, 9:30, then not until 10:55 am, 11:30, 11:35, 12:55, etc), look around for a few hours at Monet's house/gardens, then catch another train on to Bayeux, arriving by late afternoon/early evening. Since you will be arriving too late for any tours that day, you could settle into your hotel and possibly see the sites in town (Bayeux Tapestry, Notre Dame cathedral, etc). The next morning, you could do the DDay beaches tour; and if combinable, a jaunt out to St. Michel. However, I would split up the trips and do DDay beaches one day, and St. Michel the next. St. Michel won't take as long to see and it is feasible you could allot 9am-12 noon total for seeing the monastery and town. That said, I would allow at least 3 days in Normandy total, with the 3rd day being your afternoon return to Paris/travel day.

In Bayeux, I have always stayed at the Hotel Notre Dame (Hôtel-Restaurant Notre Dame, 44 rue des Cuisiniers (tel 011.02.31.92.87.24, fax 011.02.31.92.67.11). Friendly and very pleasant location, with a magnificent view of the cathedral. Menus from € 14.48 (with rabbit in cider), with a special Normanday menu at € 22.11.
This is a lovely, family-owned establishment with a terrific restaurant on the property and they can include your meals in your rate as well. It is in the centre of town and within walking distance to the sites.

For specific train times/departures, please refer to the SNCF website for train information so you can plan your travel schedule from Paris accordingly. Bon voyage!

Thanks very much for the details Huitres, these will be most helpful. Although my son and myself would love more than one day in Normandy, this trip is a lifelong dream for my wife, so she gets to call the shots. This is our first time in France, but next time around we will do some more exploring outside of Paris. I will check the SNCF website for details.

Best Regards