Stay to see Normandy D-Day sites?
 

Where is the best place to stay to get an overview of the main D-Day sites. We don't have but a night and 1 day to get an overview of all without going into the museums, etc. Is that enough for overview or should I just wait until we have more time?

Well, some people "do" Normandy as a day trip from Paris, but I think you really need a minimum of two days. Some people prefer a personal guide, some prefer to do it on their own. If your visit is planned for the summer, you'll have traffic and tourists to contend with.

I consider the Peace Museum in Caen as important as seeing the beaches and other sites, and you can spend 2-4 hours at the Museum.

I'd suggest you peruse some guidebooks and maps to decide what you're interested in seeing. Then figure out whether the time you have is enough.

I can recommend the Chateau D'Argouges in Bayeux as an affordable and well located base.

Missing the Peace Museum in Caen would be a big mistake. It shouldn't take more than a few hours and it is time well worth spending.

Bayeux (sp?) is probably a good starting point as it is relatively close to Omaha Beach, the site of the largest of the American Cemetaries in Normandy and Pont D'Hoc, a german gun emplacement that still has many of the original bunkers.

For an overview, one day can probably suffice. Stephen Ambrose's book is probably worth a read, or re-read, before your trip.

I agree you'll need 2 days to do it right. I also agree with using Bayeux as a base and staying at hotel d'Argouges. Stayed there
last year with M/Mme Ropartz as our host and it was wonderfull.
For more info. on the hotel contact
dargouges@aol,com
For more info. on tours etc.
www.normandy-tourism.org
www.normandywebguide.com

If you have only 1 day you can do it. We stayed in Bayeux. We were luck enough to get a room at Chateau d'Argouges. We took a half day tour bus through Busfly tours (I believe it is called something else now). The tour will get you to several of the beach heads, and the american cemetery. It was very informative. We missed the peace museum in Caen so I can't comment on that BUT I can emphatically say that it is my belief that it would be a mistake to pass up a trip to the beaches just becasue you lacked the time to go the museum in Caen. The beaches and the cemetery are reason enough to go there.

Tks much!!!

we spent 5 days in the normandy area this past August and saw a great deal. If you want to condense the experience, I'd suggest a personal tour guide who can tailor the time to your tastes. We used a retired British army colonel named Michael Chilcott. The time with him was easily 10-12 hours but we 'dawdled' at some of the sites. It was just our family for the day and more than worth it. We did the Caen museum on our way back to Paris and could have easily spent 4 hours. Stayed in Bayeux and obviously, did a lot of museums (you can see TOOO many), Mont St Michel, Utah Beach, cathedrals, etc. Our tour with the Colonel included: Omaha Beach, British Cemetary, German Cemetary, American Cemetary, Pointe Du Hoc, Longues Battery, and Arromanches. I'd see the Caen memorial on the way in or out and take a full day personalized tour.

PS - we stayed at Lion D'Or in Bayeux; nice place but no A/C and we were there during the August heatwave. Churchill also looked nice as did a B/B near the outskirts of town. You'll have a lot of options if you decide to stay in Bayeux.

Bayeux is a great base, close to everything of major interest. Mini-bus tours of 1/2 or whole day pick up at many hotels. Rail service from Paris is about hourly, about 2.5 hours. Bayeux is also about the only town in the area not decimated during WWII, so it's a neat old town (vs much larger rebuilt Caen) known for one of Europe's great cathedrals and for the Bayeux Tapestry, woven under the orders of Queen Mathilda to record William the Conqueror's 1066 Conquest of England. One day is enough for an overview if you rent a car, bike or take a mini-bus tour as the famous cemetery, D-Day beaches, Mulberry harbors, etc., are within a few miles of Bayeux.

My wife and I stayed at D'Argouges last summer and really like the hotel and the location. We were in Paris and took train to Bayeux and stayed for a night and day. Saw beaches and tapestry. More time certainly would have been better but we enjoyed the time there.

Alastair Sawday has a book that covers bed and breakfasts in France. We used one of the suggestions and loved it (it was an old manor house that had been Nazi occupied with a courtyard, dove cove, private chapel - just lovely). We had one night and 2 1/2 days. It worked well. One of the homes that is included in this book is owned by a retired British war officer (not sure if it is the same man referenced above). You can stay in his home and arrange tours. We tried to, but it was booked for our night.

the colonel does run a B and B; we started our tour there with tea in his "map" room; seemed a little musty but it is from the 17th or 18th century!