Sunny99

I am embarassed to admit that I am having some difficulty understanding the sncf.com website for railway information. My friend and I are going to book a day tour of Normandy and apparently we have to get off the train in Bayeaux for a tour that leaves from the Place de Quebec. Are there any Fodorites who can help me figure this out please?! Thank you.

rex

<< I am having some difficulty understanding the sncf.com website for railway information.>>

This must be one of the most valuable kinds of questions to post here - - I'm sure it's difficult to overcome the embarrassment, but you serve countless other "newbies" well to come forward. Who knows how many others share some simple common mistake with you?

For starters, could it be something as simple as:

1. Have you found the UK flag (scroll down) so that the site is in English for you?

2. Couls it be as simple as not having <i><b>Bayeux</b></i> not spelled correctly?

It seems likely that you will want the 7:10 am departure, connects in Caen and arrives in Bayeux at 9:22.

Best wishes,

Rex

StCirq

I'm not exactly sure what it is you're having trouble with - the SNCF site and finding time tables for trains, or the location of the Place de Qu&eacute;bec in Bayeux.

If it's the latter, that's easy: http://www.d-daybeaches.com/plan_bayeux.html

If it's the former, well, it's not at all unusual for people to have trouble with the SNCF site, believe me! What time do you need to be in Bayeux? Rex has given you one possibility, but perhaps there are others. Also, what day of the week are you traveling?

Andrew

Perhaps your plans are firm and you will need to stick to a day trip to Bayeux, but I highly recommend not doing it all in one day. For what it's worth, I stayed three nights in Normandy a few years ago and I rented a car and drove around, which turned out to be far, far easier and more fun than I imagined. I took the train from Paris to Caen, picked up the car there, drove to Bayeux (close by), stayed two nights there and the final night in Caen. It was probably the highlight of my trip (I had been to Paris before). I quite enjoyed the leisurely pace and the ability to go to sites at random (I wound up going to the American Cemetery twice).

Normandy is beautiful country. Caen is a vibrant little city and I wish I'd spent more time there. Bayeux I found a little disappointing. As I recall, one reason I didn't plan to go to Bayeux directly was that rental cars were expensive there (not a big town) and train options weren't as good as to Caen from Paris.

Andrew

Sunny99

We are taking the tour on Thursday, September 22nd and it begins at 8:30AM. Rex, I did click on the English version of the website but I did misspell Bayeux! Thanks to both of you for your help.

StCirq

Sunny:

I hope you haven't booked the tour yet, or at least that your money's refundable, because the 7:10 train from Paris on September 22 is the earliest train out. I assume by the time you arrive the tour will be long gone.

Do you have to take a tour, or can you take a later one? While I disagree with Andrew as regards Caen versus Bayeux, I certainly agree that seeing the WWII sites in Normandy deserves more than a day if it's at all possible.