Visiting the Landing Beaches
 

We will fly to CDG. Our plan is to take a train to Caen and pick up a rental car there rather than try to drive to Caen after an overnight flight. Is there a train which leaves from CDG to Caen? Is this a good idea?


We want to tour the Caen museum on our first day and get our bearings.(This is not our first trip to the area). The next day we are considering hiring a private guide to tour the landing beaches and related sites. My dad landed at Omaha Beach and went from there to St. Lo. We would like to track his movements. I checked the websites for private tour guides and the prices are pretty steep plus the choices are overwhelming. Does anyone know a company which they can recommend?

Thanks, Fodorites

No, you can't get from CDG to Caen directly. You need to go into Paris and take the train from the Gare St-Lazare - takes about 2.5 hours.

I don't think you need a private tour guide of the beaches. With a good guidebook, just go and read the signs, etc., that are posted at every site.

St.Cirq:Thanks. From the sound of it we would do just as well to drive from CDG.

Just came back from Paris and 2 days in Bayuex visiting the World War II beaches(mid Novenber). Wife and I used Battlebus Tours for our tour of the area and I can't say enough about the town of Bayuex and the great and informative (9) hour tour that Battlebus gave us. I highly recommend them. Check them out at http://www.battlebus.fr

I would second the notion of doing it yourself, with a couple good guidebooks. We went last April and took in everything in detail--couldn't get enough! There's so much more to see and do than the short little hops the tours give. See it all, all the various beaches. Even the lesser-known sites are awe-inspiring, especially when you look down and try to figure how in the world they ever were able to climb up. Truly amazing. Happy travels!

Last summer, I was researching a trip such as yours,but didn't get a chance to do it. On this site, I came up with a man's name and website who runs a B and B, and takes you on a tour. I guess he is a retired British army officer, and you sit around his house at night and listen to him talk the history. Unfortunately, I can't recall how to reach him. I think the info might be still on my laptop, and I will search today.
Seems I came across his name on this website, so maybe another reader will know who I am talking about.
EK

Hi, cmcfong. ekellga is undoubtedly talking about Col Chilcott who runs a B&B in Bayeux. Here is one thread where his tours are mentioned.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34399819

If you put his name in the search box above you will find many others.

Thanks for the responses. They are quite helpful. I will followup on the Col. and his b and b information immediately. Thanks also for the recommendation.

We took the Colonel's tour a few years ago --it was quite good but I might mention that he has quite a slanted point of view on some subjects--we didn't mind as we found it interesting, but he is not particularly open to other points of view. I might also mention that he was extremely attentive to our little group--my sister and I and husbands--both women speak fluent French which he liked and he kept commenting on how pretty we were--not bragging--WARNING--it was to the exclusion of the other group on the tour whom he totally ignored and we kept trying to include, to no avail. I am somewhtat uncomfortable writing this, but it is the gospel truth.

We rented a car at CDG and drove around Normandy. We spent the first night in Rouen and then worked our way to Bayeux. The Michelin Green Guide for Normandy gives a good tour for the beaches. Also once you get to any of the museums there are excellent books about the landings. Be SURE also to get he Michelin Normandy map.