Where is stay in the Normandy area?
 

4 of us are going to go to the Normandy area and are not sure where we should stay.We will stay 1 night. Can anyone help? Thanks.

It's a little bit like asking where to stay "in Ohio"!

You may think of Normandy as a small, narrow coastal area - - as if it is Myrtle Beach, in example. But it's bigger than the state of South Carolina, (I think), and has a diverse number of regions from its coastal areas to the "upper Normandy" (i.e., "up" river, along the Seine) where the southern fringes of the kingdom of Richard the Lionhearted were protected by the castles of the Vexin. Nornamdy includes the Camembert region, Monet's Giverny and the cliffs of Etretat. And dozens of other great destinations - - that were there well before 1944.

I'd recommend taking a look at www.normandy-tourism.org to get a grasp on where you want to go. If the invasion sites of the Battle of Normandy are at the top of your list, then some good ideas are Caen, Bayeux and Arromanches, just to name a few.

Best wishes,

Rex

Thanks for your reply.

Thanks ..Rex. Yes the purpose of the side trip here is to see Omaha beach, Uta beach,etc.

Bayeux is probably the principal "big little city" in Normandy favored by "overnight-trippers" whose interests are the sights of June 6, 1944 - - and the participation by the Americans there.

See also http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34587995

Much to be said for staying in Arromanches, as an alternative.

There is a small hotel and restaurant just outside of the American Cemetery in Colleville Sur Mer. We had been visiting the cemetery and just didn't have the patience to look for a restaurant. Frankly we expected the worst assuming it was just a tour bus stop. We were wrong, wrong, wrong. We had an excellent lunch served by an absolutely charming young woman. The restaurant is very clean, quiet and peaceful. I think the hotel is very attractive and reasonably priced. The name is Hotel Domaine de l'Hostreière Colleville Sur Mer
Route du Cimetière Américain - 14710 COLLEVILLE SUR MER

I second the recommendation on Bayeaux. Bayeaux is a medieval city that was not heavy bombed in WWII (I had never seen or really thought about anything like it).

You might look at your itinerary and see if two nights (or more) are possible.

Mode of transport? Critical detail for determining alternatives on where to stay in Normandy.

We drove to Mt. St. Michel and stayed overnight in Trouville and loved it. This seaside town was at one time a big time summer escape destination for Parisians and the town is absolutely tranquil and lovely. The Sunday morning flea market was so much fun. Deauville is nearby, more expensive, but lovely as well, you can still visit Coco Chanel's first clothing store. Allow yourselves the whole day to explore the D-Day Beaches; definitely worth taking your time.

I hate being the spelling police (and it's spelled wrong here all the time) - - but since there are several &quot;newbies&quot; here today asking about Normandy, and just learning... it is NOT Baye<i><b>a</b></i>ux - - which, if there were such a place, would rhyme with &quot;chateau&quot;.

Bayeux rhymes with deux, or yeux, or peux, or veux or feu.

I'm very partial to Honfleur, easily reachable by bus from the Deauville/Trouville train station if you're not driving. It draws crowds, for a reason: It is unbelievably charming.

Bayeux is lovely. As someone mentioned, there was very little damage during the war and it is a charming, old town. It is also very convenient to the WWII sights and there are many tours leaving from there. The Bayeux tapestry is well worth visiting and the town has some very nice restaurants. The Hotel Argouges is nice and there are a couple of chateaux on the edge of town, which you could find by doing a search for &quot;Bayeux hotels.&quot;

In Bayeux, I would suggest the Lion d'Or, a very comfortable hotel with an excellent restaurant attached.

http://www.liondor-bayeux.fr/

Or in Honfleur, the bed and breakfast of Liliane Giaglis, lovely rooms and a very warm welcome.

giaglis.com

And dinner in Honfleur at the P'tit Mareyeur.

http://www.auptitmareyeur.com/

The full Web address of the Giaglis bed and breakfast in Honfleur:

http://www.giaglis.com/

&quot;We drove to Mt. St. Michel and stayed overnight in Trouville and loved it.&quot;

Good for you Viajero2! We also think that Trouville is neater than socks on a rooster! Did you have seafood at Les Vapeurs? Did you stroll the beach? Did you see the great Art Deco post office? What time of year were you there? Is the flea market a weekly event?

After a lot of reading, I settled on staying at Arromanches-les-Bains when visiting the same places.

I was happy with Hotel de la Marine, a two star hotel and restaurnt located on the shore. http://www.hotel-de-la-marine.fr/index_en.html

Keith

Dave-- we were in Trouville in Mid-May. The flea market appeared to be a Sunday event. I recalled seeing at this flea market the biggest Paella cook-out I've ever seen, of all places. Such a lovely town. We strolled down the beach, yes it was very, very romantic. :-D

DAVE, LES VAPEURS!! Their poster given to me by the hostess is framed over my dining room table and I was surprised to see it on the wall in Rouen at a Bistro there.

There is a neat little place in St. Marie du Mont outside of Bayeux. Wonderful owner who knows the beaches. the website is
www.lamaisondeshotes.com