day tours from paris to d day beaches

Hi JoAnn, check out the site for Normandy Sightseeing Tours, www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.com, email : contact@normandy-st.com. I've been to Normandy and know that a day trip doesn't do it justice but that's all the time we have. We plan to take the train to Bayeux in the morning, do the 5 hour tour, and return to Paris that evening. We haven't taken the tour yet but the company has been very responsive to my questions and is recommended in the RS Paris book. Have a great trip!

Rick mostly recommends guides who are based in Normandy, versus taking a bus tour departing from Paris. Trains that get from Paris St. Lazare station to Bayeux before noon tend to require a connection at Caen; the first direct train gets into Bayeux about 12:15. Or Caen itself is a slightly closer destination to pick up a tour, including those run by the Caen Memorial Museum .

Thank you for the quick response to my question. We will have a look at the recommended tour company and the train schedule. I wish I had allowed more time in France at the end of the trip. It's hard not to try to "do it all".
Have a great day.
JoAnn

The issue I would raise, never occurred to me until we went, is that the beach area is massive - over 50 miles east to west. And that doesn't include areas behind the beaches which are just as relevant to understanding the whole picture. The distance from Paris is significant. The best you could do in a one day trip from Paris would be to hit one or two high points. Personally, I would recommend you save it for the next trip when you can devote a day or two to seeing the whole area. It is worth it.

Reporting back on the 5 hour tour we took with Normandy Sightseeing Tours. We left Paris via train at 10:00am on Fri May 16. We arrived in Bayeux at 12:15 pm, grabbed a quick sandwich at the hotel right across from the train station, and the tour shuttle picked us up at 1 pm. We saw Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery and Museum. The tour was informative and provided an introduction to the D-Day invasion. They dropped us off at the train station at 6 pm and we were back in Paris by 8:30 pm. For 60 euros I think it was a good deal. My friend said it was one of the highlights of his first visit to France.

Donna
Thank you for reporting back as it makes me more comfortable with booking. I realize all the folks who say you can't do it justice in one day are correct but we may not be back for a couple of years. It feels like it is the right thing to do as it is the 70th anniversary this year and I had family members serve in Europe during the war. I'm so glad you had a wonderful day.
JoAnn

Don't hesitate to return thinking you have seen it. That was barely the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to see.