Business in London, would like to go to d day beaches

I recommend picking up a copy of Rick's France guidebook. You can take the Eurostar from St. Pancras to Gare du Nord then take train from St. Lazare to Bayeux. Tours are available from Bayeux. Plenty of people on the forum have made the journey so others will have additional comments.

Rachel has it :-

The search button (the magnifying glass at the top of the page) works much better this week than ever before, there has been plenty of similar discussion so plenty to study.

Flying isn't easy, fast or cheap - or often possible at all - on that quest.

Boat from Portsmouth can work, but is expensive and slow.

Eurostar to Calais is difficult because very few Eurostars stop in Calais any more and the station is far from car rental places.

The tried and true method is 2 hours 15 minutes to Paris Gare du Nord from London St Pancras International (Eurostar), a very simple connection in Paris, and the train to Bayeux or Caen. Rental cars easily available in Caen, not easy in Bayeux.

Tours are readily available by very experienced guides in Bayeux.

When is the trip?

I would certainly recommend that you book one of the organised tours available from a number of companies in Bayeux. You won't have to worry about finding your way around, and the guides are very knowledgeable. They offer tours to suit different nationalities and interests. Nigel's suggestion of Eurostar from London to Paris and then train to Bayeux is a good one. Going by ferry is fine for a family using their own car if they are staying in a gite, but not so good for a single traveller.

However, if you still want to have your own car in France, an alternative is Eurostar to Lille and hire a car there.

Hi, I can recommend the Overlord Tour #3/Band of Brothers tour-- for Normandy Beaches--out of Bayeux--I was there in April and did their 1-day tour (approx. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.), and it was excellent! They take you in a van, so the group is small--they are very well informed and interesting! Check out their website for details and to reserve a spot! Enjoy!!
Karen

It is possible to fly to Deauville and Caen from 'London' airports, but this possibly won't work out any easier than the via Paris rail option. No one seems to have tried these out here.

I second Bob's advice. The Normandy beaches and their history deserve a full day, either from Caen or Bayeux. What you can see by yourself, now, is only a tiny piece of that picture. A good guide will fill in the context and significance of the fairly sparse ruins that remain from the fateful invasion. One factor to consider is that tours may concentrate on the American or the British Commonwealth countries' beaches although I expect they all give a substantial overview.