Getting to Normandy from London

Take the train London St Pancras train station to Paris Gare Du Nord train station
Buy the ticket as early as possible on this site to get the least expensive
https://www.eurostar.com/us-en

And then take a taxi to Paris St Lazare train station where you catch a train to Bayeux
You can buy a train ticket from Paris St Lazare train station to Bayeux on this site:
https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-times/paris-st-lazare-to-bayeux

What Jazz posted is the method I used.

So from what I can tell, this would be the least expensive and the longest, but not necessarily the most recommended because of the longer trip, correct?

Train as noted above, or fly, or take a ferry.

These two locations are not well connected. It might be better to do them on separate vacations. That's what we did. I will admit that our first trip to Europe was a week in London and a week in Paris, in 1986. But that is now much easier, with Eurostar trains. You don't want to go to Paris, you want to go to Normandy (I suppose you mean the D-Day beaches, a small section of a large Province with much to see and do. That might affect the utility of a flight to where you want to be most of the time.))

Your last reply may be alluding to literary memories of ferries and "Boat Trains". The ferries leave from cities far from London, may not take pedestrians on all routes, and are very, very slow. This is a romantic but obsolete way to get directly across the English Channel. If you are visiting a provincial part of England (say, Suffolk), you might be able to coordinate with some ferry ride. But you said you are combining a London visit with a Continental stop. By the way, my wife got really sick on such a ferry, in 1975 or so.

I'm not sure about the cheapest way, but the best one is taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen.

Let's compare train vs. ferry

Train: Leave London at 7:30(remember to be there at least 30 minutes before for check in and that'll be an early start), arrive to Caen around 2pm after changing trains(and railway stations in Paris)

Ferry: Leave London by train around 18:30 arrive to Portsmouth around 8pm. The ferry sails at 11pm and arrives to Caen port next morning around 7am. In effect you'll arrive much earlier than by train, all you're missing is an evening/night in London.

Not to mention a ferry is more of a special experience for most people. You're not taking a ferry as frequently as you're taking trains, planes, buses. Plus it must be a cool way for some history freaks to arrive to Normandy the same way as the GIs did in 1944. ;-)

https://www.seat61.com/London-Paris-ferry.htm#London-Paris_via_Le_Havre

https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferries-france/portsmouth-caen

People tend to look at the map and assume that because Normandy looks like it’s close to England, there must be a quick way of getting there.

There isn’t. The two options offered above are the best.

I think it’s much better combined with a trip to Paris than London, but if you’re heading from London then you have to decide: train via Paris or ferry from Portsmouth. Neither is particularly quick. Plus if you’re prone to seasickness, as I am, doing the ferry once means you never want to do it again.

Tim,
Thanks for your thoughtful and helpful response. I think we are learning that your point is correct - there needs to be two separate trips as it is too much to try and fit in on one trip. Makes me sad, as I don't think we'll ever be able to get there again.

How much time can you devote to the Normandy part? Is your flight home from London or Paris? There are ways, it does depend on the time you put into the project, especially if you don't think you can ever return...

"Makes me sad, as I don't think we'll ever be able to get there again."

Never say, never!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/06/war-veteran-escape-care-home-d-day-ceremony-dies

Note: He took the ferry! ;-)

Its not clear what the purpose of your trip is. If you only have a few days, then the Eurostar to Paris is your quickest option but it's not cheap. If money isn't an issue and you just need to get to Caen or somewhere near there, I like the Portsmouth Ferry option. However, if time isn't an issue and you want to see how the French live in Normandy, another option would be to train to Dover & buy a day return ticket to Calais. Give or throw away the return ticket when you get to France! Then, using 'The Man in Seat 61' website plan how you would get to the places you are interested by local trains. However, again, if cost isn't an issue, a hire car from Calais would be really useful in Normandy.

A cheap and fast option is to fly from London Southend on flybe to Caen, then rent a car at the airport for Normandy. Flights can be as cheap as $32 one-way.

The only slight problem with T.'s suggestion, one that I debated suggesting, is that FlyBE has had so much financial trouble recently, including downgrading all their aircraft, that I wouldn't want to recommend a solution with an airline which has spent so long on the edge of bankruptcy.

Is is different here than in the US. Companies - especially airlines - go bankrupt, and continue flying and eventually work themselves out of bankruptcy.

Here when the administrators get called in, or even worse the receivers, it just shuts down, never to be heard from again. The UK is littered with such ghosts - often caused by the damage inflicted by government decisions (or indecision).

If the trip is soon, or there is a plan B is the worst should occur, then the flight might be a good option.

My son and his girlfriend went Caen to Portsmouth last spring. They spent a few nights in Portsmouth because he wanted to see Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (for a second time!). The ferry was fine. They did a day crossing. I dropped them off in Caen, and they took the train from Portsmouth to London.

If you don't think you'll get back there again, by all means go! It's not that difficult.