Visiting Normandy Beaches

roscoe

I'm not aware of any commercial flights from the UK to Normandy. Others feel free to put me right.

The quickest, and probably cheapest and easiest, would be to drive to Birmingham International Airport (BHX) on Flybe to CDG in Paris. Flight about 90 minutes, twice a day. Then RER into Paris, cross Paris and train up to Bayeux.

You could then fly home from Paris a few days later.

If you drive to Portsmouth (straight down the A34 from Junction 9 of the M40 which you reach from Silverstone by going southwest on the A43 towards Brackley), you could take the car to France as long as you bring it back, but do you really need a car? I make no judgement but only suggest that buses convey train passengers to and from Northampton station (London Midland trains between Birmingham and London Euston) to Silverstone for the meet, and London Midland trains from Northampton go right into Birmingham International Airport which is served by a 90 second free cablecar from the station.

If you do drive through Brackley you can see the headquarters of Mercedes F1 from the A43 and the roundabout takes you to the front door. Their Brixworth engines are made just north of Northampton in Brixworth. Red Bull is HQed in Milton Keynes, not a million miles away.

Ferry? Wouldn't the whole trip from Silverstone take longer than taking the Eurostar from London to Paris?

I'm a little confused about how much time you have in Normandy. Is it 3-4 nights (2-3 days) total? Or 4-6 nights (3-5 days) total?

In any case, I'd do whatever I needed to do with the car, take the Eurostar from London to Paris and take the train from Paris to one place in Normandy and stay there the whole time. Then I'd take the train back to Paris and fly home from there.

From other postings, I have learned that flying home from London is pricier than from Paris, and it would cost even more to go back to London from France to do it. A multi-city ticket will likely be cheaper all round.

You could rent a car in France to explore the beaches, cemeteries and other sights on your own, or you could take a variety of small group tours of the area.

We stayed in downtown Bayeux and walked to everything: dinner, the tapestry and to meet our tour. We did not have a car and we were there only 3 nights.

We spent one full day on a small-group US Normandy beaches+ tour and would've done another day if we'd had enough time (had to get to Brands Hatch for the Formula Ford Festival). Our other day there was spent seeing the Bayeux Tapestry and other sights in town.

We've done it just about every way possible. If you go to Portsmouth and take the ferry, you will likely lose two nights. One to stay in Portsmouth to catch the early ferry, and once you arrive around 1500 at Quistreham (the actual ferry port), that day is mostly used up by the time you get to Bayeux. Most D Day tours leave from behind the Churchill hotel in Bayeux at 0800. You might consider the Eurostar from St. Pancras in London over to Paris, 2 hours, 25 minutes, city center to city center. You can easily catch a train to Bayeux after arriving on the Eurostar, spend the night at the Churchill Hotel, and meet your guide at 0800 the following day. There are many D Day tours, half day to full day, and you can google them or ask about them on www.tripadvisor.com, Normandy travel forum. for more specific advice. You might drop the car at the airport, get to St. Pancras for a morning Eurostar to Paris, then catch a train to Bayeux, about 2-3 hours. Once in Bayeuux you can spend 2-3 nights and see most of the D Day sights, the famous tapestry of the Norman Conquest in 1066, and other local museums. Check out www.seat61.com for all the train advice and tips you might need.

There are Flybe flights to Deauville from Birmingham, but the nearest day is Tuesday. On Monday the flight goes from Bournemouth instead. Base fare is £24.99 plus what extras you want. Alternative is Ryanair from Stansted.

Thanks to all of you....after I posted, my husband and I decided to take the Eurostar to Paris and then travel to Bayeux. We will get rid of the car before leaving England and will fly from Paris. We need a car in England because there will be 6 of us and for the s fond year we are going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and spending time in Avebury, Salisbury. Etc. before the race. I have booked a private tour for Normandy and so I think we're all set. It is good to know I won't need a car in Bayeux. Thanks so much for your words of wisdom,

My wife and I have done the London-to-Normandy thing 3 different ways, and all were satisfactory.
The first year, we took the Eurostar to Paris, then the SNCF to Bayeux, spent the night there, and took a one-day tour the next day. The tour finishes up about 5:30, so we spent a 2nd night in Bayeux, saw the tapestry in the morning, and took an afternoon train back to Paris.
The second year, we took the SNCF from Paris to Caen, rented a car, and explored Normandy by car for the next 3 days. That was the best. We had a pretty good idea of the geography because of the previous year's trip, so we didn't have any trouble finding our way around. The best part was attending Easter services at the church in Ste. Mere Eglise. We stayed at a wonderful B&B in La Cambe called Le Lieu Besnard. It was originally a stable that was built about 1600, and was converted to a B&B by the couple who run it now.
The third year, we took the train from London to Portsmouth, visited the royal dockyard there, saw HMS Victory, the remains of the "Mary Rose", and the wonderful maritime museum there. We overnighted at the Royal Mariners' Club, then caught the 9AM ferry to Cherbourg. Had a nice lunch in Cherbourg, then took the train to Bayeux, where we again rented a car and spent 3 days exploring the area, including Mont St. Michel.
Normandy is a wonderful place. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.