Hello, We will be driving from Giverny to Normandy and spending approximately 4 nights (+/-). We want to see Honfleur, Bayeux and, of course, the Normandy beaches. Which town would be the best base? We will probably take at least a 1/2 day - full day guided tour of the beaches and then do driving around on our own. From Normandy we will go to Dinan for a couple of nights. Suggestions for a Normandy base would be greatly appreciated :)
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7755 posts
Are you planning to visit Mont St. Michel or St. Malo? I'm inclined to suggest that you stay in or just outside Bayeux. But it depends if you want to be "ready" to add to your WW2 beach visits after you learn the basics from your guide. When chosing a guide, be sure to compare prices for Provided Transportation versus Your Car. (We don't hire guides, so I don't really know about that topic. But MANY clients need transportation for their D-Day Beach visit. You don't)
Make a list for Dinan, because the attractive, if well-touristed old town does not need more than one day. We liked Dol de Bretagne and some megalithic stone sites, but we had less time. You didn't give the month of the year, but we like to visit public gardens in the summer. Some of them are on lovely small mansion/chateau properties, but require not only a car, but lots of driving time.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7119 posts
Bayeux would be my choice.
Posted by
Georgia
87 posts
We just got back a few months ago. Definitely Bayeux.
Posted by
1 posts
My family spent 5 nights in Normandy in June 2019. We stayed in a 3 bedroom cottage in the very small village of Aure Sur Mer next to the American Cemetery. We thought it was an ideal base for travels towards the west (we spent one day at Mont St Michel) or east (Bayeux, Caen, Honfluer). It was a 15 minute drive to Bayeux, where we ate dinner and departed for a full day guided tour.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Bayeux seems like a pretty obvious choice -- close to Honfleur and the beaches, good tours leave from there, it has the cathedral and tapestry and a good museum, close to Caen for another good museum.
If you can arrange a night at Mont St Michel on the way to Dinan you'll get to see it without the crowds of day trippers. It would mean an added change of hotels though -- not worth it if you prefer to skip MSM or just see it from a distance.
Posted by
Moncton NB
1097 posts
Where are you from? If you're American, then yes Bayeux makes good sense as its close to Omaha Beach. We are Canadian and basing ourselves in Beny-sur-Mer near Juno Beach.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32322 posts
sm,
I agree with the others, and would recommend Bayeux as your "base". It's a beautiful town and has some nice hotels and restaurants. There's a nice WW-2 Museum there and of course the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Also, many of the tour groups depart from Bayeux.