Bayeux or Arromanches or elsewhere for homebase?

Hi Joni, . I assume you have a car.We've been lucky enough to go to Normandy twice and both times stayed in
Bayeux. It's great place to return to each evening, park the car and walk to restaurant.

Bayeux is better choice. Central and more to offer for food and walking.

I've stayed in 4 Normandy towns and highly recommend Bayeux for a base. It's a charming medium sized town with numerous restaurants, the beautiful cathedral, the tapestry and a couple of worthwhile museums.

Another vote for Bayeux. I have stayed there twice with a vehicle and although it was not charming, there is a hotel near the freeway that makes parking easy. It is some sort of a chain, so it is clean, affordable and had a decent breakfast. Someone on this site recommended it to me and it was fine for my purposes.

If I am not mistaken , it's a Novotel , part of the Accor Hotel chain . I also stayed there a few years ago , and as Terry Kathryn says , it was nice and very convenient . I also agree with Bayeux as a good location , the tapestry is there and the cathedral is stunning . Also good choices for food . Arromanches is only six miles away and the the village absolutely charmed me . It looks like the village straight out of " Monsieur Hulot's Holiday " ( " Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot " par Jacques Tati - 1953 ) for those of us of a certain age , who remember it .

We stayed at the Novotel in Bayeux and I've recommended it here before. As Terry Kathryn says, no charm or atmosphere, but clean and comfortable with free parking and easy access to the highways. It's about ten minutes' walk into the center of Bayeux. There are many other hotels there, like the Churchill and d'Argouges, with more charm and closer to the center. Wherever you stay, I'd recommend Bayeux as a base because of the cathedral, tapestry, WWII museum, and dining and lodging choices. It's also a starting point for various D-Day tours you might consider for the information they'll provide. If you're not driving, then Bayeux makes even more sense, and so do the tours.

Arromanches is also a nice seaside town. I hadn't thought of M. Hulot but I guess he would have enjoyed it! ;-)

We've stayed at Hotel d'Argouges in Bayeux at least 6 times and I highly recommend it. Very reasonable price which includes a wonderful breakfast, free parking, beautiful garden and flowers, family owned (very warm and helpful), great staff, big rooms, big bathrooms, comfy beds, very clean.
It's in the heart of town and very easy to walk everywhere. It's located down a driveway so it's very quiet.
There's no hotel in Bayeux that's difficult to get to or out on the road from. It's a small, charming town and extremely easy to navigate. I would not want to stay in a charmless hotel by the freeway when there are other great choices, but that's just me.

Actually, there is a Novotel in bayeux, but I stayed in the Ibis. On a random date in Oct. the Ibis is about 50, the Novotel, 114, and the B&B in town is 156.... (looks charming, but 3 times as much as the uncharming):) FYI
The Ibis was relatively new, and next to a decent restaurant... but alas, no charm.

Neary Caen is a full-fledged city so will offer more choices in accommodation, dining, car rentals etc. Its peace museum is well regarded and runs D-Day tours. The city suffered vicious fighting in the Second World War but its military history dates back to the fortress castle of William the Conqueror right downtown.

We had a lovely stay at the Hotel de Sainte Croix, delicious breakfasts and walking distance to the sights in Bayeux.