Best villages near D-Day beaches or Versailles?

You don't say how you plan to get around. But regardless, here's my two sense...

Versailles is very close to Paris and can best be visited as a day trip from there. The Normandy Beaches are a 3-hour drive or a 2+-hour train from Paris. I can't imagine any place in between that would make sense unless you have a car. And then, it would still be 1-1/2 hours from either place. I would consider Paris and Versailles to be one part of your trip, and the Normandy Beaches to be a separate part.

When going to Normandy, many people recommend Bayeux as a good base, and for good reasons. It is somewhat central to all the D-day beaches, and is a charming, medieval village with many half-timbered buildings that were not destroyed in the bombing of WWII. It also has several dining options, and sights to see that are not related to the Battle of Normandy (Bayeux tapestry, Bayeux Cathedral, etc.). I personally prefer the small village of Sainte-Mère-Église to the West, which is closer to the U.S. Airborne operations and Utah beach. But if this is your first time in France, I think Bayeux would suit you much better. Plus Bayeux is a little closer to Omaha Beach, the American Normandy Cemetery, and other sights of interest like Arromanches and the battery at Longues-sur-mer (I am presuming from your profile that you will be more interested in the U.S. areas of operation than the Canadian or British, but Bayeux is somewhat central to all of them). Plan on spending at least two, and preferably three or more nights in the Normandy area (which gives you one or two complete days respectively). And if you haven't done your homework on the Battle of Normandy, you will probably do well hiring a tour guide for the battle areas (which includes much more than just beaches).

Enjoy and feel free to send me a message if you want any additional info. I have been to Normandy nine times (never Versailes) and seven on anniversaries of D-day.

Hmm, for a long time I was a go-straight-to-your-furthest-city person but on our recent trip to France, due to a somewhat later flight and full trains, we had to spend the night in Paris and take a train to the Loire valley the next day. It turned out to be a godsend after our US to UK flight was delayed so much that we missed our connection to Paris and arrived several hours later. We weren't stressed about missing trains and still got to enjoy a (kinda late) "WOW we're in Paris" dinner in Paris and a brief walk before we went to bed. And we had another memorable walk/snack the same thing the next morning before our midday train.

So, I would recommend staying 1 night in Paris then taking a train to Normandy the next morning. (we took a train to Caen and rented a car for our trip) Stay there for 3 nights, which is plenty to see the Day beaches and drive around to see some of those villages/pastoral lands you're interested in. Then train back to Paris for your final 5 nights. Versailles/Temple will take up one day and you'll have 3 and a half days in Paris. Or, you might could do Normandy for 2 nights depending on trains. (like if you left Paris early in the morning you could get a good deal of sightseeing done. It's only 2 hrs by train from Paris to Caen.)

OR I'll say that if your flight was to arrive in Paris in the morning, you could schedule a train to Normandy later in the day. But definitely give yourself 4+ hrs in case you have any delays. (I think we arrived 4 hrs later than we'd planned this last time)

We stayed in Bayeux for 3 nights (with a car) and drove all over visiting various D-Day sights. Lots of cute villages, but I don’t recall any thatch roofs. Probably don’t hold up to the winds very well! There are lots of half-timbered buildings, though. If you are picturing the Cotswolds, you may be disappointed.

Bayeaux is a good base. Big enough to have shops and restaurants open. In the off season, many shops and restaurants may be closed. We encountered this in November a few years ago. Might be similar in May.

Thank you for all the great information! We fly into Paris on a Sunday morning and fly out on a Tuesday morning.

Oh! And we're only planning to rent a car if necessary. Happy to take trains and walk/rent bikes, especially in Paris. I'm sure we'll need a car in Normany, though...

You definitely need a car in Normandy. Public transportation is spotty and isn’t focused on D-Day sites. You can rent in Caen, as suggested. I agree about not trying to get to Caen/Bayeux directly after a flight.

I'm going to go against conventional wisdom and recommend a night in Versailles. Not because of distance (20 minutes), but for the experience. Ther are some amazing properties there, historic or modern, that can be had for less than a standard room in Paris. We've done it both as a day trip from Paris and as an overnight and really enjoyed our recent stay.

This monument is the height of opulence. Go with the theme. Consider capping the day by treating yourself to something a bit special for a night. I can highly recommend Hotel Le Louis if budget and interest permits. There are options further up market as well. If a bit of luxury is not your speed, there are historic accommodations that I suspect will be equally immersive.

Plus, there is nothing better after a long day of exploring the grounds on foot than being only a couple hundred yards from your hotel.

As you said, dream trip.

My 2 cents.