Caen, Bayeux, D-day beaches. First timers

We had a car and it gave us the flexibility to visit the museum in Caen, Bayeux with it’s incredible tapestry from 1066, all the D Day beaches and sites- American, British and Canadian. The British museum at their beach was very interesting. There was excellent signage in the whole area and the locals were very helpful too.

I'm not sure of the comparison with other modes of transportation, but there is car rental in Caen. It's at the train station AFAIK, which is not right by the ferry dock, so you'll need a taxi from the ferry unless the rental car company has an arrangement for picking up passengers at the ferry.

Have you booked the ferry for your desired date? If not, be aware that not all channel ports are served on all days; some of the boats rotate from one port to another on different days, or go in for maintenance.

Also (this is unlikely to happen to you, but...) our channel ferry was canceled on less than 12 hrs notice because of a labor dispute -- something that happens frequently in France. Luckily I had my phone turned on, so I received a text message marked "URGENT." Otherwise we would not have known that our only chance of getting across the channel that day was to make a mad dash to a different port city.

On both of our trips to the D-Day beaches we rented a car in Caen. The rental agency is around the corner from the train station, however check the days/hours of the agencies because they are usually closed on Sunday. As mentioned before, a car gave us the flexibility to tour the area at our own pace. Unless you are already locked into a ticket, you can rent in Caen, return the car there and take the train back to Paris. Obviously, everyone's idea of a budget is different, but we found the bed and breakfasts in Bayeaux to be a good value and a great stay.

Great advice all, thank you. We are locked in to train tickets in Bayeux. I looked into getting a car in Caen and dropping it off in Bayuex. Unfortunately that isn't an option. So we will have to figure out how to get back to Bayeux after dropping the car. It looks like it is only 17 miles. I will look into a bus or even a taxi if we cant come up with anything else. I neglected to mention that we will arrive in Caen on June 1st. Thank you.

We also took the ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, which is the actual arrival port. There is a bus every 20minutes or so to the Caen railroad station and you can buy bus tickets at the ferry port for a few Euros. It's only about 8-10 miles. You will pass by the famous Pegasus Bridge on the Caen canal, on your left from the bus, of D Day fame that was taken by British glider troops and held until relieved. WE rented a car at the agencies right across the street from the Caen RR station but you will need to get a train to Bayeux and rent there. You simply cannot see much without your own car even though you might take a D Day tour. We did, but returned the next day with our car since we only got a few minutes at some sights, including the American Cemetery. We returned and spent 3 hours there. The ferry arrival is around 1500 which might not leave you time to get a train to Bayeux before the rental agencies are closed in Bayeux You can research trains from Caen to Bayeux and also get on tripadvisor.com, Bayeux forum to find out about rental cars in Bayeux. Lots of Bayeux and D Day experts on the Bayeux forum. Remember that you arrive June 1 and there is always a huge D Day celebration June 6 so you'll need to get moving for a place to stay. Good luck.

Personally, I believe it is far better to take a one-day small-group tour of the D-Day beaches than to drive yourself around to the historical sights. You'll see more, and understand more, with a tour. It will be handy to have a car for your other day or two in Normandy.

There is both bus and train service between Caen and Bayeux. Since the car-rental agency probably has limited Saturday hours and none on Sunday, figuring out how to get the car will be key. The train is a lot faster than the buses between Caen and Bayeux, and the buses don't seem to run on weekends.

Bus Schedule Caen-Bayeux

Bus Schedule Bayeux-Caen

Rail schedule look-up. (Day of week is critical.)

The drop-off shouldn't be an issue. If you have a train ticket from Bayeux to Paris, you can get on the train in Caen instead.

In my experience, ferry cancellations are all too common. I'd suggest developing a back-up plan, just in case.

It's a short train ride between Caen and Bayeux.

I'm as much as a budget person as you are, probably more so. We thought about driving to the different beaches and towns to save money...until I started reading some of the reviews for the top Dday tours in Normandy. We finally decided to take a full day tour, and it was the BEST money I've ever spent. I'd encourage you to at least read some of the reviews at tripadvisor. You can start by searching there for Alan Bryson, the guy we used. In effect, he (and other excellent tour guides) make you feel as if you were there at the invasion, understanding the people, the injuries, the strategies, the fears, the use of natural cover, what that piece of concrete is, etc. I'd pay to take the same tour again, it was that heart-moving. There are at least a dozen great guides there and the reviews prove it. Consider it an investment in your son!

I looked into getting a car in Caen and dropping it off in Bayuex. <<

Have you checked AutoEurope? There is a Hertz location at train station in Caen, Hertz in Bayeux is not at train station but that is the only rental car agency in town.

https://www.autoeurope.com

Car or tour, without a doubt. Taxi/Uber to the various sites would get costly, if they're even available.

My son and I were there for 2 full days in March (4 days total, arrived late on day 1, and left early on day 4, so 2 full days), and we had a car from Paris. We both had a pretty good understanding of D-day history having read a couple good books, several from Ambrose. Because of that, we decided not to do the tour, and just stick to doing it on our own. It allowed us to go at our own pace and stay longer at the sites that intrigued us (impossible to know until you actually get there). We did follow RS's plan in his Normandy book, and it got us every where we wanted to go, with a few additional side trips that we wanted to check out.

We also made it over to Mont St Michel the evening of our first night, for dinner. That was a nice break from constant WW2 history.

Maybe tour 1 day, and then car the next?

PS, Bayeux is a beautiful city. I was not expecting that. Leave some time on your plan to allow you to walk around it for a bit.

An addition to my previous post...on our first trip to Normandy, we took a half-day tour in order to get a good overview of the sites. Then we were able to utilize the car at our own pace for the rest of that trip and our next visit. I too, would strongly advise you to begin your visit with some type of tour. It is worth the money.

I'm with acraven whose post is very useful, both for the transport links and for advice about guided tours. A small-group or even private tour is not about transportation, it's about understanding what you see and the history behind it. Context is everything and much of that mosaic of events and intentions is not visible for casual inspection. A full-day tour can't cover everything but an expert guide will be well worth the admittedly expensive fee. And I always add that Caen deserves some time on its own, including the fortress castle of William the Conqueror smack in the middle of the city.

If you're going to book a guided tour, start booking ASAP. I was surprised how difficult it was to find a guide and/or tour for the two of us in mid-May. I dragged my feet and didn't start looking until the end of March - six to seven weeks in advance!