My husband and I are going to be visiting the Normandy area on May 12 - May 15. We will be arriving by train from Paris about 11:00 am and would like to have lunch in Caen. We will have about 1/2 day and would like suggestions on what we could do in Caen. Then that same day we will head to our B&B in Bayeux.
Thank you.
Go see the Caen Memorial museum--it's the best comprehensive museum about World War II in France--if not Europe. Caen was heavily bombed during the Battle of Normandy, so don't expect a quaint Normand town--it's mostly post-war Euro-modern. Can't recommend a restaurant. I just ate at the museum cafeteria, which was just fine for me.
The Caen War Museum is where you want to go...and just eat in the cafeteria inside the museum. Then head out to the sites. Bayeux was a nice little town to base ourselves when we visited. But definitely pick up a rental car in Caen which is much easier than picking one up in Bayeux.
I agree with Tim. We took the train from Paris last summer, picked up our rental car across from the train station, went straight to the Memorial. Although the lunch there was nothing to rave about, our purpose that day was seeing the Memorial--it is a good introduction to visiting the D-Day sites. We probably spent 3-4 hours there and then drove to Bayeux.
Hi Elaine,
Another vote for the War Museum from me - I think it is the best I have visited.
I got lost in my rental car when I visited but I would also like to have seen the twin cathedrales built by William the Conqueror and his wife. Perhaps others who have visited can comment on these. I was very disappointed I missed them.
Sorry, can't remember where I ate.
Melinda
The chateau of William the Conqueror dominates the centre of Caen and is certainly worth a visit. It's a fortress castle. William was one of the great figures of French history and what he conquered was England in 1066, beginning a dynasty of Norman kings that, among other things, helped inject so many French words into the English language as we know it today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Caen
