Car Rental vs Tours in Normandy

I definitely agree with taking a tour to the D-Day sights.

I've read that the Churchill hotel in Bayeux runs buses to Mont-St.-Michel but am not sure whether they are just bus transportation or are more tour-like. The information's probably on the hotel's website.

I visited Normandy last year without a car, but I split my time between Bayeux and Caen, because Caen has better train and bus links to the coastal towns to the east: Deauville, Cabourg, Honfleur, etc. From Bayeux you'd first have to get to Caen, then take a bus. A car would be faster. I'm not sure how accessible Etretat is by bus, either.

Given that you'll have just two full days in the area, plus at most a few hours, and one day will be devoted to the D-Day tour, I don't think I'd want to spend the time picking up a rental car while there unless the plan was to drive to Mont-St-Michel. Bayeux has a cute historic district, a cathedral to visit, the Bayeux tapestry, and a WW II museum on the edge of town. Caen has the huge Peace Museum (you could spend the entire day there) and a few historic sights. Those are all things for which a car would not be advantageous.

I don't know about transportation from the port, though.

Jill,

If you're staying in Bayeux, it should be relatively easy to book a one-day tour. IMHO, you'll learn far more from a tour with an expert guide than by driving around on your own, so it will be a more interesting and memorable experience. Many of the tours provide transportation (shared van) and they know the quickest routes between the major sites. You might try Overlord Tour as they're highly rated and have a variety of tours to suit various interests. If you decide to book a tour, I would highly advise making reservations WELL in advance.

As previously mentioned, the Churchill Hotel also offers a shuttle to Mont St. Michel, however it only provides three hours there. That may be enough if you only want a quick look. There's also an excellent WW-2 museum in Bayeux and of course the famous Tapestry which depicts a much earlier battle.

I've never taken the Ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, but I assume you're just planning to catch the train from Caen to Bayeux?

Jill

We recently stayed near Bayeux ,Le Manoir de Herouville and if you don't mind driving would for sure rent a Car.There are so many places to visit and with no car it really does limit your options.Bayeux is a lovely place but in mid August it would be a shame for you to be in Normandy and not be able to explore.
You could still book a tour either with a mini bus tour or try to do it yourself but I would go with a private tour for the d-day Beaches as you see so much more.
We were very lucky as our B+B ,picked us up from the ferry at Caen as the rental company was closed by the time we arrived.They took us the next day to collect our car.This is also something you need to think about when you arrive as you can spend a small fortune on Taxis with no car.

Even if you opt for a rental car, I'd recommend a tour for your D-Day beach visit...you won't have to worry about navigation or parking, and will likely learn more than you would on your own. Overlord get consistently high marks on this Forum. We were very pleased with the private tour with Bernard Saundrais. The following is from an earlier post we made on this subject (he may be pricier than the bus tours, but I believe he charges by the "van-full" so with 4 it could be comparable.)

""... [in 2016] Bertrand Saudrais (Executive D-Day Tours): excellent all-day tour, customized to your particular interests; picks you up/delivers you back to your hotel; running commentary supplemented with photos, maps, anecdotes; charming, humorous and thoughtful (suggested a carry-out lunch from cafe in Sainte-Mère-Église that we enjoyed while riding to the next stop -- not a wasted moment, all day). His website: http://www.executived-daytours.com/ (includes a button/link to TripAdvisor reviews.)""
I see you are from the US. Try to arrange to arrive at the American Cemetery in time for the daily flag-lowering/taps ceremony.

Jill,

One other possibility to consider. If you rent a larger car, you could arrange for a tour with Chris Emery at Visit DDay Tours. He will travel with you in the vehicle and provide an excellent tour that's more specifically tailored to your interests. You can contact him for details, but again this will have to be pre-booked well in advance.

We took the same route that you're planning a couple years ago. The ferry landed at Quistreham and there were buses waiting to transport passengers to the Caen railroad station, about 10 miles. The bus route follows along the Caen canal and the famous Pegasus Bridge, captured by British glider troops in the early hours of the D Day invasion. We had arranged a car at one of the 3 or 4 rental car agencies right across the street from the railroad station, collected that, and drove the 15 miles or so to Bayeux and the Churchill Hotel. We did take a D Day beaches tour that then started right behind the Churchill hotel, but like all tours, we only got a few minutes at some sights that we wanted to explore longer. We returned the next day with our car and spent hours at places we barely touched on the tour, namely the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach, and other spots. We did our own trip to Mont St. Michel, around 90 miles via a four lane motorway, leaving early and arriving just prior to opening hours and before the hordes on tour buses packed the place. About 90 minutes was plenty for us and we then drove around the bay to Cancale for a seafood lunch with MSM visible on the horizon. We returned to Bayeux on the back roads, drifting along and stopping at small villages to buy cheeses, meats, wine, and Calvados. We had our own GPS with European maps on it plus a Michelin road map and we had no problems at all. We are very glad we had our own car for the reasons listed above. Returning to the beaches and the small towns along them plus doing MSM ourselves, gave us the freedom to go when and where we wanted. You will regret not having your own transportation IMHO. You can return the car where you picked it up and catch the bus back to Quistreham to return to Portsmouth, you plan to take the ferry back. Good luck.

Thanks for all the input. It's been helpful towards making my final plans. We'll definitely take a guided tour but think I'll be renting a car too.