Extra 2 nights in France next week - more to Bayeux?

We were just in Bayeaux for 4 nights in August. We spent a day walking Bayeaux, taking in the town and the museums. However, the Bayeaux Tapestry Museum just closed for two years as of the end of September. We spent 1 day each at Arromanches and at the Utah/Omaha/Normandy beaches. We spent a day in Caen seeing the Chateau de Caen and the Caen War Memorial Museum. We didn't spend much other time in Caen, since we had a car and could drive out to the interesting Memorial Pegasus in Renville. However, Caen did look like a town worth spending a day walking around. We also saw Vieux La Romaine, a small roman ruin site and museum just outside Caen while traveling from Etretat to Bayeaux. Might be a little more accessible via transit than Renville. Also, we celebrated our anniversary at the Hôtel Le Lion d'Or et Restaurant (2 minute walk from the Hotel Churchill). We had an excellent meal. Good Travels.

pbscd,
When you arrive Monday is that in Paris? What are your plans for getting to Bayeux? If you are already in Paris, spend those days there. One can never get enough of Paris. If you decide against Paris, how about Honfleur for Monday and Tuesday night? Close to Bayeux and a nice little port town. There may be tours to Entretat.

Think about Honfleur, a beautiful little town with an ancient port surrounded by timbered houses.

Yes, flying into Paris, landing Monday late morning. Plan is taxi to Paris, train to Bayeux.

Thank you everyone for your ideas! I can't figure out an easy way to Hornfleur from Bayeux or vice versa. It looks like train to Caen then a very infrequent bus?

The manoir we have booked has availability Mon and Tues evening as well so that's probably our best option. With all the anxiety I've had about getting to the D Day tours on time, I think I'll feel better getting to Bayeux as soon as possible. We would then have 6 nights in Bayeux, 2 in Rouen, 3 in Paris before flying back to middle America.

Yes, I'm aware that the tapestry is off display. We definitely want to visit the cathedral and the Poppa statue (she's one of my ancestors...thank you older sister for researching our geneaology).

You should watch the weather closely because the tail of a huge storm (part of one of the hurricanes forming in the Caribbean) is scheduled to pass through Saturday to Sunday) just before you land. I'd rather be in a big city if the weather is rainy than in the provinces, especially Normandy. Here's the French national weather service website: https://meteofrance.com/

Thank you, Elizabeth. I saw that they were expecting rain over the weekend but I didn't know it was the tail end of the hurricane. I have lived through a major hurricane before and it was not fun.

I did click on the link and read that by Sunday, it would be much calmer. The Brits have named the storm Amy, but on the weather map last night we could see it as the tail of one of the Caribbean storms. Here's the link and you can use Google translate. https://meteofrance.com/actualites-et-dossiers/actualites/temps-perturbe-en-fin-de-semaine
It could be as calm as could be by the time you arrive. Fingers crossed for sunny days.

Go to Chartres. It's a great place to spend a couple nights.

You don't mention if you have a car, but if you do, consider driving to Mont St Michel, about 1.5 hours from Bayeux. Years ago, we drove there from Bayeux and spent the night on the island, and really enjoyed ourselves. Lots of fun watching the tide (marée) rolling in and great views from the ramparts. For me, this was a bucket list item like the D-Day beaches, not to be missed...
-Bruce

Thank you for the ideas. We won't have a car. We already have plans to visit Mont St Michel with Hotel Churchill.

6 nights feels like a long time in Bayeux without a car.
You could try Le Mans for your 2 extra nights, it has a fantastic old town and it is a fast train journey from Paris.
Le Mans to Bayeux is slower (long wait times for the connection in Caen...) but doable.

Rennes is another option, with a direct (slow) train to Bayeux afterwards, but I like the city a bit less.

Thank you balso

We do have 3 days pretty fully booked (2 full day D day liberation tours, and most of a day to Mont st Michel) if that makes it feel less long. The earliest we can get there is Monday evening and we'd have Tues and Wednesday to wander about, see monuments, cemetery, cathedral. The next Sunday morning we'll head to Rouen via train .

Just a quick update. I did just add them to Bayeux. We spent yesterday exploring Bayeux extensively..today train to Caen for the art museum, wm the conqueror's castle and grave and his wife queen Mathilde's grave. Great day!
The SNCF app or our bank is giving us trouble declining our payments at times .

Tomorrow and Friday all day with overlord.

Bayeux is very cool. walkable and a base to go to Normandy and Caen, which are a must!. We stayed at Le petite matin, small BB. highly recommend. We did many of the beaches which are something to see.
We stayed one night at MSM, the tour groups left but it was still noisy at night. We could not find a good place to eat there. It is something to see all lit up at night.

Thanks, well that part of our trip has passed but I'm planning on writing a report when I get home. We had 6 nights at manoir St Victoire and it was very nice. In Paris now wrapping up .