Family of 3 touring Normandy June 2020

We didn't rent a car, instead took a guided tour in a small van with Dale Booth. Pricey but worth it. We stayed in Bayeux, a charming town with a lovely cathedral and of course the famous tapestry. Correction: we did rent a car for one day from the only place in Bayeux, a gas station on the edge of town. Used it for a day trip to Honfleur.

Where does your ferry dock?

You will need a car to tour the D-Day sites since they are spread out across many miles. There are also gun emplacements that are a kilometer or 2 inland. Unless you are a student with an extensive knowledge of the invasion I would suggest hiring a tour guide to full appreciate the events of that day. If you are interested in Canadian sites then be sure to go to Dieppe to see where the raid of '42 took place. The Canadian cemetery is located outside of town with very little (2-3 cars) parking.

Didnt know there were cross channel ferries leaving from I of W???

As far as I am aware, there are no ferries from the Isle of Wight to anywhere in France.

We have been there twice and rented a car for both trips. IMO a car is necessary to visit all of the sites. We took the train from Paris, so we rented in Caen. Be aware that many rental agencies are not open on Sundays. I would suggest staying in Bayeux and can recommend Hotel Particulier Poppa. It's a beautiful B&B with wonderful hosts. They only have 4 rooms, so it books up quickly. We reserved it early enough that we were able to secure a reserved parking spot at the hotel.https://www.hotel-poppa.com/en/home/ On our first trip, we hired a private guide for a half day tour in order to get a good overview of the area before exploring on our own for the next several days. Sylvain Kast was our guide and I would highly recommend him! https://www.d-day-experience-tours.com/

I, too, highly recommend some sort of tour for one day. Dale Booth and Overlord are both highly recommended on this forum, and I believe there are other good providers. I know Overlord has a tour focused on Canadian sights (or maybe Canadian + British). I paid in the vicinity of 100 euros for my small-group (van) Overlord Tour in 2017. The tour will move you around far more efficiently than you could manage yourself, and the driver/guide will make the experience more meaningful. Otherwise, I would have been bored looking at sand and chunks of concrete. (Yes, I am assuming that no one in your group is an authority on the Normandy invasion. Apologies if I am incorrect--which I realize I may be in this case, because you are not allocating just 1 or 2 days for Normandy.)

Bayeux is probably the best base for a trip focused on the invasion sites. It also has some quality sightseeing opportunities right in town--the Cathedral, the Bayeux Tapestry and the historic center. There are several museums scattered around the area (including a very good one on the outskirts of Bayeux itself) that you can visit on your own with a rental car. The extremely large Peace Museum in Caen (which I liked but many people find too broad in its coverage, too time-consuming and too crowded) is accessible by public transportation from Bayeux. Otherwise, it's challenging to see the invasion-related sights via public transportation.

I thought the museum about civilian life during the war (which also covers Resistance activities) located in Falaise was very interesting. Unfortunately, the town of Falaise was basically obliterated during the war and is not itself very attractive (unlike Bayeux).

For seeing other aspects of Normandy, Bayeux is not a great base unless you'll have a car. Without a car, Caen (not otherwise particularly recommended) is more convenient. This includes visits to the museum in Falaise. Caen is also much, much better for trips along the cost to Cabourg, Deauville/Trouville or Honfleur. (The latter seems to be the most popular coastal spot to the east.)

There is a car-rental place in Bayeux but there are more options in Caen, which isn't far away.

rob,

As others have mentioned, I haven't found any direct Ferries from the Isle of Wight to Normandy. Could you provide more information on where in France you'll be arriving?

I'd suggest using Bayeux as a "home base" for touring that area as it's a wonderful and scenic city and also where many of the tours depart from. The Churchill Hotel is one option you could look at. Check the RS France guidebook for more hotel listings.

You might consider taking the Overlord Tours full day Canadian & British tour. Unfortunately that tour appears to miss many significant sites such as the Abbaye d'Ardenne and the Canadian cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer. If you're interested you could also take one of the full or half day tours of the American sites, which will cover locations from famous movies such as St. Mere Eglise. There are a lot of different tour firms operating in that area. Check the RS France guidebook for other possibilities. Be sure to book the tour online well in advance of your travel dates.

You might want to also allocate time to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry and visit the excellent WW-II Museum there.

You could rent a car for a day or two to get to sites of specific interest. There is a small car rental agency in Bayeux or take the short train ride to Caen for larger agencies. As I recall the staff at the Bayeux car rental only speak French. Note that an International Driver's Permit is highly advisable for driving in France. Those are used in conjunction with your home D.L. I've found that a GPS or at least a good Map are also really useful to have.

Good luck with your planning!

OP, I think you will first need to firm up your arrival details. I couldn't find any ferries between the Isle of Wight and France either. Wherever you arrive, I think you'll need to rent a car (get an IDP from your local CAA office before leaving home).

Bayeux is where most Americans stay when visiting the DDay beaches, and it is a lovely town with plenty of hotels and restaurants. As well as the museum already mentioned, and of course the Bayeux tapestry.

Many Canadians choose to stay in Courseulles-sur-Mer, where Juno beach is located. The Juno Beach Centre is there, and the Beny-sur-Mer cemetery is a few miles inland. The British Gold and Sword beaches are on either side. It's about 30 min drive from either Caen or Bayeux.

5 days will give you plenty of time to see the area. One day doing an organized bus tour is a good idea. Another day perhaps exploring the sites on your own by car (the Veterans Affairs website has sections devoted to museums, memorials, and war cemeteries in France). You could also drive out to Dieppe. It's easy to spend a whole day just in Bayeux. You might consider spending a day and night at Mont St Michel as well.