We have booked a tour with Bayeux Shuttle for the Normandy sights. We have tickets for a train from the Gare St. Lazare to Caen and then a transfer to a train from Caen to Bayeux. We have an 11 minute stop-over in Caen. Can anyone tell me which platform we should go to in the Gare St. Lazare for the Caen link? Also which platform in Caen will be the one for the Bayeux link and can we get there with 11 minutes, assuming the Paris train is on time? Are the trains form Paris usually on time?
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3691 posts
"Can anyone tell me which platform we should go to in the Gare St. Lazare for the Caen link"? Not really, that will be announced around 20 minutes before the train leaves. Gare St-Lazare can be a little confusing the first time through so give yourself enough time to figure out the layout of the station. There is a big board that updates as tracks are assigned and trains arrive and depart. That board usually has the platform listed about 20 minutes before departure.
"Also which platform in Caen will be the one for the Bayeux link and can we get there with 11 minutes, assuming the Paris train is on time?" Eleven minutes is enough time. I have not been to Caen since 2011 but I don't remember the station as being a big one.
"Are the trains form Paris usually on time?" I have taken the train in France hundreds of time and one or two have been late but never by more that 5 minutes, but that is anecdotal evidence.
Posted by
PA
2739 posts
We were in the Caen station his week. It is small, and you should need no more than 2 minutes to leave your train, check the board, and come up to the correct platform. I am wondering why you did not book the direct train which has one stop only, in Caen.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32202 posts
Dennis,
Are you staying in Bayeux for a night or two, or just there for a day trip? If a day trip, I assume the tour firm will pick you up at the station. If you're staying for a night or two, use a Taxi from the station to your hotel. As I recall, the station is a bit "distant" from the main part of town.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32202 posts
Ray,
I'm not exactly "mobility challenged" but I'm in my '60s with the usual "aches & pains" that come with the age, so find it much more convenient to use a Taxi when arriving in a new and unfamiliar town with luggage. I probably could walk from the station to central Bayeux, but prefer to use an easier approach. YMMV.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4044 posts
Here is a link to a short illustrated guide to Paris St-Lazare:
http://parisbytrain.com/gare-saint-lazare-train-station-photo-guide/
Ben's blog is useful for many aspects of travel in and around Paris.
The Calvados station in Caen is small enough that you should be comfortable making your transfer. If you miss it, another will come along fairly soon. Taxis stand outside the station and the ride is 30-45 minutes to Bayeux. Yes it is unfortunate that you did not book for a through train but this route has had variable schedules for several years, due (others report) to maintenance upgrades.