Getting to Caen, Rouen, and Honfleur from Bayeux via public transportation

Unfortunately, this is an area that doesn't lend itself to public transportation easily. Bayeux to Caen is easy—it is a 15-minute train. However, that drops you off at the train station which isn't near much to visit.* Going beyond Caen to Rouen becomes an almost 3-hour total train trip (it is easier to get to either of these places from Paris). I don't think there is a train to Honfleur, but there is an hour+ bus from Caen to Honfleur. Personally, I can't imagine visiting this area without a car. But one helpful web site to see/compare options is:

https://www.rome2rio.com/

• If you are interested in the Caen Peace Memorial, that is on the other side of the city—although they may operate shuttles themselves. While touted for years by Rick Steves, I found that "museum" one of the least worthwhile in my many trips to Normandy.

Good luck!

I liked the Peace Museum in Caedln, but it doesn't confine itself to the invasion or WWII, so it is large and time-consuming to visit. If you aren't interested in spending the better part of a day in a museum, the smaller but modern and very good museum in Bayeux is probably a better choice.

Though convenient for taking a van-tour of the invasion sites and for the quick hop to Caen, Bayeux just isn't a good base for car-less travelers in Normandy. Caen, though less attractive, is a major train and bus hub. I was dependent on trains and buses myself, and I opted to spend several nights in each of Bayeux, Caen and Rouen.

I don't think traveling to Rouen by taxi from either Bayeux or Caen would be affordable. The distance is considerable, and you'd have to pay for the round-trip. Honfleur might be somewhat less.

I don't know whether Bayeux has local buses. The town is generally walkable except that the museum is not in the center. Same for Honfleur.

Caen has city buses, including service to the Peace Museum, though I don't know how frequently they run on weekends.

Rouen has city buses.

City buses are usually cheap enough that travelers don't give much thought to the cost.

Train schedules and fares are available from the SNCF website. For bus schedules I generally just Google something like bus Caen to Honfleur.

To do any of there trips, you'll need to take the train from Bayeux to Caen.

If you want to visit the Caen Mémorial museum (which I found fascinating), there is a simple tram & bus connection from the train station that will get you there in 30 minutes--but it doesn't work on Sundays (see https://www.twisto.fr, use Google Translate if you don't know French). A taxi will cost you about €20 one-way but might make sense for a family.

There are buses from the Caen train station to Honfleur, but most of them are very slow, taking two hours. There's a fast bus (#39) that only takes one hour, but it only runs five times a day in summer and there's fewer on Sundays and off-season (see https://www.busverts.fr/).

You can take trains from Bayeux to Rouen but you'll need to transfer in Caen and it will take 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Bon voyage!

Hi,
Both Rouen and Honfleur take about 2 hours each way, so they're long day trips. Also, with 4 nights you only have three days, so you might have to choose between the three places if you also want to visit the D-Day beaches.
I would prioritize Caen for the memorial, and Honfleur. The bus timetable from Caen to Honfleur is here: https://www.busverts.fr/594-Horaires-periode-d-ete-du-07-juillet-au-1er-septembre-inclus.html ; you need to take the train from Bayeux to reach Caen. Honfleur is small, so might not warrant a full day: if you take the 8.30am bus from Caen, it's reasonable to aim to leave with the 2.54pm from Honfleur.

If the prospect of taking a train followed by a bus scares you, Rouen is train all the way, and it's a beautiful city. Central Rouen is one "metro" stop from the station, or you can walk down.