My wife and I will be visiting Normandy for five days in late April with Bayeux as our base. We have booked a train from Paris to Bayeux. The trip will take only two hours and 17 minutes, and the fare is quite reasonable, about $17.00 U.S. per person. So far, so good. But we are having difficuly with our retun from Bayeux. We want to take the train from Bayeux to Paris then the TGV later that day to Avignon. But the trains from Bayeux to Paris are listed as taking five and a half hours, and the fares are about $90 U.S. per person. Plus, the lengthy trip to Paris will preclude an afternoon connection to the TGV to Avignon. Is there some reason why the return trip from Bayeux to Paris takes so much longer and is so much more expensive? (I have checked multiple booking sites, and the same issue arises on all of them.) Also, is there an alternative route from Bayeux to Avignon? Or is it best to take the trip from Bayeux to Paris, then spend the night in Paris and take the TGV the next day? Thanks for any suggestions.
Posted by
Green Bay
21155 posts
In France, all railroads lead to Paris. So you will have to take the No 14 Metro to Gare de Lyon from Gare St Lazare to get a TGV to Avignon. Prices vary according to demand. If it's a weekend, could be high, and if a holiday weekend, more expensive.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Which day is this Gary? I checked the SNCF site and notice there is some track construction going on. Could be that the day you are planning to travel back to Paris, the regular route will be closed with a bus detour or something like that. Otherwise, there's no reason for the return trip to be slower than the outbound or more expensive (unless it's a holiday or something).
There may also be buses e.g. FlixBus from Caen to Paris.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
Have you considered keeping your rental car and just driving to Paris? Or to a town right outside Paris, like St Germain-en-Laye which has many car rental companies, and taking the RER into Paris and RER/Métro to Gare de Lyon? It’s an easy drive from Bayeux.
Posted by
Green Bay
21155 posts
Yes, looking at Saturday April 25, they show Bayeux to Caen to Argentan to Paris Montparnasse. A very round about way to Paris. Weekend track work is obviously shutting down the direct rail link to Paris St Lazare. Maybe time to adjust your itinerary.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
Consider flying from Paris Orly to Avignon. It should be about 50 euro on Air France and take an hour.
I would say consider flying Normandy to Avignon but you've already booked your train ticket back to Paris.
Posted by
Queens, NYC
571 posts
Brad, what do you mean when you say to fly from Orly to Avignon? The airport actually called Avignon airport does not have flights to any other airport in France (only to Birmingham and Southampton).
Do you mean Marseille airport?
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1227 posts
I don't know why, but for some reason, SNCF initially only lists arcane, non-direct routes to/from Bayeux when you are a long way out. As the days get closer, they then list the direct trains. I'd check back in a few weeks.
Posted by
OP
Ashland, Oregon, USA
8 posts
Thanks so much for all the helpful responses. I think I can now find a solution.
Posted by
Philadelphia area
97 posts
Gary, I had the same exact problem last year. About 5 weeks before my trip, the schedule of trains from Bayeux to Paris all of a sudden had a lot of 2+ hour options instead of the 5 hour option. Hopefully you will have the same experience. Keep checking the SNCF website.
See my post below and enjoy your trip. Bayeux is a wonderful little town.