How to get to Normandy

Use Bahn.de, not RailEurope, to find train routes.

Our you could take a WW2-themed Road Scholar tour:

http://www.roadscholar.org/n/program/summary.aspx?ID=1%2D12QEVO&MC=

Coach from Paris to Caen and then Honfleur, boat back to Paris. My aunt And uncle did this and loved it.

On the DB Bahn website (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en) I produced a sample trip this July with just two changes: Munich hbf to Stuttgart hbf via ICE, 10:28-12:47, then to Paris Est via TGV 12:55-16:35, and switch to Paris St Lazare for the 17:45 train arriving in Caen at 19:53 (or Bayeux about 15 minutes later, Caen should be the only stop on that line).The transfer between Est and St. Lazare should take under 30 minutes via Metro, or cab. There is also a train from St. Lazare at 18:10 arriving Bayeux at 20:16, allowing 95 minutes to transfer in Paris.These can also be found on the French national train site, SNCF. Since these are shown in one listing, they would be a legal ticket wherein they expect that the connections are easily made.

You have no choice but to make this transfer of train stations in Paris, as the trains that go to Normandy all depart St. Lazare, which does not handle incoming International routes. The train between St. Lazare and Bayeux/Caen is a regular route and runs 7 or 8 times daily.

Right now looks like this would be 119 Euro on the SNCF site; if you were to leave Munich on the 6:25 AM direct train to Paris Est this is shown as 70 Euro currently.

Thanks, I wondered if I had the wrong website. I'll run routes and prices.

How about flights? Has anyone done that yet? Again, I doubt I had he correct websites.

Oh, as for pre-packaged tours, I will look but at is point we'd rather wing it ourselves. Adds to the adventure!

You can't get beyond Bayeux or Caen, to the beaches themselves, without being on a tour or having a rental car.

We had planned on renting a car in Caen.

You should check out www.seat61.com for train tips across Europe. You should easily get to Paris and then a 2 hour train trip to Caen to fetch your rental car. Rental agencies are right across the street from the Caen RR station. It's about 15 miles to Bayeux, which is the center of jumping off for tours and access to the D Day beaches and museums. We always take the train from Paris to Caen, roam around France for 10 nights or so, and return the car to Caen and take the train back to Paris. It's a no hassle adventure with your own car, a full tank of gazol and Normandie and Brittany waiting to be explored. BTW, it's about 90 miles to Mont St. Michel from Bayeux on a 4-lane motorway, an easy day trip. Send me a PM if you want some suggestions about marvelous B&B's around Bayeux.

Just another thought on your options. Checking on Skyscaner, I find that you can get a direct flight from Munich to CDG via Lufthansa, 95 minutes, several times a day. Trick is the price is exorbitant as a one-way, but only $127 as a round trip, and you can miss your return flight. From CDG, Rome2Rio says the transfer to St. Lazare takes 45 minutes via Metro, and as noted you have several options for the train to Caen (15 Euro, all the Bayeux trains stop in Caen). Or, since you are renting a car in Caen you could simply rent it at CDG and drive directly. I see your line about driving out of Paris. I believe if you search through the postings here, you should find several reliable posters who have noted that the drive out of CDG is not much of a hassle.

The reason I suggest the Lufthansa direct is that all the various budget flights that you could get a proper one-way ticket for are all two leg flights through out of the way connections that will take a lot longer than the train from Munich

I've been trying to find a budget carrier out of Münich to Paris or Caen, etc. I can't seem to find anyone. Does anyone know if the budget guys do that route. Thanks.

there is no 'main train station' in Paris; the stations all serve different parts of the country and neighboring countries. e.g. trains from Italy come in at Bercy; trains from London and Amsterdam come into Gare du Nord. Normandy trains come and go from St. Lazare.

Never use Eurorail which is a middleman designed to hose American tourists into paying more for travel while providing less information on available trains. Try Captaine train and see if you get more useful information.

YOu get much cheaper tickets if booked early. We paid 15 Euro booking 3 mos ahead from Paris to Caen.

Fantastic advice! Thanks.

Yes, as Janet pointed out, there is no "main train station" in Paris. I have a map that lists 7 main train stations in Paris.

Re any Munich to Paris budget flights. Looking at whichbudget.com, it seems there is one viable possibility for you. A one way direct flight via Air France shows for this June and July. But -this is well over $200/ticket. Unless: they show a few of these as "economy-mini" for about $55. Non-refundable, non-changeable, and checked baggage costs more (1 standard hand item to 26 pounds). And these are only mid-afternoon to later evening flights., and only Monday through Wednesday. As long as the regular Paris-Bayeux line has not been shut by trackwork there should be a sufficiently late train you can make and get to Caen around 11PM. Seems like a lot of variables here to try this, and just as much work as a pair of trains.