We are flying into Paris and have our first four nights already booked in Bayeux. We then have three nights before the plan is to go to Paris for five nights. The plan is to rent a car at CDG for the Normandy part of our trip. 1st question, should we return the car to CDG and then find our way to our Paris accommodation? Or return it somewhere else and train back?
Secondly what sites can we comfortably see from Bayeux and what should we save for our open three nights? Suggestions for where to stay for those three nights. Want to see Vimy Ridge and open to other suggestions. Have considered taking the Calais ferry to Dover for a day. Good idea or no?
We can also possibly extend our Bayeux stay by one night and limit our other nights to two before going to Paris.
Once in Paris I've been so consumed and confused by where to stay. Which Arrond., hotel or airbnb. I was in Paris quite a few years ago and stayed in the 15th. I liked it there and am torn between staying where I have experience or trying somewhere new. We stayed there in 2005 due to the cost savings but really found it easy to get everywhere from there.
So yes, lots of questions and input/advice welcomed on so many points. We are Canadian so the WWI and WWII sites we are interested in pertain mostly to those associated with Canadians.
Thanks
P.s originally we considered going to the south in between Bayeux and Paris but decided that would probably be too rushed. Also considered the Loire. Advice from expert France travellers - can we comfortable see all that Normandy, Paris and the south has to offer in 2 weeks? or should we limit ourselves to Paris, Normandy and the Vimy Ridge area (Calais?)
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi,
You do need a car in order to get out to Vimy, where the Canadian Monument is located. The last time I saw it was in 2009. Vimy is a bit more than 2 hrs north of Paris, the nearest city is Arras, which was the British General HQ in WW1. To drive from Arras to Vimy you go through Neuville St Vaast.
If you're thinking whether you can see Vimy as a day trip from Paris, logistically it's doable if you leave early, say 1030 the latest. Count on driving 4 plus hrs, Paris to Arras, r/t. then on the country road to Vimy, where at Vimy 2 hrs or so, depending you decide on a tour. I would suggest staying the night. I like Arras as a city, have walked all over, have been there numerous times.
The city hall in the Arras town square is also the location of the Tourist Information, lots of brochures and info on WW1 sites/memorials.
The poignant WW2 memorial to the Canadians is at Dieppe because of the failed raid in 1942. The planners for D-Day learned a lot from Dieppe event as an amphibious operation.
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
part 2...
Hi,
There is also the train option, a bit pricey considering the short ride from Paris Nord to Arras r/t on the TGV, 40 mins Left of the station is the car rental. Get the rental car to drive out to Vimy on the country road.
Posted by
OP
58 posts
we aren't planning on doing Vimy as a daytrip from Paris. I guess I rambled with too many question so wasn't very clear in my original questions...sorry.
We are going to be in Bayeux for 4 nights and then have three nights to fill before we head to Paris for 5 nights. So from Bayeux wondering where is a good place to stay to see the more Northern sites and if three nights is too many. Should we add more time to Paris or do less and hit up another region such as the Loire or open to other suggestions.
Posted by
Washington DC
28085 posts
France is a very large country, with wonderful destinations in all regions. There's plenty to see in Normandy and western Brittany to take up all your time before Paris; you don't need to go farther afield to fill your time. I'd recommend one of the D-Day tours rather than just driving around. You'll see a lot more. Overlord Tours has an offering that focuses on Canadian activities (or perhaps it's Canadian + British?). That will be a lot more efficient than trying to do it yourself. Many of the tours originate in Bayeux. At least some of them use vans, so you're not on a big-bus tour.
There are many good WWII-related museums in Normandy. Bayeux has a good one. I like the huge Peace Museum in Caen, but some others find it overwhelming. Falaise (otherwise not an interesting place) has a good museum focusing on civilian life during the war. There's an Airborne museum at St-Mere-Eglise.
Otherwise, I recommend picking up a comprehensive guide book that covers northern France so you can read about the many possible destinations and select the ones that seem most appealing to you.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33846 posts
foot passengers are not welcomed on many Dover-Calais ferries (and when they are it is a real pain in both Calais and Dover), taking a rental car on a ferry is usually prohibited by the rental company - check - and fairly expensive unless you get a deal, Dover is a pit, but the cliffs are decent from 5 or 6 miles out.
If the ferry is just for the LOLs fine, but as said in other posts above there is plenty in France and nearby Belgium to be getting on with.
Would that be your first (or only) trip to England?
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4088 posts
Vimy, as you know or can see here, is a long way from Normandy. Arras, the city nearest the battlefield, is at least four hours drive. I've done the short train ride to Arras from Paris a couple of time; easy, with hotels across the square from the station. Why bother renting a car? Any Arras taxi driver knows the 10-kilometre route, and will want to pick you up for the return too. For the Normandy beaches, I prefer Caen because it is bigger and has more options for accommodation and dining, plus an interesting history of its own (home to William the Conqueror). The suggestion to find a Commonwealth-oriented tour is apt; it will probably spend some time explaining the intense tank battles of the nearby Falaise Pocket where Canada was deeply involved. And do take the full day tour, which will teach you far more than you can pick up on your own. Absolutely worth the substantial cost. Train to and from Paris would be my choice. It is easier to rent a car in Caen to explore elsewhere in Normandy. PS: The Canadian government maintains a substantial website on battlefields and graveyards, including the impressive new interpretive centre at Vimy. Get there early enough to tour the tunnels.
Posted by
OP
58 posts
Great help and suggestions so far. I already have our accomodation booked in Bayeux so that part is set.
Thanks for the suggestion to train to Caen and rent a car there - will look into that.
We will have a car in Vimy area as we will go from Bayeux to that area and then back to Paris and end our trip in Paris.
For sure we will book a full day tour from Bayeux (looking at Overlord). Thinking of driving to Mont St Michel ourselves and then possibly taking another day to do our own thing, maybe see some areas from our tour that we want to spend more time at or do others. Even though we are Canadian have been told that seeing the American cemetary is is a must.
The Ferry info is great - maybe that one wasn't such a good idea. We have never been to England so maybe we should take a pass on the ferry - I didn't realize it wasn't a foot passenger friendly idea.
This is a great forum with so much knowledge to be shared. Thank you all
Still looking for more though :).
Specific names of places to stay when we are in the more northern part of France and Paris accomodation. Its just plain overwhelming....so many options, so many areas.
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2087 posts
Some 50km south of Vimy the site of Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is to my opinion worth a visit too. There is also a visitor centre.
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/overseas/first-world-war/france/beaumonthamel
In the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer is an overview of the Canadien military operations during WWII. The task after the landing in Normandy was clearing the ports along the Atlantic and southern part of the North Sea coast. In many places you will find small memorials or commemorative stones, like we have here along the southwest coast of the Netherlands and Belgium. But you will need info from the local TI to know where they are or guess the JB Centre can help you.
Posted by
Washington DC
28085 posts
Another thing about Channel ferries: I have made two separate trips to the Channel Islands, requiring use of 5 ferries. They are very large ships, I assume similar to those making the Dover run. Two of my five planned ferries (in two different years) were canceled; one of my anticipated 2017 ferries didn't run for three days. I don't know whether time of year matters (I was traveling in the summer), but the Channel ferries have proved very unreliable means of transportation for me, and I would never recommend them for travelers who don't have a great deal of time to play with.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5436 posts
You've gotten some good advice so far. Taking the train to Caen is wise, since driving from Paris on your arrival day, when impaired by jet lag is not a good thing.
You could fill several days touring the various sites around Bayeux and the DDay beaches. If you're going to take an organized tour, make sure it's one that concentrates on the Commonwealth landings. DH has long been a student of Canadian military history, so we explored on our own (by car, of course). Juno beach centered on Courseilles sur Mer, so that's where we stayed. (the Canadian War Cemetery at Beny sur Mer is close by) and the Juno Beach Center is very worthwhile . Try to visit further east as well, to see the British Sword beach area and the Pegasus bridge.
Arras would be a good place to base yourself for your visits to Vimy Ridge and Baumont Hamel. It's not that long a drive from there to the Passchendaele memorials, either. On your way up to Arras from Bayeux, you might want to stop off in Dieppe. The contrasts between Juno and Dieppe beaches really explain a lot.
An excellent resource for planning visits to Canadian WWI and WWII
memorials and cemeteries is here:. http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/overseas
Finding a place to stay in Paris need not be difficult. Use a site like Booking.com and use their filters to help narrow your choices. As long as you're fairly central and within a block or 2 if a metro line, you're good. We like the Latin Quarter. I'd recommend dropping the car at an airport and taking a taxi to your hotel. Or taking the RER, if you're packing light. I HATE having to drive in Paris.
Sounds like you're going to have a great vacation!