London and Normandy WW2 history itinerary help

If you rent a car in Rouen, be sure to check the opening times of the rental agency.
I would skip MSM this trip and spend the night in Rouen. Day 3 sounds like a lot.

If I were doing your trip I'd make two changes, one small and one big. The time of the year you are travelling MSM probably won't be as crowded as it is during the height of the summer. That said I'd still suggest doing what RS says in his guidebooks, arrive at MSM in late afternoon as daytrippers are leaving. I'd spend the day exploring the countryside and doing the cider tasting as well as visiting other sights in Normandy, then check into your hotel across the bridge from MSM and go visit. MSM doesn't take a full day, 2-3 hours is plenty. By staying there you overnite you get to see it lit up at night which is spectacular.

Second, I'd drop London. Save it for another trip since your focus sounds like Normandy. A 7-day trip is short and you're spending a good part of 2 of those days arriving and departing London. I'd fly into Paris, see the museum and pick up a car in Caen, go to Bayeux. The RS book covers Normandy although I'd recommend the Michelin Green guide instead. Plenty of things to see/do in Normandy. Oysters in Cancale, St. Malo & Dinard, Rennes is a hidden gem of a city, Dinan is a wonderful town, etc

As for a car, you definitely need one in a rural area like Normandy. And a GPS; either a data plan that lets your phone work or your own Garmin or equivalent.

I'd say your plan is ambitious, but doable. However, if you are passionate about about WWII history, you may want to spend another day in the Bayeux area. You could just as easily take a train to Bayeux or Caen and rent a car there. Your day three is flat out given your plan and given the realities of getting to the train as early as required, getting from the train station it arrives in and over to Gare Saint-Lazare (from which you need to pick up a train to Normandy). Plus adding visiting Rouen, driving to Bayeux, etc. This is your most difficult day. As much as I love Mont-Saint-Michel and Rouen, they really have almost nothing really to do with WWII. And there is so much else to see in Normandy relative to D-day. I typically spend 5–7 days there and I go every couple of years. Like you, I have a very deep interest in and appreciation for WWII and The Battle of Normandy. But if you have other travelers with different interests, you may need to appease them, and MSM is wonderful. I personally think the Churchill war rooms are fascinating given your interest, and there is a real human element to life in London during the war that may appeal to others in your group with less interest in WWII itself. But adding London does add a lot to the trip to do two major cities/countries. I have never visited the HMS Belfast, but I plan to in the future. However, on my next trip to the UK, I intend to visit Southampton—which was one of the embarkation points for D-day and has many sights to offer. Of course, this would be even more ambitious for this trip. Perhaps you should break things into this and a future trip? Feel free to PM me with any specific Normandy questions.

I agree with Bill. Unless you've already purchased your plane tickets in to London/out of Paris, I'd set London aside this time and just fly in/out of Paris. There is a very good WWII section in the Army Museum in Paris as well as the free Liberation and Resistance Museum that is awesome. Some of the explanations are in French only but there is enough with English translations that I can manage without any French. There is an excellent walking tour on Sundays, usually, by Paris Walks on the Occupation in Paris. There are also multiple plaques on walls around the Seine and elsewhere as memorials to the fallen who fought for the Liberation of Paris.

One good example is right outside the Concorde Metro exit for Jeu de Paume. Here is a street view look. The niches in the wall behind the woman in the pinkish skirt are memorials to resistance fighters.

https://goo.gl/maps/jvALECntqUa6Qcmi8

For the Normandy area, I'd consider a guide for 2 days. First to do the US landing points of Utah, Omaha and Point du Hoc as well as Sainte-Mere-Eglise and perhaps Angouville-au-Plain and get the whole set up including where the Germans flooded the low-lying area behind Utah, etc. Then do the next day with the Mulberry Harbor at Arromanches, the batteries at Longue-sur-Mer, Pegasus Bridge and further on to the other landing beaches of Gold, Juno and Sword. I'd suggest Dale Booth if he is available. He can tailor your tour to your interests - Infantry, Paratroopers, Air, etc.

You've probably watched The Longest Day a number of times but I recommend you watch it again right before you travel. You'll be astonished when you get to Pegasus Bridge as to how close they came to their target with those dang gliders.

I think this is probably your first exploration and I think you are being tempted to cover too much territory.

BTW, if you happen to stop at Giverny, (Monet's home) there is a touching memorial in the church cemetery where he is buried. It's to the crew of a Lancaster Bomber who was shot down on maybe June 7 or 8 near Giverny. The memorial stone includes the mangled propeller from the plane.

Also, if you do stay in Paris for a few days, there is a restaurant between Les Invalides/Army Museum and the Ecole Militaire (military school where Napoleon went) that was used by the resistance in WWII. There were German troops station at both locations and they met at this cafe and were eavesdropped on by the Resistance workers who staffed the restaurant.

https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/where-to-eat-in-paris/restaurant/articles/282172-chef-frederic-vardon-takes-over-cafe-max-high-place-of-the-french-resistance

When you plan London, you can add time in addition to seeing the Churchill War Rooms which are amazing, but also the Imperial War Museum and if you are a fan of tanks or airplanes, one of the specialty museums for them. Battle of Britain Museum in Hawkinge near Canterbury is one I want to see. I've seen the memorial to the Battle of Britain at Dover and it is very poignant with the pilot looking out across the English Channel.

because you only have one day in London - don't count on much of any significance on your arrival day - your day two is way overloaded, especially as you are early to bed for a very early day 3.

You're proposing Churchill War rooms, HMS Belfast, Possible WW2 walking tour, Tower of London.

I'd expect 3 hours for the Churchill War rooms for a person who has as much interest as you, at least 3 hours at the Tower of London, when I visited HMS Belfast a few years ago (I have interest but not as much as you) I was there at least 2 hours but I think a full half day there. There are a lot of stairs and lots to see.

I'd definitely add half a day or more to visit Imperial War Museum. And 2 or 3 hours for Hendon RAF museum. And if you had a day for Cambridge several hours for the amazing museums at IWM Duxford including the American Air Museum. If you had more time you pay your respects at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial where there are the graves of many fallen servicemen of WW-II from all branches of the services - and a huge memorial wall of the missing. One of my favourite places to link with those heroes and where I visit frequently.

What I'm trying to say is I don't really think that such a short visit to this side of the pond allows time for both Normandy and London. Much as it pains me to say so I'd suggest giving the whole time to one or the other, and since most of your time is in Normandy I'd drop London.

Come back to England on another trip.

At the risk of adding more choices, I don't think I saw the WWII museum in London on any lists. Apologies if I missed it!.

In any case it is world class (as is the one in New Orleans).

Maybe it would be best to stick to France for this trip, if Normandy is your core interest. Mont St. Michel itself can be experienced in several hours; though staying overnight is magical.

Is this your first time to Paris? If so, IMHO, I'd walk around a lot. Versailles, while indeed spectacular, may not be worth missing Paris - whether museums, vistas, a seine river 1 hr cruise, restos, etc. If you do go to Versailles (and the top Paris museums and Eiffel tower), you must noodle around RS' site and the web to see how to enter efficiently, to see if there are timed tickets, etc, etc. Check out the museum pass (official one) if you are there for two days. It might be worth it for museums and Versailles (if my memory serves me right), as it may save money if you tour with the aim of several museums a day. But perhaps more important: it provides for line cutting at many museums. This only matters at some of the top museums (Louvre, Orsay, etc), but it's also a miracle. How well it works since 2020 is ever evolving and there may be timed tickets, or lines to reduce Covid that can't be skipped, etc. Research now = time saved later! Bottom line: what ever you and for however long you go will be fantastic!

Thank you all for your insight and recommendations! We are now planning to set aside London for another time, and fly into/out of Paris. New tentative itinerary:
Day 1-3: Paris. Want to allow some leniency for jet lag! See the Army Museum, Eiffel tower, Louvre, RS walking tour, etc. Not all WW2 history but we've never been to Paris. Hopefully can do Versailles a half day. We plan to purchase skip-the-line tours and use RS advice as much as possible.
Day 4: Train to Caen, see the WW2 museum. Pick up rental car and head to Bayeux
Day 5: D-day beaches, probably with private guide
Day 6: More D-day beaches, museums, etc. Bayeux tapestry at some point.
Day 7: Enjoy the countryside making our way to MSM. Tour in the afternoon, stay overnight.
Day 8: Head back to Paris and likely fly home that afternoon.

Sound more reasonable? Any other recommendations? Could consider spending less time in Paris in favor of the countryside as recommended, but since we've never been it's hard to cut things out!
Follow up question- is Honfluer worth a visit if we have time? I know there isn't as much WW2 history here, but RS ranks it very highly

Sorry if someone else pointed this out, but a car is completely unnecessary for Versailles. There is a walk from the RER train station to the palace, but it's not bad, and very level. A car in Paris and the immediate suburbs is a hindrance, not a convenience. (A car is very convenient for your plans outside Paris. Some people say it's easy to park inside Bayeux, but we happened to stay outside town, at a place with plenty of parking.

It is also possible to see Giverny by public transportation, but we rented bikes to get from the train station to Giverny.

This sounds much more reasonable. The only thing that stands out is you say "Train to Caen, see the "WWII Museum." If you mean the museum in Caen, it is not just about WWII, and I personally think it is a waste of time. There are many more important museums IMHO. Including the one right in Bayeux on the Periphery road, which indeed is specifically about the battle of Normandy. If it were me, I would pick up the car in Caen, drive to Bayeux and see the museum there. If you had more time, I would highly recommend going to Utah Beach to see the excellent museum there—which is one of my favorites. Enjoy your trip!

Day 1-3: Paris.RS walking tour, etc. Not all WW2 history but we've never been to Paris. Hopefully can do Versailles a half day.
Sound more reasonable? Any other recommendations? Could consider spending less time in Paris in favor of the countryside as recommended, but since we've never been it's hard to cut things out!
Follow up question- is Honfluer worth a visit if we have time?

This sounds much more reasonable but I'd still recommend a few changes. I'd take a day away from Paris, my thinking is the following: it's much easier to spend an extra day or two in Paris on a future trip than it's going to be to do the same in Normandy. If the future brings you literally within a 3-hour train ride of Paris you can just fly into or out of Paris, tack on some days in Paris, and see some of the things you didn't get to this time around.

Versailles is nice but you have to ask yourself: is it worth the time it will take to see or as first-timers in Paris would you rather see two or three other sights instead? Answers will differ.

As for the RS walking tours either out of the book or via audio, they're fine but IMO you're much better off taking a few of the Paris Walks tours. As many of them as you can fit in, actually. See https://www.paris-walks.com/index_m.html

Honfleur is a beautiful town on the water, so if it fits I'd recommend it. One example trip would be to get the car in Caen, drive to Honfleur, lunch, then drive to nearby Trouville/Deauville if it isn't raining and visit the towns where some famous Impressionist paintings were done. End the afternoon when you check into your hotel in Bayeux.

I agree with Phil regarding the museum in Caen. It's the Peace Museum and while it has some WWII stuff that's not the focus. IF you do decide to include it anyway, I'd be sure to go down into the German Bunker under the building.

They also have some twisted girders from the Twin Towers.

Your new plan looks much better.

If you do Versailles, I'd do it on one of your Paris days and head out there first thing in the AM on the RER train. Then you may be able to do something in the afternoon although the last time I went to Versailles I went first thing in the AM and didn't leave until about 6PM. There is a lot to see. I'd also agree with deciding if this is really a venue you want to visit or are you going because you think you should.

And you realize you'll be leaving on Day "0" to arrive on Day 1, right?

Note that revised Day 8 is (I mean this politely ... ) a bit careless. It is a long drive, with plenty of potential unknowns-traffic, construction, fires, strikes, terrorism, you name it, just as if you were in the U.S. This is not an underdeloped country where you have one of the few cars in use! You must be in line to check in three hours before your flight departure time. If you have Coach tickets, that line will be very long.

Have you looked at Google Maps yet? Even if you were in Bayeux this would be questionable. But from MSM it's a long way. Have you been to Europe before?

Tim, I have not been to mainland Europe...google maps says 4 hours from MSM to the airport. I was concerned with coming back in to Paris and having the rental car, that this will take longer than expected. Agreed there are a lot of variables that day and ultimately it would depend on what flight times we find. I considered another night in Paris at the end of the trip, then fly out. Clearly I haven't hashed this part out as well!
Thank you all about the advice on the Caen museum, I had wanted to go to some of the smaller museums around the beaches so I'll plan to prioritize those!

Pam, yes my day 1 is having landed in Paris that morning. I have heard you can easily spend the whole day in Versailles! I have heard it's beautiful and worth a trip, so I suppose it's one I want to visit, and feel like I should! Since we have so few days to dedicate to the Paris area, it's difficult to decide what we want to prioritize- I agree with the previous poster who said to decrease a day in Paris and focus more on Normandy...since Paris is easier to go back to! If only I had unlimited time for this trip!

Car rental-I suppose it is easier in Caen, but Bayeux has car rental, although just through Hertz. Our Normandy plan this fall is train from Bordeaux through Paris (changes stations) to Bayeux. We have more time than you do, but will rent the car once there to do some travel around the area once we’ve done our 2 day tours.

Caen/Bayeux car rental - just to say that the companies are right at the station in Caen and the Hertz location (just the one company so no competition) is at a filling station outside of town.

I like your revised plan much better - I think you have made good decisions.

Instead of paying a tour company to get you into places you can buy your own online tickets easier and faster and for WAY less money which also skip the ticket buying line. Everybody, regardless of tour or not, goes through the security line - nobody skips it. What else do they get you?

There is an excellent museum on the beach at Arromanches-les-Bains just near Bayeux. Gold Beach. This is where the Mulberry floating harbours were brought over and used to create an artificial harbour to bring trucks, tanks and all sorts ashore in the immediate aftermath of D-Day. The museum is world quality, but small, and includes a working model of the harbour complete with water. There are still several components of the harbour just offshore, very easy to see.

Unless you really want to visit Rouen, I would take the train from Paris to Bayeux and rent a car there. We are doing the same in late May. Our trip is 12 days with London, Normandy and Paris. A car is a must in the Normandy region. MSM is a two-hour drive from Bayeux so a day trip would take most of the day. I agree with the comment that you might want to drop London and make that a separate trip.

Make sure you are aware of any rail station transfers needed in Paris - haven't been on this itinerary in a long time. I think you already know that a car is completely unnecessary for Versailles, almost a hindrance.

If you get free time on your second day of Normandy, consider visiting the Abbey D'Ardenne. It's right by the village of Authie (a few miles outside of Caen). That was my home base in 2018. The Abbey takes less than an hour to visit, the village commemorates the Canadian sacrifices made there. There even are small British and Canadian cemeteries nearby. Read about the massacre at the Abbey.

The Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise, Pegasus Bridge Museum, Angoville-Au-Plain church and the Utah Beach Muesum were my favorites.

I highly value the sacrifices made by the greatest generation.

Two more sites for another time -

Bletchley Park - a fascinating museum on Allied code-breaking, in a country try house outside London, accessible by train and taxi . Wonderful exhibits on how codebreaking g contributed to the war effort, what it was like to serve at Bletchley, contribu=tions of women, on and on. I'm not a computer person but I was fascinated! We actually went back a second day!!

La Coupole, Wizernes, France - near the Belgian Border and/or St Om er, France - huge underground bunker designed to send V-2 rockets to England. Wonderful exhibits and very unique.

If do find yourself in London on this trip you might go to the V&A Museum in South Kensington and have a look at the building and exterior walls at the Exhibition Road entrance. You will see a lot of evidence of bomb damage, easily seen with the naked eye, and at street level.

There is also plenty to see if you know what to look for, but less easy than the V&A, in South Audley Street in Mayfair, just south of the old US Embassy.

I believe that saving London for another trip is a more solid plan. There is more than enough to see and do by focusing solely on France. We took the train to Caen and rented a car there. Be aware that the rental agencies are normally closed on Sunday, and they are closed for lunch on other days, so plan accordingly. Considering your passion for WW2 history, then I would eliminate the journey to MSM and focus on the area around Bayeaux. We had a fabulous private tour with Sylvain Kast. He was knowledgeable, passionate and very responsive to our requests ahead of our trip. He even located the rather obscure area and monument for the military company that a family members served in during the invasion. Highly recommend Sylvain's service. https://www.d-day-experience-tours.com/about-me/ One more suggestion would be to time your visit to the American Cemetery for late afternoon when they play "Taps" at the end of the day. Truly a somber and moving moment.

Day 2- it isn’t a WWII site, but Westminster Abbey is adjacent to the Churchill War Rooms and so worthwhile. We visit it every time we go to London