London to Paris via Normandy

Where in Normandy do you want to go? I hate to tell people to drop something from an itinerary but I just do not think that traveling in the order that you stated in the amount of time that you have is going to happen because trains are not oriented in the same was your plans. The efficient way to travel by train from London to Normandy is by way of Paris.

I don't know how that is even possible. It is almost 300 miles from London to Normandy. We took the Eurostar from London and you need to be at the station 90 minutes before departure and I seem to remember it was perhaps a two hour journey to Paris then two hours to Bayeau by train. That journey was about six hours. A half day tour would probably be four hours and then two hours back to Paris. That does not factor in the time of checking out of hotel getting to Eurostar and then transfer in Paris to Bayeau train. There might be a way from London to Caen then a half day trip from there which would shorten your trip but this is a super long and exhausting journey. Maybe someone has a better way to do this. Just wanted you to be realistic.

You could take the train to Lille but then you have a drive and the first train to Lille, I think leaves London at around 7 AM and the trip takes about 2 hours. The drive from Lille to let's say Bayeux is about 5 hours. The last train to Paris from most places in Normandy leaves at around 8 PM. There used to be an airline that flew from nonstop London to Caen but the one I know of went out of business. Perhaps, there are nonstop flights but I do not know of any but that is the only way I could see this itinerary (London to Normandy to Paris) having any chance of working out.

Don't mean to pile on, but as much as I love Normandy (10 visits) I don't think you have enough time to do what you want. It's like saying going from where I live (RI) to New York City en route to Washington, DC with a tour fit in on the way. If "time does not permit a longer stay in Normandy," I suggest you just don't have time to visit Normandy.

Normandy really isn’t en route between London and Paris by any easy logistical travel means. The fastest way is the Eurostar train direct from London to Paris … and then train to wherever it is you want to get to in Normandy.