I plan to visit Normandy from Paris, with one overnight. My initial thought is to get to Bayeux and take a 1/2 day D-day tour, spend the night in Bayeux then travel to St. Milo and Mont St. Michel the next day, returning to Paris that evening. I read that tours meet in the morning at the train station in Bayeux, so no car needed for that portion. I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations on these options: (a) early train Paris to Bayeux, rent a car in Bayeux to travel the second day, return car in Bayeux and hop back on train to Paris versus (b) renting car in Paris and driving to/from Bayeux. One the one hand it sounds nice to have a car for the whole trip, on the other hand I've never rented a car in Paris and the logistics may be considerable?? Or the train may be so convenient
and/or affordable that it's well worth it. I'd love to hear any pros/cons. Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Mayberry on the Willamette
323 posts
I would take the train to Bayeux and rent the car the 2nd day. I would drop the car (if possible) in Caen & travel back to Paris. Maybe saves a half hour of driving time.
We did a private tour of Normandy in 2017. The guide met us at the Caen train station & dropped us off there
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4888 posts
I think you will find that most tours pick up in Bayeux itself, and not at the train station; although some private tours may. You might consider taking the train from Paris to Caen, because there are several car rental agencies close to the station. It's about half an hour from Bayeux. There are fewer agencies in Bayeux and they are further away from the station. You might also want the car to explore the area on your own before or after your D Day tour. Return the car there on your way back to Paris.
I would say your second day would be incredibly rushed. While the distances to each of those places isn't great, you need several hours each to even skim the surface. One should never ignore the effect of the masses of people at MSM. And then you have to get back to Paris. Spending a night in St. Malo would allow you a much longer period of sightseeing that day.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you Mark and CJean for your suggestions/comments. Will explore.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
380 posts
Also, I believe the earliest train from Paris gets in around 8:30, so too late to take a morning tour of beaches. If there are such tours, you’d need to look for an afternoon one.
Posted by
Washington DC
27176 posts
Overlord has a tour of American invasion sites designed for people arriving on the first train from Paris. That tour originates at the Bayeux train station rather than in the center of the town, and it drops off at the train station in time to catch a train back to Paris. It's nearly as long as the full-day tours taken by people overnighting in Bayeux. I don't recommend half-day invasion tours because too much of the very limited time is spent driving away from and back to Bayeux.
Posted by
Indiana
812 posts
Unless you have been to Normandy before, then I think your plan is too rushed. IMO, a half day tour of the D-day sites is not nearly enough. My suggestion is that you focus solely on that area, and save MSM for another trip. As mentioned previously, you need to take into account the crowds at MSM. If you do want to rent a car, then take the train from Paris to Caen and rent the car there. Pay close attention to the days/times that the rental agencies are open while planning your trip.