Normandy Tour

I'm a dedicated public-transportation person, but I don't think it's the best idea to have a car for a couple of days in Rouen, dump it to take a train to Bayeux and then rent another car. You won't need a car for Rouen itself (unless you plan to drive from Giverny to Rouen rather than taking the train from Vernon?). Once you're in Honfleur, you may as well take a look at Deauville/Trouville and perhaps Cabourg on the way to Bayeux--time permitting, of course.

Do you only want to see Utah Beach? If you have a broader interest in the D-Day sites, I highly, highly recommend a one-day van tour of that area. You'll have a knowledgeable driver/guide who will move you around efficiently and provide a lot of background information. It's a much more effective way of seeing the area than the do-it-yourself approach. The cost was about 100 euros per person last summer. Obviously, this would be unnecessary if your bike tour focuses on the invasion sites.

One thing to check on is which companies have offices in Bayeux. I would guess that not all of them do, so dropping the car there may somewhat limit your rental options. There are probably more rental agencies represented in Caen, which is quite a short train ride from Bayeux.

Would suggest Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery above that beach, in addition to the Utah Beach that you mentioned.

In the American cemetery, look for the sculpture entitled "Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves."
And near the sculpture is a plaque from France that says (in French): "A grateful French nation thanks the Mothers of America for the sacrifice of their Sons on this beach in June 1944." I think fresh flowers are still placed in front of that plaque every morning.

And you might want to watch, or re-watch, at least the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan."

As the first poster said, there are good tours that many people on this Forum have enjoyed. You can google those.

Acraven—which tour company did you use? We plan to book one for next May.

I agree with Acraven that a tour guide is WELL worth the money. We used Alan Bryson of FirstNormandyBattlefieldtours.com He is recommended in Rick Steves' current France guidebook.
He did an excellent job--I almost felt like I had been in the battle.

I used Overlord Tours, which gets great comments here, but others have been very happy with different companies as well. I recall positive reviews of Dale Booth in particular. Overlord, at least, has several different full-day tour options, which might be helpful if you have a particular interest in one specific aspect of the invasion.

Thank you Shoe and acraven!

I've been to Normandy seven times. I always rented a car, and I've never used a tour guide. I'm sure guides are all well and good, and many come highly recommended. But I enjoy taking my time and making my own way through this wonderful countryside and the may sights there are to see. That being said, it is imperative that you get some working knowledge of what transpired there and what you are looking at regardless of whether you go solo or with an escort. I guess you could get some info by a guide en route, with whatever he or she has to say in the twenty minutes between stops. But with guide or without, you are much better prepared if you learn a little history on your own before you even arrive.
I'll add that I have never been to Rouen. But getting a car in Caen is simple and quick. Bayeux a little more time consuming (the rental company offices aren't right at the station). I think the hassle of getting from the train station in Bayeux to car rental in Bayeux, takes about as long as simply getting a car in Caen and driving to Bayeux. Plus there would be no train connection required.