Paris to Normandy by train. Car Rental in Caen? Day Trip and Overnight at Mont St-Michel.

Sounds like a great trip. We did this about 10 years ago before the new causeway to MSM was completed, so my perspective may be dated.

Regarding Caen or Bayeux, we stayed in Bayeux. We chose it because it is smaller, more walkable. There was also a medieval festival underway that weekend. I think the tapestry is now in the UK or will be by the time you arrive.

We stayed at a hotel on the mainland at MSM. Spent the day and returned after dinner. There was a large car park where you could leave your vehicle and take a bus to the island. I would think that the hotel you choose will have parking, luggage and arrival information.

On MSM, try the local lamb. It is raised on the local salt marsh grass. Very flavorful.

MSM is definitely one site I would like to see again.

Regarding car rental- Caen is often recommended because of tye close proximity of multiple car rental agencies near the station. Have a look at AutoEurope - essentially a 3rd party booking site just for car rentals. It will show your options for agencies and vehicle types according to the filters you select.

Your plans look good. I would stay in Bayeux...more charm, lovely small and walkable center. The church there is worth a stop as well as the museum. Try to be in the American cemetery for the flag-lowering at day's end. It is very moving. The tapestry left last October for about two years.
I second checking car rental options at Autoeurope. They are a good reputable company with offices in the US. Easy to use the site to compare cars and rates based on your filters. Several Bayeux lodgings have some parking available.

Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you-All! Sounds like Autoeurope is the place to begin for the car rental.
We are now convinced that Bayeux is the place to stay, after MSM. The ride to Caen is short to return the car and hop back on the train. That is why Rick talks so much about Bayeux -compact, central and walkable !!
Best, Lee/Joe

I usually rent from Hertz in Caen. Be aware that most rental offices are right across the street from the station. Hertz on the other hand is one block away. Exit the station and take a right. Walk to the bottom of a gradual hill and turn right underneath the train tracks. The Hertz office is on the other side of the tracks on the left.

I always rent from Hertz online directly. No need to use a third-party.

Stay in Bayeux. Caen was mostly destroyed in WWII and there is so much more to see and enjoy in Bayeux.

Almost all hotels and most of the restaurants on MSM are owned by the same organization (The Mère Poulard Group). I've been happy staying at Le Mouton Blanc. They have a passable restaurant there too. You don't go there for high-class hotel experience, but it is so worth staying on island itself. Don't let anyone try to tell you that staying off island "is just as good."

I recall earlier reports that the car-rental offices in Caen close for lunch, so check their hours carefully. It sounds as if you will be leaving the area before the weekend, but I believe the rental offices close early on Saturday and do not open at all on Sunday.

Thank You PharmaPhil and Acraven!!
We appreciate the directions to the Hertz rental agency and the facts regarding Caen- I totally blanked regarding the WW2 damage!
No wonder Rick does not mention it so much! Bayeux it is- and the MSM info is greatly appreciated- we want to stay on the island "after the day trippers" time is to be relished!
Grazie!
Lee/Joe
Marshfield, MA

but I believe the rental offices close early on Saturday and do not
open at all on Sunday.

This is true, although I have been able to drop off after hours at both Hertz and Enterprise in Caen. Just take many, very good pictures of the car in the spot in which you leave it to verify there was no damage when you parked it. Picking up can be a problem though. There is also an otherwise ideal train from Paris that arrives right after noon—so too late to miss their lunch closing. Plan accordingly and bon voyage!

We are also planning our first trip to Normandy in October as well as our first time hiring a car in Europe, we are slightly worried as being from Australia, we aren't used to driving on that side of the road.

I have done an awful lot of research though and now have a few things locked down that might help you.

We have been to Paris many times so this time we are going straight to Rouen for three nights to get over the jet lag. We will then pick up a car, which is already reserved through Sixt. We did look at AutoEurope and other sites, but getting it directly was lots cheaper.

We're then driving to Etretat for two nights, then Honfleur for another two before getting to Bayeux.

I did a lot of research into staying in Bayeux or Caen, and pretty well all I read agreed with what is written on here, Bayeux is the place to be. Such a darned shame about the tapestry though, I've wanted to see it since I was a child, so now I will have to return ha ha.

We have booked a hotel for three nights in Bayeux with private parking, there were three or four to choose from, we have chosen Hotel Le Lion d'Or as we also like having a lift and a restaurant.

After our three nights, we then go to MSM for one night. We both really wanted to stay on the island, but after six months of reviews and discussions, we've changed our minds. The reviews are mostly very bad, and I don't want to climb a million stairs.

We've also been warned about leaving our larger suitcases in the car overnight, as theft from the cars parked there is apparently becoming an issue.

All up we've decided to stay at the Mercure on the La Caserne (I think that's what it is called), which has a restaurant specialising in the famous lamb, and gets far, far better reviews than anything on the island.

Our plan is to arrive late in the day, get settled and have a look at MSM, we will then come back for dinner and after dinner return to see the island without crowds. The next morning we will do the same, have a super early breakfast, make an abbey reservation for the earliest time, but just get over there and enjoy the peace, well that's the plan anyway.

After we finish, we will then head to Caen, drop our car at Sixt at the station and catch the train to Paris for the last couple of weeks of our journey.

Hope this is of some help to you.

DebH,
Your plans for Normandy sound really well organized and perfect for not being rushed and getting a lot out of each of your stays. Bravo!

When we rented a car at the station in Caen, they took long lunch breaks -- luckily we were picking up outside that window, but when we returned the car it was closed and so we had to park in a lot and throw the keys through a slot --I like to make sure the car is inspected and signed off on but it did work out ok -- so check when they are open.

We did an Overlord Day Tour from Bayeux even though we had a car as we had not done the homework necessary to manage the trip but there seemed to be plenty of parking at the various sites -- my daughter did it by car with friends and loved the day -- she was lucky to have a classmate who was a WWII buff and took great pleasure in giving his friends a tour of the beaches and other sites.

For MSM stay right off the island. We stayed on the island and hated it. The rooms are super small think 12 inches bigger than a double bed and super expensive. Plus the views are OF the island from the causeway so you'll be walking off the island at night anyway. Plus the restaurants just off the island are much better than anywhere on the island (although they are not great restaurants either). Also the island shops and restaurants close early because it becomes dead the sun goes down.

One more tip be ready to walk up a mountain. Once you walk through the MSM gates nothing is flat. You walk up the mountain to the church and along the way are some shops and restaurants. Their are great overlooks of the bay and mainland marshes but at night not so much.

We rented our car from Europe Car in Caen and then drove to Bayeux. We stayed several nights and drove around the WWII sites. We were supposed to have an Overlord Tour, but it was canceled by them at the last minute, which I have been assured is not a usual thing for them. We were disappointed, but still managed on our own. We had no problem with the car rental or the train to and from Paris.

Thank you Judy, I have spent many months researching. Never mind, I love it so I am happy to do it.

StephenD, your experience seems like so many of the reviews that I have been reading, hence why we've decided to stay off of the island.

It was my husband's dream to stay there, but even he has been reading and agrees it is not for us.

I've read so much about Overland tours, but since we are going to all the trouble of hiring a car and figuring out how to drive on the "wrong" side of the road (for us), it seems silly not to use it.

Luckily I still have seven months to research exactly what would work for us at the D-Day beaches. Nice to know that parking isn't an issue, and we will also be there late in the season.

I'll cast a strong vote for staying on island. I have done both and in my mind there is no comparison. I had a choice of view out on the bay, or a view overlooking the cobblestone streets and half-timbered buildings. It was lovely. And walking out at any hour and walking the little lanes at night is magical (not just the main thoroughfare, although that is very nice with no people on it). The place I stayed had a nice restaurant where I had dinner and breakfast.

You talk about driving on the wrong side of the road but if you are coming from the US the French drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US.

Gail, I believe DebH is from Australia, where they drive on the left.

DebH, even if you rent a car for other sightseeing, I would still recommend using a tour guide for the DDay beach sites. Unless, of course one or both of you are very familiar with the events surrounding the landings.

It was not clear where they were from and I said if they were coming from the US. Just to clarify why I posted what I did!

Yes, I am coming from Australia.

We will look into a guide, but it seems counter productive when we have rented a car.

We normally have private guides wherever we travel, but this time we thought to do things differently.

I luckily have lots of time to research what we want to see.

Unfortunately the Australian sites are nowhere near Bayeux, so we won't be bothering with them. I am actually English, but now Australian, so we are more interested in the Commonwealth sites, so more Gold and Sword beaches.

One of our party though is very interested in anything to do with the US, so we will likely visit Utah Beach or similar as well.

For us though it isn't a deep dive into history, more just an interest in seeing where all of these world shaping events actually occurred.

Thank you, All! We are so thankful for all of the extra intel !
We have not made reservations yet for car, MSM or Bayeux...which is now our hotel destination, in Normandy. All of your suggestions are extremely helpful!
Train I will book in June( we travel in October).

We are committed to doing the Normandy invasion sights on our own, coming from the west(MSM) with rental car.
The hotel in Bayeux sounds great - especially the car park! MSM car thefts, off island, are on my mimd too- so we will take that into consideration.

Lee/Joe

FWIW. we stayed off island for the view at night but regretted not staying on the island and roaming around after dark. We did have dinner at the topmost hotel and it had a stunning view at dusk and the food was fine.

In Bayeau we stayed twice at a B&B near center of town. Did have on site parking and it was wonderful. she even had her own chickens for super fresh eggs. Villa La Aggarthi..try to watch The Longest Day for some prospective. Good luck.

A few suggestions based on experience. Try very hard to get an automatic. You will already be dealing with driving on the opposite side of the road so why not make this one less thing to stress about?

We rented from Enterprise (reserved through Costco Travel) in Caen and had a positive experience.

Finally, You Tube is your friend in preparing to drive in France. Watch a few of the “driving in France tips) videos. It helps to understand French right of way policies and road signs in advance.

Train I will book in June( we travel in October).

June may be too early. Even if you find some trains, they aren't all necessarily listed that soon.

Hi Lee/Joe - I had similar questions about staying in Caen or Bayeux. I posted the question in the Forum and got lots of good advice. See link below. We decided to stay in Bayeux and rented a VRBO there. Hope this helps.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/caen-vs-bayeux-lodging-and-vibe