We are a family of 4 - parents and adult children (girl 22, boy 24). We're planning to stay in Bayeux then Rouen in late May. We are coming in from Belgium (Bruges) via the coast. We could use recommendations on
(1) should we try to stay in town in both or either or more in the countryside
(2) specific recommendations for hotel, apartment, B&B that would not break the bank and would not have us crawling all over each other in extremely small quarters. Right now the plan is 2 - 3 nights Bayeux (D-Day battlefields), 2 nights Rouen (trips to French Canada emigration museums as well as Rouen).
(3) Has anybody taken lace making lessons in either Bruges or Bayeux?
(4) Has anybody been to the French Canada emigration museums? My husband's family left from the area of Rouen in the late 1600s.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
We love Bayeux and especially love Hote d'Argouges in the center of town where we've stayed many times. It's like a manor house, with a lovely garden and free parking. Large, clean rooms/bathrooms, not expensive and a wonderful breakfast is included. The owner, Mme Ropartz, and her staff are warm, friendly and very helpful.
Posted by
shingle springs, CA, USA
782 posts
I stayed in the Hotel Churchill in Bayeux which is afive minute walk to the DDay mini van pickup spot,very nice hotel in the heart of town with lots of WWII memoribilia,the Tapistry Museum is another five minute walk from the Churchill.
Mike
Posted by
Used to be Steilacoom, now it’s Las Vegas
2297 posts
We stayed at the Hotel D'Argouges twice with 2 adult daughters. At that time, we had what was essentially a suite with one queen bed in one room and two twins in another. I think we had one bathroom. That was in 2006-2007, so I'm not sure what prices are these days. It's still one of my all-time favorite hotels.
Posted by
101 posts
Hotel d'Argouges is an excellent choice. Another good, similarly-priced choice is Hotel Reine Mathilde, located right behind the Cathedral in the center of town. We've stayed at both. Hotel d'Argouges is more elegant, but either one would serve you well.
Posted by
Slidell, LA
570 posts
I agree with Brad. We stayed three nights with Rene and found it to be a fabulous place. He is a retired Air France pilot who decided along with his wife to buy this small farm and open a B&B. Extremely personable and speaks excellent English. He picked us up at the train station and drove us to the Hertz rental office at a local gas station. If you go and can take one with you, take him an expired license plate from your state. He had one from his travels from California mounted on the wall of his patio where we ate breakfast and when we came home I sent him one of ours from Louisiana. His place is a five minute drive from the center of Bayeux and easy access to anywhere in Normandy. The web site I have is:
http://www.relaisdelaure.fr/holiday-home-bed-breakfast-in-normandy/
Posted by
Slidell, LA
570 posts
Forgot to mention that you should consider staying a night in Honfleur instead of two in Rouen, and since you are so close, a short 30 minute drive from Rouen/Honfleur is Giverny where you can see Monet's home, garden and his lily pond. Inside the house are some incredible Monet paintings that have never seen the inside of a museum. You must have lunch or dinner on the harbor in Honfleur and see the inside of their church. (see Rick's DVD program of Normandy to see why these are a "must see".)
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thanks for information to date. Haven't seen any specifics re Rouen hotels (appreciate the tip on Honfleur) or on lace making or French emigration. Maybe I need to put in a specific topic for these....... New to this site.
Posted by
Sioux Falls, SD United States
31 posts
You will love Bayeux! We like the friendly, family run, newly renovated Reine Mathilde, http://www.hotel-bayeux-reinemathilde.fr/en/chambres.html. The hotel is very reasonably priced, has a good restaurant and is across the street from the cathedral.
We have also stayed at the Chateau de Bellefontaine, http://www.chateau-hotel-bayeux.com/, which is in a beautiful setting, on the outskirts of Bayeux, but then you would not be able to step out onto the streets of beautiful Bayeux.
When we want to treat ourselves we like the Villa Lara, http://www.hotel-villalara.com/en/index.php#/index.php.
Have Fun!
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Debs, for Rouen have a look at the Hotel de la Cathedrale. Very pretty and right next to the cathedral. It has been a few years since we stayed there but the website shows it exactly as I remember it. Short walk from there to town centre.
Posted by
7 posts
I'll add an enthusiastic recommendation for Hotel d'Argouges but you must understand that there is no lift in that hotel, so pack light! The rooms are large & beautifully decorated but breakfast is NOT included & rather expensive, we thought. We walked down the street to a lovely little patisserie & bought rolls & fruit & juices + picnic things to take out on our travels.
Our itinerary included one full day exploring the D-Day beaches including Pointe du Hoc which is at least as moving as the cemetery. In that day we also went to Ste Mere Eglise which is not a large town but which has the iconic church from which American Paratrooper John Steele hung by his parachute for hours during the invasion. There is a restaurant there named for him that is very good - not at all the burger joint I envisioned!
Our second day out took us to Mont St Michel + Dinan. It was a long day but a good one. Mont St Michel is an athletic event not to be underestimated.
No lace making in our itineraries but it seems to me there is a museum in Bayeux devoted to lace? Perhaps?
Rouen is a lovely city.....you will enjoy it.