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Post Basque tour trip to Normandy

Posted by (Maryland) on

Greetings,

My wife and I will be completing a RS tour of the Basque region in the first week of October 2024 after which we are considering extending our time with a trip (up to a week) in Normandy. We're interested in seeing the D-Day beaches, Bayeux and it's famous tapestry, Mont St. Michel, and maybe Rouen and its Joan of Arc sites and museum. We are in the very early stages of our trip planning so have a lot of things to figure out but also lots of flexibility.

  1. What's the best way to get from Bilbao (where the tour ends) to Normandy? Train, fly, or rental car? We're leaning towards a car with interim stops along the way since the drive is about 10 hours but not sure where the best places to overnight are.

  2. What's the best home base in Normandy for visiting the D-Day sites and MSM? I'm thinking Bayeux but not sure.

We're really up for anything and would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Thanks!

Posted by
5429 posts

According to Google flights, there are flights from Bilbao to Caen. You can rent a car there for the remainder of your Normandy visit. Many people who are primarily interested in the D Day sites stay in Bayeux. MSM is best visited as an overnight stay, IMO. Early mornings and evenings are so much better than during late morning/afternoons when it is inundated by day trippers. You could drop the car in Rouen and take the train into Paris (assuming you will return home from there).

Posted by
2320 posts

Caen airport has no direct flights with Spain, but there are Toulouse → Caen flights with Volotea twice a week and very rare flights from Biarritz with a stopover in Lyon with Hop! (Air France)

There are also Bilbao→Paris flights with Air France or Iberia.

By train there is no easy way to go from Bilbao to Normandy without going through Paris, you will have to reach Hendaye train station in France, take a TGV train to Paris Montparnasse station, change station in Paris and take another train to Normandy from Saint Lazare station.

Renting a car in Spain with a drop-off in France will cost you hundreds of Euros in fees.
If you rent a car, take it in France after the Spanish border. Then it's about 8 to 10 hours of driving (non-stop). A stop halfway to stay at least one night is essential.

Posted by
3123 posts

I'd probably take the train from Bilbao to Bordeaux and rent a car from there, but it depends on how much time you have and whether you like the idea of driving through France to the Normandy region.

Part of the fun (ahem) of taking the train across the Spain-France border is transferring to the Euskotren.

See https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/other-cities/trains-from-Bordeaux.htm#Bordeaux_to_San_Sebastian

(The "Man in Seat 61" site offers Bordeaux as a searchable departure point, but not Bilbao, so it describes the journey in reverse.)

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