We will be coming off a RS tour of Scotland, and spending 3 days in Paris before heading home. Looking for recommendations for a guide/tour company that would provide transportation for a day trip from Paris to Normandy, time at Omaha beach, the museum and cemetery.
Thank you.
Gwe Spurrier
The problem with day trips from Paris to Normandy invasion sites is that you spend so much time on buses between Paris and that part of Normandy, and then the sites themselves are widely scattered, so there's not much time actually seeing them as opposed to driving to them.
Overlord Tours has a tour designed for folks who can't manage one night up in Bayeux. You take the first train from Paris to Bayeux. The small-group tour meets right at the Bayeux train station. You get essentially a full day tour, then you are dropped off at the Bayeux train station to return to Paris. You are responsible for your train tickets, and it's a long day, but you get a much more comprehensive tour than the usual offerings from Paris.
Everything acraven said. If you truly want a "day trip" in Normandy, you need to stay a minimum of two nights there so you have a full day. Anything less, and you are really only talking about a few hours in Normandy.
In 2015 we did the trip as Acraven said. Early train up, spent morning in Bayeux and met up for the half day Overlord tour. They dropped us at the train station for trip back to Paris. It was a long day but at the time it was all we could do. It was a great day.
We want to do a full day tour from a Paris too — but getting up at 5am is not going over well. I guess the options are to travel the night before and stay in Bayeux one night or opt for the 1/2 day tour. Any advice??
Stay in Bayeux the night before. I really think a half-day tour will not provide enough time for an adequate visit to the invasion sites. Bayeux is the best place to stay in the area, and the tours originate there for a reason, but there's still considerable driving back and forth, which really cuts into your "half day". Double check with the tour company about the ending time for the tour so you'll have no problem getting back to the Bayeux train station to catch the train back to Paris. The tour termination point is a bit of a walk from the train station.
Bayeux itself has some very worthwhile sights if you choose to spend some time there the day before the tour, rather than arriving late in the day:
This is the one we are doing:
https://www.bluefox.travel/paris/d-day-beaches-trip
Yes, it would be wonderful to do take a couple days and see the area properly. However I decided to go this route as my son and I only have a week. Wanted to spend the majority of that time in Paris but my son still wanted to see this area. Can't personally give my review as we have not taken the trip yet. Leave on March 25th assuming strikes have not shut down France!
