I would like tips on train ride from Paris for one day tour of Normandy sights.
This is a tough day trip from Paris, many tours will take you, but you will have limited time at the beaches.
Several choices:
You can take the early train to Bayeux or Caen, and connect with your tour there, one that knows what time you're arriving.
Oh, I didn't mention that you need to make reservations for a tour, you can't tour the battlefields with buses. Not in a day trip.
Other option is paying the money and getting a tour company to do it all for you, starting from Paris, they might even pick you up at your hotel. You trade a little money for not having to plan it yourself.
bc,
Could you clarify if you're planning to travel to Normandy and see the sights on your own, or take one of the excellent local tours (your heading indicates "self-guided")?
While you could certainly take the train to Bayeux, seeing the sights on a "self-guided tour" will be difficult without a rental car. The D-Day locations are spread out over about a 50 mile front and extend some distance inland, so unless you know where you're going, you could waste a lot of time.
Given the travel time from Paris, this is difficult to do as a day trip, although you could take a half-day tour. Spending at least one night in Bayeux (which is where many of the tours depart from) is a more practical method. You could also take a tour with Paris City Vision or other firms, but they tend to be expensive, don't allow time to see more than a few sights and it will be a LONG day.
If your day trip to Normandy is truly self-guided, my tip is to take the train only as far as Caen. The car rental agencies are right out the front door of the train station. You could start by going up to Pegasus Bridge, then over to Omaha Beach memorial at Les Moulins, Point du Hoc and the American Cemetery. My family did this itinerary last Spring and it was easy. We took at 7am train to Caen and a 7PM return. Just have a good map or better yet, functional Google Maps app on your cell phone. You will want to stay longer but it is doable and most here will advocate a guided tour. Btw, not my first post, but it's been awhile.
Thank you to all for tips. At this point, we are planning an early train from Paris to Caen and rent a car for the day and make visits to key sites and return to Paris in early evening.
Some suggestions:
When you arrive at the Caen station, double check what time the last train to Paris departs.
And when you're at the car rental counter, ask them when the car return facility closes, and the location of the car rental area.
Possibly, you might want to plan on not returning to Paris "in early evening," it might be later than that.
Also, this may go without saying, but bring car charger for cell phone too.
What key sites are you hoping to visit? Omaha Beach, Pont du Hoc, St. Mere Eglise and American Cemetary?
I would like to add another option to the mix... On a recent trip to France, I did the entire trip from Paris to Normandy and back by car (in 1 day, on my own). This allowed me to start exactly when I wanted to, and I was able to spend the entire day on my own schedule, seeing the places I wanted to to see. While I don't doubt that there are many excellent tour guide services available, I prefer to do some research and explore on my own (which is what I'm guessing you're intending, as you mention a "self-guided tour"). My theory with big day trip likes this - where you're trying to pack a lot into 1 day - is to eliminate as many variables as possible, such as train schedules, multiple modes of transport/transfers, going through the car rental and return process en route, ect. The motorways from Paris to Normandy are straight forward and quick, and in my opinion, this is the best way to both maximize your time in Normandy and have the experience that YOU want to have. I made a short video of my day trip to Normandy that shows most of the sights I was able to visit, and I feel is fairly solid proof that I had a great time (despite my issues with the car's GPS...).
Normandy Day Trip video: http://youtu.be/UckSMa3GJis
However you choose to do your trip, be sure to learn as much as you can before going out there in order to get the most out of your day. Happy Travels.
TravelYeti has some good advice, but it appears this person lives in Rotterdam and is used to driving in Europe. For an American who has never driven in France before, it can be very stressful. Things that we take for granted, such as roads signed with highway numbers, are virtually non-existent. Tailgating drivers are regarded as aggressive manics in the States--and just normal in France. Even getting gas can be stressful if your credit card doesn't have a chip. Add this to the stress of only having one day, and you have a recipe for a disaster. For the OP, I would suggested booking a tour that will meet you at the Caen or Bayeux train station instead--although staying in Bayeux overnight is, of course, a better alternative.