Train from Caen to Giverny

With 5 days and a car you might consider Mt. St. Michel. It's about 2 hours via motorway. We left early and arrived right at opening to beat the hordes of tour buses. We had the place with minimal crowds and were leaving as the buses arrived. We drove around the bay to Cancale, Brittany, about 15 miles, for a great waterfront lunch of famous Cancale seafood. We then drove back along the back roads, stopping in villages to buy local wares, meats, cheeses, and Calvados. It remains one of our most enjoyable road trips. We had our own GPS which we'd programmed with addresses of places of interest like small villages on the return trip, and museums and can't miss places on the D Day beaches. Good luck.

Two hours by motorway from Bayeux.

Suzanne, I have done that (train to Caen, rent car, see Normandy...and also visited Giverny) but on separate trips. I wonder if you can return the car not in Caen but in another town like Rouen? Sometimes a one-way rental isn't more expensive than a round-trip. Then you could get a direct train to Vernon. (Plus possibly see Rouen, itself a lovely town.)

What train routing other than through Rouen have you found?
Are you using the SNCF website? Depending on your dates, you may or may not be within the advance booking window, although it looks like the trip is on TER (not high speed) lines.

Check your date and preferred time on the SNCF website and select the train that gets you there the fastest.

The most logical train routing is via Mantes-La-Jolie.
But I would look into keeping the car for this, of possible! You can return it in Mantes la Jolie, or somewhere in western Paris even (if you're ok driving in a large metropolitan area).

Hello fro Wisconsin,
Caen for a car rental. Sounds good. There is an office right next to the train station. I wouldn't stay in Caen as it was blown to smithereens during the Normandy Invasion. General Montgomery lobbed bombs into the city for what seemed an eternity. The Caen tank battles are legendary.

Nearby and in great original condition is the city of Bayeux. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed seeing the two great abbeys founded by William and Matilda, of William the Conqueror fame, that are in Caen. Both escaped the WWII pummeling with little damage. Much of Caen was rebuilt to look original or at least 'old'. Caen stone is famous. Parts of the Tower of London are of Caen stone. Much the same can be said about Normandy, except Bayeux which was captured so quickly it is in good shape.

Bayeux has a cathedral and a fairly well preserved old town. Plus it has the Bayeux Tapestry. Some nice museums are in the city too.

Make sure you get to Bayeux's Saturday farmers' market. And to the SW of Bayeux is a small beautiful region called Vire. A really great place to drive back roads.

wayne iNWI

Dear Everyone who Responded,

Thank you for taking the time. Your suggestions were very helpful. Now I know the good train routes to consider from Caen to Vernon/Giverny. We also will be sure to do a day trip to Bayeux at some point - thanks for recommending it! We are still going to stay in Caen, so I'll be sure to check out the Caen stone. Again our focus for our 6 night stay is visiting the WWII sites, especially a relatively new one in Amfreville, dedicated to the 507th :Parachute Infantry . My mothers fiancee was killed on D-Day parachuting into Normandy, as the Sergeant of 1st Platoon. They were high school sweethearts and would both be turning 100 this year and I am honoring them with this trip.

I appreciate ALL the ideas you sent. If you think of any other suggestions, let me know.
Suzanne Marie