Will be traveling to London and France in Nov-Dec 2015. We would like to go from London to Bayeux in one day so we can tour the DDay area the next day. Can this be done reasonably? Current plan is Eurostar from London to Paris then train to Bayeux. Any tips appreciated.
Posted by
PA
2856 posts
We just did this, works fine. We took 10:24 Eurostar, to connect with 15:10 train to Bayeux, gives you 80+ minutes to transfer from Nord to St. Lazare (or if concerned, take 17:10 train and get to Bayeux at 19:15). Get Eurostar tickets when they go on sale from the UK website, will cost as little as 38GBP. SNCF tickets go on sale 90 days out and at that point they should be 15 Euro apiece. Lots of great lodging in Bayeux. Recommend you book your beaches tour as soon as you practically can. Stay in Bayeux longer than just the tour day, it's a lovely town, and the Bayeux Tapestry si a can't miss if you are there.
Posted by
OP
28 posts
Great--this helps calm my nerves! Do you have a tour company you prefer?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32345 posts
js,
Yes, that's certainly possible to travel there in a day, although it will be a bit of long trip. You'll first need to take the EuroStar from London St. Pancras to Gare du Nord. Check the Man in Seat 61 website for details on booking and getting the best prices. NOTE that you'll have to check-in for the EuroStar trip at least 30 minutes prior to departure, or you won't be riding. I'd suggest leaving lots of time, as you'll also need to go through an airport-style security and French Passport Control in London.
When you arrive at Gare du Nord, you'll need to get from there to Gare St. Lazare via Metro or RER. If you're not familiar with those, I'm sure the group here can suggest the easiest route.
From Gare St. Lazare your train to Bayeux may have one change in Caen or may be direct. Check the bahn.de website for the solutions and other details.
You won't arrive in Bayeux until late afternoon, and won't have much time to see anything so I'd also suggest staying at least two nights. I would highly recommend pre-booking your D-Day beaches tour WELL in advance, as they book up quickly. One caveat to mention - some of them are on the expensive side but IMHO well worth the cost. You could try....
- http://www.overlordtour.com/ (they also offer half-day tours)
- http://ddayhistorian.com/
- http://dboothnormandytours.com/
- check the guidebook for others