Hello! I really want to go to the beaches of Normandy. We would be coming from Calais and leaving to Loire Valley with one full day in Normandy. We have a Eurail pass. Is Normandy doable without a car and with a budget of about $100 a day? We could probably splurge a little if we spent less on a different day. Thanks!
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Do you calculate your $100 budget to include a tour bus to see the beaches? You either need a car or a tour.
Posted by
OP
Colorado Springs, CO
21 posts
Well 100 is our budget total per day... if we canf ind a cheap car or tour deal though it would be great...
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
"if we can find a cheap car or tour deal though it would be great."Just to be clear, trains don't go to the D-Day Beaches. You'll have to rent a car or book a tour, there's no other way.
Posted by
Paradise
7070 posts
The D-Day beaches are indeed very difficult without a car. There are only a handful of buses that serve the area from Caen and Bayeux. We rented a car in Paris, drove to the beaches, and dropped off in Caen, where you'll find an abundance of car rental agencies. Avis was right at the station, as I recall.
Or you might be able to catch a tour from one of these towns which would probably be more informative than doing it on your own: www.battlebus.fr
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
Kallie, you might consider taking the train to Bayeux and taking one of the local D-Day Tours. You wouldn't be able to use BattleBus Tours as they require members to be in Bayeux at 08:00 to join the tour.
I don't have any information on the other tour companies that operate in that area, but perhaps someone else here on the HelpLine can offer a few suggestions.
I can't remember the cost, but you could perhaps rent a Car for the day in Bayeux, as there is at least one rental agency there. One point though, the staff I dealt with didn't speak ANY english, so the rental could be a bit "challenging" unless you arrange it through a travel agent or whatever. In my case, the owner of the Hotel kindly made the arrangements for me, so all I had to do was "sign on the dotted line".
You'll need a good map also, as the beaches are a bit spread out. A tour would provide a lot more information on the events that occurred there, but you could certainly do this on your own if you wish.
Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by
OP
Colorado Springs, CO
21 posts
Hello! I have looked into tours and I found one through Viator for 65 USD per person, I also found some that looked better and had better reviews for 109 USD or we could rent a car for about 80 USD a day but would be less informative;;; any suggestions? does anyone know of a cheap/quality tour guide?? THanks!