My husband and I plan to spend 2 nights in Bayeux in Sept. Unfortunately, Battlebus has no available tour. Just wondering if we'd be better off renting a car and touring on our own. We'll be taking the train from London and then going on to Paris after Normandy. Thought the car may be affordable way to see extra sights if not paying 160 euros for our tour. Opinions? Thanks
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You might give Overlordtour a try.
Posted by
Northbrook, Illinois, USA
316 posts
Hi Carol, We went last August to Bayeux, stayed at Le Tardif and Battlebus was also full when we tried to book it. I was disappointed, but things turned out even better. We took a private tour with a woman named Danielle who was recommended by Tardif. (By the way - very cool B&B, quiet, beautiful, center of town.) Danielle runs Normandyours tours - she has driven for Spielberg when he was there. I highly recommend her. She knew all the back roads and off site places to see, along with ways to zip in and out of the big sites like the American Cemetery, German Cemetery, Utah beach, etc. We never would have seen everything we saw if we were driving! The roads are not marked as well as ours. She gets you out into the old German bunkers, countryside sites, etc. I wanted to keep my eyes on the sights, not the directions. I would We are from Northbrook. You can e-mail me if you want more information.
Posted by
Northbrook, Illinois, USA
316 posts
Carol,
Just sent you a long message, but forgot to ask where you are staying?
Posted by
OP
Oak Lawn, IL, USA
94 posts
Haven't booked yet, waiting til I figure out the tour. Thanks, got your message and sent you a reply.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32478 posts
Carol,
I have a few thoughts and suggestions....
I'd suggest booking a room in Bayeux ASAP, as I've found that even in September the lodging situation can be a bit "uncertain". Bayeux is a good location to stay regardless of whether you'll be taking a BattleBus Tour.
You might check with BattleBus sometime in August to see if they've had any cancellations or changes. As the others have suggested, you could also consider other firms offering tours in that area, either Overlord, Ellwood von Seibold or others (I believe Ellwood is the Guide that RS uses for his tours of that area).
I've found that it's preferable to take a guided tour especially in that area, as the battle sites are somewhat spread out and the Guides get to the different locations quickly and efficiently. For me it presented a much more interesting and rewarding travel experience.
Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by
Philadelphia
655 posts
Carol...If you can work out the tour, great. If not, give the car rental a try. We did our own tour and still had a lasting memory. Be sure to plan time to see the Tapestry at Bayeux.
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2906 posts
There is an ex-Battlebus Tour guide named Stuart Robertson who gives tours. He's a very nice guy.
http://www.normandybattletours.com/
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1931 posts
We toured on our own using a rental car. We used one of the Normandy guide books (I think rough guide but check it out at a book store) which has extensive notes on the area.
We saw the tapestry in the morning, then went to Omaha Beach. After a late lunch, we visited the American Cemetery, then left the area heading east for our next overnight. If you are staying in the Bayeux area for a second night, you could end your day with a late afternoon/early evening visit to Mont St. Michel. The day-trippers will be gone by then.
What you do in the D-Day area depends on your interest level. Many on this site are fascinated by the D-Day events and enjoy the Battlebus tour. Since we just wanted a quick over-view, we were satisfied with what we did.
It's interesting to contrast the 1066 invasion, commemorated by the Bayeux tapestry, with the 1944 one. If you ever get the chance to visit Battle Abbey in England, you will get a completely different perspective about 1066.