From Paris we want to visit the D-day Beaches and Mont St Michel. We would prefer to use public transport from Paris. Also looking to stay over 1 night. Any recommendations/advice for this would be helpful.
Thanks
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If you can, stay the night at one of the hotels on the Mont. The closest rail station sits a few kilometers away, but you can probably take a taxi. Self-touring the D-Day beaches is difficult to impossible using public transportation. I recommend either renting a car, or taking one of the bus tours that others on this site rave about.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Lynn,
As Tom mentioned, the best method of travel in that area would be to spend one (or more) nights in a convenient "home base" location. I'd suggest Bayeux as it's a wonderful town and fairly central.
Travel via train from Paris Gare St. Lazare is very easy. There are direct trains available to Bayeux (which is usually what I choose). Others might stop in Caen.
Touring the beaches will require either a rental car or one of the many tours available in that area. I'd highly recommend BattleBus Tours, as they provide an excellent tour of the main sites and take care of all the transportation (Minivans). There are other firms available - check the France Guidebook for the details.
You could certainly tour the area via rental car (there's a rental agency in Bayeux), but the battle sites are somewhat "spread out" so without some knowledge you'd probably have difficulty finding some of them. Travelling to Omaha beach or St. Mere Eglise and just looking is far different than hearing the history and details from a knowledgeable Guide!
While it's possible to get to Mont St. Michel via public transport, it's a bit of an effort. The Hotel Churchill in Bayeux offers a shuttle van to Mont St. Michel which allows about 3 hours at the site. Details in the France Guidebook.
One tip to mention - if you stay in Bayeux and are departing from there early in morning, it would be a good idea to pre-arrange your Taxi to the train station (they're not always available). Your Hotel should be able to arrange that.
Happy travels!
Posted by
San Jose, CA, USA
22 posts
Great advice.
I have stayed off the Mont in a motel. Cheap & adequate. They roll up the streets early so do not anticipate shops open, etc. We had stayed in Honfleur one night and the next at Mont St. Michel, then moved off to Chenenceau. Not enough time for the beaches but the weather was POOR at Easter. So we returned.
I love Bayeaux but prefer Caen! So many neighborhoods to explore, fabulous WWII museum!!!, great restaurants, so much to do! Tours to Normandy beaches - of course! We had a car and drove out twice to Juno Beach and had dinner at two different places. If the weather is good, that would be fun to stay too.
Don't miss the Bayeaux Tapistry! Three days is good to really see the country. The roads and signage is great! We always get a car.
Posted by
ABQ
28 posts
We stayed here a few years ago..it's right at the beginning of the causeway out to Mont Saint Michel
Hotel Le Formule Verte
http://www.le-mont-saint-michel.com/EN/hotel_formule_verte/index.php
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
Three days (4 nights) does give you a good amount of time to experience Normandy but you're still only going to scratch the surface. We've been there many times for 5-7 days each time and we still haven't seen everything. We love it there. I highly recommend staying in Bayeux rather than Caen. It's a charming, quaint town and closer to the D Day beaches and Mont St. Michel. The Bayeux Tapestry is definitely worth seeing. We did not like the Caen WWII museum at all, loved the one in Bayeux and the one at the American cemetary. I agree about staying ON Mont St. Michel. Makes a huge difference being on the island vs. staying even just a few miles away. In the evening when all the tourists are gone, you really get to absorb where you are and really experience it. It's an amazing place, very spiritual place for some. Being there, and the history of it, really makes an impact when you spend the night there and walk around in the evening/night or early morning.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"In the evening when all the tourists are gone, you really get to absorb where you are and really experience it. It's an amazing place, very spiritual place for some. Being there, and the history of it, really makes an impact when you spend the night there and walk around in the evening/night or early morning."
Could not agree more. In addition, you can tour the abbey late in the afternoon or early in the morning, avoiding the hordes of daytrippers who choke the Mont's narrow streets during the day.