Normandy "To Do" List

You could easily spend two days just doing the D-Day sights if you're interested in that. The area from Utah to the British/Canadian/French beaches is spread out over something like 70 miles. So you could spend one day doing part of the landing area and associated areas (like St. Mere Eglise) and a second day doing the other half. Bayeux itself is a beautiful and charming town. In addition to the Tapestry, you can visit the 12th-century Gothic cathedral and the D-Day museum (which is a better museum for D-Day than is the one in Caen, which is more of a general WWII museum). You can also spend some time just walking around and soaking up the atmosphere. In addition, it has some great (and relatively inexpensive) restaurants, such as Le Petit Normand, Le Petit Bistro, La Fringale, La Rapiere, and Le Lion D'Or, among others. Especially if you're interested in the D-Day material, I'd give Bayeux at least two and half days. I'll let others comment on Honfleur, Rouen, and Giverny. They are all pretty places, but I personally wouldn't spend three days there.

Hi, Jim. We have done the D-Day sites twice and they are not to be missed! So moving - all of them. The reason I am posting is because you appear to be traveling by train for part and by car for part - so I am not sure how you are seeing the D-Day sites. I just wanted to give you a heads up that if it's by train, the sites are spread out all over. You can't train there. Again, if by chance the Bayeux is by train....(ignore if you have a car.) Last time we went (2009) we stayed at a B&B my son's French teacher recommended in the heart of Bayeux and we walked there from the station in Bayeux. (Train from Paris, through Caen to Bayeux.) It's called Le Tardif. Very quaint, very romantic, nice peaceful garden in back. We had a driver, Danielle, from Normandyours who was fabulous. We started at 9 a.m. and went all over until around 6:00 p.m. And we never saw the tapestry - heard it was a yawn. Oh well!

Hi Jim - Not sure if you're staying in Paris...but if you are it is very easy to take a day trip to see Giverny via the train. Honfleur is a beautiful town well worth a night's stay to see it at night. Honfleur should at least be a stop along the way.

Just wanted to say we both loved Giverny and are so glad we went. I am an art lover but my hubby is just along for the ride and he loved it also. Went beginning of Nov.

I agree with everything Tom said. We've been to Normandy, staying in Bayeux, at least 6 times and stayed a week each time. We love Bayeux and all of Normandy. We never run out of enjoyable things to do and always hate leaving. There's lots to do besides WWII stuff.. we like driving on the two-lane roads and exploring.. going from village to village stopping wherever something interests us.. chateaux, 1700's farm open for touring (and fascinating), old churches and little cemeteries, etc. I think 4 nights (ie, 3 days) in Bayeux is the ideal minimum. Two full days for D-Day sites and one full day for walking around Bayeux, which is charming, with several hours at the excellent WWII museum there. If you're not all that into D-Day sites and history, then 3 nights will do. Imo, a half day each in Honfleur, Rouen and Giverny is plenty.