Normandy Visit - Caen or Bayeux

Having spent several nights in each city on different occasions, I would highly prefer Bayeux over Caen for my base to explore Normandy. Bayeux is more charming and has 3 powerhouse things to see on its own right, the cathedral, the tapestry museum and the WWII museum. Caen is a much larger city that was heavily damaged in WWII (and poorly rebuilt) but it does have a good WWII museum and the William the Conqueror and Matilda cathedrals and fortifications.

Having spent four days in Bayeux last fall, I second Mona's suggestion. In addition to what Mona has said, Bayeux is also more convenient to the D-Day beaches than is Caen, and a number of D-Day tours leave from Bayeux. Plus, it's a nice, walkable little town that has a number of good restaurants, such as Le Petit Normand, La Fringale, and Lion D'or. Go for Bayeux!

I agree with the previous posters about Bayeux. We've been there many times b/c we like it so much. It's a very charming, friendly town. I also agree about their WWII museum, it's the best one of all, much better than the one in Caen. I highly recommend staying at Hotel D'Argouges if you choose Bayeux.

Scott, Here's another vote for Bayeux! It's a wonderful smaller town, very walkable and with some great sights in the immediate area. In addition to the great WW-II Museum there, it's only about a 15-minute drive to the Gun Batteries at Longues sur Mer (if you're interested in visiting there). BTW, my favourite restaurant there is Le Pommier. If you have a look at their Menu's, you'll see why! If you're planning to take any of the excellent D-Day tours that depart from Bayeux, I would highly recommend pre-booking! Happy travels!

Hi Scott As a Steeler fan, its hard to give good advice to someone from Green Bay, but I will definitely recommend Bayeux. Great small town with impressive sights of its own. Recommend WWII museum as well as cathedral and Tapestry. We stayed at Lion D` Orr and were quite happy Mike
DC

Bayeux has lots of charm and character, but you might find Caen to be a good "crossroads" if it is solely for your base. Lots of options for modern hotels on the outskirts near the highway, grocery stores, and other modern conveniences. You can still enjoy seeing Bayeux as it is only half an hour away.

Bayeux. Spent two nights there and it was a charming place to use as a home base for the WWII tour we took. We stayed at Le Tardif which is right in the center of town and we were able to walk -with our three kids and the rolling bags - from the local train station. Tardif has a lovely garden in back which was a quiet, green oasis. Have a great trip.