Normandy WWII Beaches

I second what Ed said, you need to plan on going to Bayeux and staying for at least 3 days, The area is so massive and there is so much to see, I recommend seeing the German cemetary, it is very sobering to see the graves and the markers with the birthdates of the soldiers, the majority were born in the mid to late 1920's, so young. I toured with Battlebus, they have closed in a sense, they now operate another company I will link. http://www.ddayhistorian.com

You won't get to see squat on a day trip. Bayeux is a better place to stay than Caen.

Dennis, I'd also suggest staying at least one night (preferably more) in Bayeux and taking one or more of the all-day tours to see the beaches and other historic sites. That will also give you an opportunity to visit the WW-II Museum there and of course see the famous Tapestry that describes a much earlier battle. For tours, I'd recommend either www.ddayhistorian.com or www.daleboothnormandytours.com. Both provide outstanding tours! However, one note to mention - it would be a really good idea to contact the tour companies well in advance of your trip, as they may not be operating in October or have very limited tours available. Happy travels!

We toured Normandy last October and I would second everything that the previous posters have said. Stay in Bayeux. It has good hotels and great restaurants. We used Battlebus last year but there are other tour companies as well - they all leave from the Charles de Gaulle Square right behind the Hotel Churchill. If you reserve a tour ahead of time, make sure you check their payment and cancellation policies. With Battlebus, you could reserve in advance but you could cancel your reservation and you didn't have to pay until the time of the tour. Enjoy your trip!

Bayeux and Caen are both equally good. If you stay in Caen you will get to see the chateau where "Monty" set up his command headquarters after the D-day invasion. (British General Bernard Law Montgomery).

My 18-year-old son and I spent three weeks in Europe last summer, and the 3 days we spent in Bayeux were an absolute high point of the trip. We spent a day touring with Roel Klinkhamer (I think that's his last name) and enjoyed it a great deal. Roel and other guides are listed in Rick's France book. Bayeux was very manageable, nice restaurants, good hotels. From the train, Caen looked more industrial; it was flattened during the war, Bayeux wasn't. Visitng Omaha Beach and the American cemetary on the bluff above was an emotional experience; my dad went ashore on D-Day, was wounded and evacuated off the beach. The place is drenched in history. You could easily spend 2 days touring all the sites. We only touched on the American sites for the most part, except for the artificial harbor at Arromanches. And cuisine Normande was great - no local wine but great hard cider, camembert cheese, apple tart. Very good.