My wife and I will be taking a our 2nd trip to Paris in october and are thinking of taking a side trip to Normandy. We will be there for 8 nights. Does anyone have any advise on transportation or hotels? The main reason for Normandy will be to see all the WW2 sites. We were thinking of staying over for 1 night. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
I recommend Bayeux as your base. It's a really charming town. We've stayed at Hotel D'Argouges many times and love it. A rental car is best to really experience Normandy, but train and a tour works well enough. The WWII museum in Bayeux is the best one of all, imo. Well worth your time.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10524 posts
You will probably need to stay overnight because a lot of tours start around 8:30 a.m. We took one out of Bayeux. There are hotel recommendations in the RS book and on Trip Advisor. To see all the WW II sites would take many days and you'd need a car. If you settle for fewer sites, you could take the train and do a tour.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10524 posts
And don't forget to see the Tapestry in Bayeux, as well.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
Take an early train out of Paris to Bayeux, about two hours. There is plenty to see and do in Bayeux, within easy walking distance from the Churchill Hotel is the cathedral and the tapestry of William the Conqueror taking the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when the Normans won England. Lots of great shops and restaurants and the WWII museum. Book well in advance a tour of the D Day beaches, a full day, then return to Paris in the evening.
You might consider doing Paris for 4 nights and 4 nights in Normandy and renting a car. With a car you can see the countryside, drive to Mont St. Michel, then around the bay to Brittany for a seafood lunch then meander back thru the countryside, stopping where you want to sample local cheeses and Calvados. A full day returning to the D Day beaches or the American Cemetery above Omaha would surely fill another day. We have trained to Caen and picked up a rental car there, driven to Bayeux, and stayed in a rural B&B south of Bayeux, near Villers-Bocage. Four nights in Normandy is really worthwhile, not to slight Paris.
Posted by
washington
837 posts
I would recommend the Hotel de Sainte Croix in Bayeux. Very nice with wonderful breakfast. Very large rooms. You don't say how long you were in Paris on your previous trip. If it was for a week or so, I can see 4 days in Normandy and 4 in Paris. If it wasn't that long, I would definitely limit Normandy to no more than 3 days, if you spend one day checking out Mont San Michel and perhaps Honfleur.