I really want to see the D-Day beaches. However, my trip is taking me from Paris to Barcelona, and I also want to see the Alps, Nice, Provence. I know Rick Steves wrote, "assume you'll return", but I do keep considering it. It just seems it might be a bit out of the way for this trip.
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
How much time do you have for your entire trip?
Posted by
OP
Philadelphia, PA, USA
39 posts
I have 3 weeks in France, 1 week in Barcelona. I'm starting in Paris and doing 6 nights there.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
With 3 weeks time, you can easily see the D-Day beaches on your trip. All it really takes is one full day, two at the most.
Posted by
OP
Philadelphia, PA, USA
39 posts
I'm looking at going in the direction of Chamonix after the D-Day beaches. Would that entail coming back through Paris? It is an extra 64 Euros, as per my "Let's Go-France" book. Ahh, planning this trip is tough!
Posted by
the Middle Coast
292 posts
I think you could fit it in also. There's a very regular (I think twice an hour) Paris-Caen train that takes about two hours, and then there's an excellent museum in Caen, and if I remember correctly, most of the beaches are in the Bayeux/Caen area. Also, if you stop in Bayeux, there's also the tapestry, which is interesting.
It might be a little rushed to do it and get back in a day, but I think there are also tour companies that drive you between sites if you want to worry less about logistics; a friend of mine did one starting from Bayeux that she liked. You'll almost definitely need to go back to Paris to continue to Chamonix; it's the most efficient way when you consider the train connections.
Posted by
OP
Philadelphia, PA, USA
39 posts
For me, the rail pass makes more sense, as I will be taking several $50+ train trips as I travel from Paris to Barcelona.
To ensure my place aboard for Chamonix, if I understand correctly, I would just reserve my spot on board once I am in Paris at one of the train stations?
Posted by
Mission Viejo, Calif., USA
1010 posts
We just returned from a 34 day trip to London and Paris. We took a Gray Line/Cityrama tour from Paris to Normandy. That is all you need to see Normandy. It was a good trip, as we had a van. There were just five of us, pous the driver. It was a personalized tour. Although it poured all day, we still enjoyed seeing the Normandy area. It is a very moving experience. We took a lot of day trips (Gray Line/Cityrama) and some I wouldn't recommend, such as Mt. St. Michel. There is nothing worth seeing out there, except for the beaches. It is kind of like a ghost town up and down the coast. We also recommend going to Bruge, Belgium for another day trip. We spent almost three weeks in Paris and it was way too long. As we had just spent a week there last year, we should have just stayed longer in London, instead of going to Paris.