We are traveling to the d-day beaches after a Best of Europe tour ending in Paris on May 25th. We are undecided about renting a car and then picking up a tour in Bayeaux. or taking the train. We have talked to someone over there about a tour but it is expensive for 2 people to have her return us to Paris rather(unless we find someone to share a tour with us) than take the train. We also are thinking if we went down a day or 2 early we could se a few things on our own. How easy is it to drive getting out of Paris to Normandy?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Pick up and return the car at Gare de Nord and it's a piece of cake. The drive is less than three hours, the best train is a bit more than two - - sometimes it's a wash.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32328 posts
Donna, My suggestion would be to take the train and then use one of the excellent D-Day tour firms to see the historic sights. Bayeux makes a great "home base" for that area, as some of the tours begin there. The city is also beautiful and very walkable. While there you could also see the famous Tapestry, which depicts a much earlier battle. Happy travels!
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
We like to avoid Paris traffic both coming and going, especially on weekends, so we take the train to Caen. Right across the street from the Caen RR station are four car rental agencies that are open late on Saturdays, unlike some in smaller towns. With a car you can take in many more sights or even stay in a rural B&B. Bayeux is around 15 miles from Caen (pop. around 110K), an easy drive. We did take a D Day tour but then returned with our car and spent an additional 5 hours at the American cemetery. We also drove to Mont St. Michel, about 2.5 hours on the four lane motorway. Get the car. You'll be glad you did.