Train travel from Bruges to Bayeux

Driving in the Normandy region of France is very easy and makes things so much more convenient for sightseeing. I'd take the train from Brugges to Lille, France; pick up a rental car and after Bayeux return the car in Caen and take the train to Paris. The fee is nominal to return to a different facility within France.

We did something similar last year.

https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en

I did a similar journey from Bayeux to Rotterdam and booked through the French train company. I'm betting that you'll need to travel from Bruges to Brussels then on to Paris arriving at Gare du Nord switch stations to Gare Saint-Lazare on to Bayeux. From Brussels to Bayeux will be about 5 1/2 hours +/-. The journey from Bayeux back to Paris would be about 2 1/2 hours direct.

I did this exact journey in 2012, and VAP is right: You'll go from Bruges to Brussels, Brussels to Paris (Gare du Nord), Paris (Gare du Saint-Lazare) to Bayeux.

These two destinations do not pair particularly well. Bruges is very much a "spur" trip from Brussels, although I don't find it a horribly long train ride. But having to go on via Paris and change stations ends up very long indeed. Is where you are before Bruges relevant at all? Or are you flying into Brussels/BRU?

Depending on your particular interests, note that Antwerp also has direct trains to Paris. I personally find Antwerp a more interesting city than Brussels.

I think one of the reasons a previous reply mentioned rental cars is that a car is so helpful in the Bayeux area. And I don't endorse car rental lightly!

The French railway network is organised around Paris.
In theory you could do this on regional trains by going Brugge - Lille - Rouen - Bayeux, but that is something SNCF is really trying very hard to discourage.

So it is going to be Brugge - Brussel - Paris - Bayeux. The change of stations in Paris is ok, as from Nord to st Lazare you can take the RER E, which is fast and modern.