transportation

Google maps shows 16 miles, 22 minutes. If that's all you are doing, and more power to you, I would guess that a taxi and waiting time would probably be lass than renting a car. It would be a shame to go all that way and just go straight back to Paris on the next train, in which case many people here suggest renting a car. It is a simple drive due south of Caen. Are you familiar with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website? The website (can't link because of the length is: http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2032600/BRETTEVILLE-SUR-LAIZE%20CANADIAN%20WAR%20CEMETERY

Woah - I can't edit my link, above. Let's just say I oopsed. The mileage should be kilometres. The website says 14km. Ooops.

Margaret, I am answering off the top of my head (if I blow it I'm sure somebody will pick me up) and I'm not looking anything up, but I would certainly suggest it as a day trip from Paris rather than as stop on a trip to London. The train to Caen is straightforward from Paris, and back. There is very little in the way of trains from Caen to Calais or Lille which does not go via Paris. We had a thread here a few months back where a person tried to get to Caen from Lille refusing to go via Paris and I believe we would up looking at something 11 hours with 4 changes or something like that. Heck, if you do it as a daytrip you don't even have to get across Paris, just to the station. My respects to your Uncle. How were you intending to get to Bretteville sur Laize? Actually Cintheaux. Taxi?

Thanks for the info, Nigel. I guess we'd get a taxi; perhaps I'd better check distances. How would you suggest we get there?

According to viamichelin.com, it's 22 km between Caen and Bretteville-sur-Laize and the estimated driving time is 23 minutes. I guess that Google and viamichelin will have to fight it out. :) I agree with Nigel that it would be best to do this as a day trip from Paris and not enroute from Paris to London. It's just under 250 km from Paris to Bretteville-sur-Laize and viamichelin.com gives an estimated driving time of just under four hours. Since 10 June is a Sunday, if you rent a car, you'll need to pick it up at a train station. All the suburban places likely will be closed. The Auto Europe site shows a price of $170 US for a one-day rental for a compact car with a manual transmission, picked up at and returned to either Gare du Nord or Gare Montparnasse in Paris. If renting a car doesn't appeal to you, then I think you'll need to take the train to Caen and a taxi from there to Bretteville-sur-Laize. The train ride only takes two hours. The standard 2nd class fare is €33.40 each way. There are still some €15.00 and €20.00 discount fares for certain departure times on 10 June, but they won't last long. Book at tgv-europe.com. To keep the site in English and to avoid being bumped to the US Rail Europe site which doesn't offer discount fares, choose Great Britain as your country of residence. Then choose to stay with tgv-europe rather than going to the UK Rail Europe site. Choose France as your ticket retrieval country. If given the option, print your own tickets. Otherwise choose to pick them up at any SNCF station in France. If I were doing this, I'd take the train + a taxi. Both simpler and faster than renting a car. I hope it works out for you to visit the cemetery and honor your uncle's sacrifice.

The driving time I gave you in my previous post is a bit misleading. Four hours is correct for the shortest route. If you stick to the autoroute (freeway) from Paris to Caen, your driving time to Bretteville-sur-Laize is reduced to 2 1/2 hours, even though it's a greater distance. However, you'll have the addtional expense of tolls.

Caen's Peace Memorial museum receives good reviews. Combined with your own pilgrimage, it might make it worthwhile to stay in the city overnight. Information here: http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portailgb/index.php

Thank you all for the very helpful information and suggestions. Right now we're thinking of taking a train to Caen, then a taxi. We have another day we can add to our train pass, so that's probably how we'll use it.