We just returned from a two weeks in France spending 4 nights in Bayeux. Many thanks to people on the Forum for their advice, especially on how to travel if you are not renting a vehicle.
Planning Lessons Learned
- Hotels: We started planning our May trip in February. Every hotel/B&B mentioned in the RS guidebook was booked. We were lucky to find a hotel in town Le St. Patrice. While it was lovely, it was 15 minute walk to the main town and had no elevator (we were on the 4th floor).
- Restaurants: I started booking restaurant reservations a few weeks out. Many of the restaurants recommended on the Forum/RS book were already booked. It is very challenging to walk into a restaurant without reservations, especially on a weekend.
- Build in Flexibility in Train Reservations. I was unsure on whether I could make the earlier train from CDG to Bayeux, so I booked a later ticket with flexibility to change with no penalties. Luckily we got to the train station earlier and changing tickets was a breeze.
- Order a taxi in advance as there were not many taxis waiting at the train station. I found Bayeux Taxis on line and contacted them via WhatsApp and they had someone waiting for our train.
Bayeux is a Lovely Base for Exploring the D-Day Beaches and Mont St. Michel
We loved Bayeux, it is a very charming town with easy access via tours and shuttles to the D-Day Beaches and Mont St. Michel. While we could explore Bayeux on our, I am glad we took the Discovery Bayeux City Tour. Christèle was our guide and we uncovered so many hidden gems about Bayeux from its Celtic and Roman History to its role in the establishment of the modern French state after WWII. After the tour we visited the remarkable Bayeux Tapestry and the Cathedral. Because of our tour, we knew so much more about the Cathedral and could better appreciate it.
We also took the advice of members of this Forum and took the Utah and Omaha Beach tour from Overlord Tours. Our guide Thierry was born in Bayeux and was knowledgeable about all things DD Day. What I loved about the tour is that there was so much history and context we would never had if we went to the sites on our own. We also had time on our own to explore and that was especially wonderful at the American Cemetery.
For Mont St. Michel, we also took the recommendation of the Forum members to book the Shuttle at the Churchill Hotel. This allowed us to explore Mont St. Michel without driving. The only challenge in taking a shuttle is that you arrive around 10:00 a.m. and it is very crowded. While I am glad we went to Mont St. Michel as it is a remarkable site and the abbey is lovely, my husband did not like the crowds, the souvenir shops and mediocre food.
As for food, it was a mixed bag. We found this amazing little restaurant, Le Volet Qui Penche. The food their was modern, fresh, and inventive. We loved the fact that we could split dishes and the standouts were the braised leek salad, escargot made with wild garlic and the hanger steak. There was an excellent selection of wine and local ciders. The other standout for us was lunch at Selma Alabama. This breakfast/lunch place had fusion of American food with French flair. I loved my Avocado toast made with guacamole and topped with scrambled eggs served with a mixed green salad. We also ate at the RS recommended Le Moulin de la Galette, the food was very good. The other places we ate were not as successful. We wanted to like Le Pommier, but the food quality was uneven. My lamb was excellent, but the side dishes were served lukewarm and lacked flavor. My husband's steak was cooked at multiple temperatures. The best thing about the meal was the apple pie. Lion D'Or food and service was significantly better than Le Pommier, but it lacked creativity and we felt that it was not the best value for the money.
All in all, we wished we had more time to explore the Normandy region.