Paris to Normandy Landing beaches or stay in Bayeaux?

[teachatthebeach]

We will be staying in Paris for a few days post cruise and want to see the Normandy landing beaches.  We are two families with high school teenagers.  We're trying to decide if we want to do a very long day tour from Paris or stay for a day or two in Bayeaux.  Besides Mont Saint-Michel, what else could we see near Bayeaux?  Thank you!

[CruiserBruce]

The American area of the D Day sites are pretty close to Bayeaux. We stayed in Bayeaux, definitely recommend it. Not to mention the beaches, there are the parachute drop locations and associated towns and museums, like St Mere Eglise, etc.

[John Bull]

There are certainly two days (and more) of D-Day sights to see in very easy round-trips from Bayeux.

Nearest (Omaha & American cemetery) is a 20-minute drive, furthest (Utah beach) is 45 minutes with a great many other sights en-route.

Bayeux, relatively untouched by the Normandy campaign, has a magnificent cathedral and the famous Bayeux Tapestry, and there are other minor non-WW2 sights, villages, countryside & coast.

 

But Mont St Michel is 75 miles, over 90 minutes, away on fast but boring roads. It warrants a full day, and I'd be inclined to strike it in favour of so many other sights close to Bayeux.

 

You'd get to see very little if you used the infrequent & limited bus service, so you need either

- a local tour 

https://www.overlordtour.com/ is excellent & offers shared van day-tours from Bayeux, and there are other D-Day tour operators

- or rent a car. Choose between renting in Paris, or take a direct train from Paris to Bayeux and rent from one of the agencies close to Bayeux station. I'd recommend the second - there's no city driving or toll roads in the area, it's a mix of  the main N13 autoroute and country & coastal lanes.

Renting a car also gives you the option of accommodation on the coast (Arromanches would be ideal) or a village or countryside inn, hotel, farmhouse etc

 

JB 

Edited July 22, 2019 by John Bull

[caripoo]

Stay for 2 days for sure...see the tapestrys in Bayeux. We are staying in Honfleur......Beautiful little seaside town close to all these things