A Guide to Visiting the Normandy D-Day Beaches
You should stay in Bayeux, a small town preserved from the bombardments of this terrible battle thanks to its vicinity to Caen, which was completely destroyed.
WHERE TO STAY IN BAYEUX ?
I just felt like sharing some of my experience with you now.
In Bayeux, there are contless charming hotels where you can find avery good deal for money.
An important thing to keep in mind about these places is that thetouristic season is really from March till November.
From November to March, most of the tour guides and tourismprofessionals are on a kind of "vacation mode".
The peak season here is really mid May to late June. Prices can seriously rise for hotels around the D-Day Anniversaries, and availability can be scarce if you don't book well in advance.
Hotel Reine Mathilde ( My favorite choice. Also, the only one in town open year round.)
http://www.hotel-bayeux-reinemathilde.fr/en/
Hotel Villa Lara ( the local Ritz, as good as the Ritz inParis but much cheaper )
http://www.hotel-villalara.com/en/
Hotel Tardiff Noble Guest House ( very nice hotel in a17th Century buidling )
https://www.hoteltardifbayeux.com/
Simply the Best ( really chic, with a swimming pool, aMichelin rated restaurant, a spa, and lots of amenities. One minus,not in the center of town but ten minutes drive)
https://www.lacheneviere.com/
Next to Arromanches ( charming place 10mns from Bayeux, with a fantastic restaurant)
https://www.ranconniere.fr/?lang=en
Very Historical, with thoroughbred horses by your window.
https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/16659694?guests=1&adults=1
Chic and great restaurant. Amazing swimming pool and spatreatments in the summer.
https://chateaudaudrieu.com/en/
2 minutes from Bayeux ( perfect choice for those who wantto sleep in a Chateau but still almostdowntown.)
http://www.hotel-bellefontaine.com/
Elegant, and a great swimmingpool.
http://www.chateau-de-sully.com/en/
HOW TO GET TO BAYEUX FROM PARIS ?
In order to get to BAYEUX from Paris, you have two options :
If you need a car and are OK to drive in France, you should take the A14 Highway West to ROUEN, then the A13 heading to CAEN, and then you'll see signs to BAYEUX closer to CAEN.
It should take you about 2h30, 3hrs drive to get to your final destination.
On the French highways you can always refill the tank and get some snacks, food.
Yet, the price of fuel here is quite high, and the fuel on the highway is the most expensive you can find in France.
Most of the French people buy from supermarket chains. Much cheaper.
If you choose this option, bear in mind that you might have todrive through Paris.
That is not something to be done by sunday drivers, as traffic andthe way Parisians drive is more hectic than in NYC.
Many scooters, bicycle and pedestrians respect not much the lights and stops.
Also, leaving Paris center to Bayeux you might have to cross the famous Arc de Triomphe roundabout. The kind of "black slope diamond " experience.
Driving outside of Paris andin the rest of France is then very easy. Just pay attention to your speed. Maximum 130Km/h on thehighways.
In Bayeux, parking is not a problem.
There are many parking spots and all the hotels have parking spotsfor their clients.
BY TRAIN :
https://www.raileurope.com/?country=US&locale=en¤cy=USD
BY PLANE :
This airport though international does not operate many flights each day, but you can find a connection to other major cities in France, in the UK , Spain and Northern Africa.
https://www.caen.aeroport.fr/
Then, from the airport just take a taxi to your hotel in Bayeux.
There are always many taxis when planes land.
It takes about 30mns drive and should be under 70EUR one way.
CAEN Carpiquet airport
WHERE TO EAT IN BAYEUX ?
Bayeux has a great choice of cafés and restaurants.
When in Bayeux, you'll feel
Le Pommier, L’Alchimie et La Rapière
How to get most ofyour day(s) visiting the Normandy D-Day Beaches.
Booking well inadvance.
Selection carefullythe tour company, tour guide.
Group tour/PrivateGuide.
The importance ofunbiased reviews.
Being nice with theguide and asking questions.
Take time for lunch.French people take a long break.
Also, a tour guide has no breaks from the moment he meets you, so his lunch break (with you, his clients ) is the only time during the day when he can relax a little as well as get to know you better.
Do not try to see all the sites in one day, this is just impossible.
Trust the experience of the tour guide for the itinerary. He/she lives here and did itmany times already.
Useful tips inBayeux :
Laundry :
Rue des BouchersOpen 7/7 7AM-9PM
Pharmacy :
15 RueSaint-Patrice, 14400 Bayeux
This pharmacy has staff speaking quite good English actually and they know the equivalent of many US drugs in French. Useful
Museum in Bayeux
The Bayeux Tapestry museum.