Normandy

leon76

Normandy
Hi,
I've booked a flight to Paris on 15.01.2008 for 5 days. We're hoping in spending 3 days in Normandy and the last two in Paris. We're very much interested in touring the D-Day beaches. Has anyone done the tours. Any tips on which are the best. Also,we have no hotel booked in the region. We want to stay in either Caen or Bayeux.Much appreciate some advice.

P. Breathnach

I won't comment on D-Day and related stuff, as I don't have a great interest in, or knowledge of, it. There is no shortage of resources.

I think Bayeux is a far nicer place to stay than Caen, mainly because it was one of the few towns in Normandy not to be very seriously damaged in WW2.

Benster

Hi Leon, I was there in Sept this year. I'd echo the advice to stay in Bayeaux over Caen as Caen is not as pretty (if that's important to you). We just did a day-trip to Caen and saw the sights. As for the D-Day trips, we didn't actually bother with an organised one, we just drove to a couple of museums and beaches with a good guide book. I don't think we really missed much. The museum in St. Laurent (Omaha beach) has a film presentation which is pretty good and tells you everything really.

Other places I would advise you to go are the American Cemetery in Colleville Sur Mer, Arromanches for the Mulberries, and the Point-du-Hoc east of Grandcamp Maisy.

We actually stayed the first few nights in an old chateau just 10 mins walk from the Point-du-Hoc site (link), I totally recommend it, the bedroom was bigger than the first floor of our house! They don't speak English unfortunately, so brush up on your language. Most other places are pretty used to english-speaking tourists and don't have a problem.

We also travelled to Deauville and Trouville, Honfleur, Mont St Michel and St Malo, took the car over on the ferry. Filling the boot with wine on the way back was another highlight :-)

I recommend hiring a car if you can, there is so much to see around the countryside and although there are buses, I didn't see too many around the place so you could be stuck in the towns without one.

Cheers,
B.

therewillbe

Hi, are there any Militaria / curios shops in these places ?

Benster

Do you mean shops selling genuine war-related stuff? None that I saw, everything that is "real" or of the time is in display cases. I think the museums have the usual shop at the door that sells books, models etc.

ollaetta

I visit Normandy each June for the D-Day anniversaries. I have visited the beaches and museums many times and would recommend the DIY approach.

There are two shops in Arromanches which sell genuine militaria. Most of it is stuff dug up on the beaches and they know how to charge.

If you make it up to Ste. Mere Eglise, there are two large shops which sell loads of re-enactment stuff and original relics also. Again, you will pay top dollar.

Each summer around the anniversary of D-Day there are a number of militaria markets held in the area.

delly

Hey OP, I did a similar thing about 5 years ago in that I spent 5 nights in Paris and then spent 1 night in Normandy. As most have already recommended I stayed in Bayeaux and went to nearly all off the places that Benster first mentioned.

It was great having the hire car to go wherever you want and as you drive around the hedgerow lined roads, you literally fall across pieces of artillery and equipment.

In addition to the sites listed above I would recommend Arromanches 360 which comprises of nine screens in wraparound formation to show a film on Normandy and D-Day. This link will explain it a little better, but I would defo recommend it.

leon76

Thanks all this info. Looking forward to the trip even more now.

regards

Leon.

leon76

Hi Benster, I've booked the hotel for two nights. All email replys from hotel in French so had to get the word translator out....

Have car booked as well so driving direct from Beuvais airport Thursday am. Can you recommend anywhere to stay in Normandy after our stay in ( Point Du Hoc) Chateau has ended.

regards

Leon.

paulanthony

I would look at staying in Honfleur as it is a nice town. Deauville, Trouville and Cabourg would be nice to stay in either and all have reasonably priced hotels - including some of the Frence budget chains.

leincar

Hi there.

I've been going to Normandy for over 40 years(Father was a D-Day Vet). You cannot go wrong with staying in Bayeux.

Two hotels in the centre would be:

Hotel De Brunville - Rue Genas Duhomme Ph. 02 31 211800
Grand Hotel Du Luxembourg - Rue Des Bouchers ph.02 31 920004

Two excellent restaurants:

La Rapier - Rue Saint Jean ph. 02 31 210545 (Closed on Thursdays)
Le Pommier - Rue Des Cuisiniers ph 02 312 215210.

Also there is the most amazing coffee shop where gluttany is the order of the day. You can't miss it. It has the most over the top decor inside but the pastries are to die for. Also further up from Le Rappier there is a bar/ Tabac where the staff are great and you'll find an old FCA beret behind the bar.

Ther is an excellent museum on the outskirts of Bayeux on the Bd du 6 June(D5) and nearby there is the Bayeux British cemetary.

The American cemetary at Colleville-Sur-Mer and the German cemetary at La Cambe. The difference in atmosphere at both cemetaries is remarkable. Despite thousands being buried at both La Cambe is a bleak place but a different atmosphere prevails at Colleville. Quite hard to explain you have to go there.

Take the D6 out of Bayeux and head for the D514. This road will bring you to Omaha Beach, Colleville and Point Du Hoc.

After that Ste Mere Eglise is well worth a visit. Another great museum there and of course Paratrooper John Steele still looks down from the church spire. Saint-Come-du-Mont is also worth a look with a small museum and shop at Deadmans Corner.

If you are there on Saturday Bayeux has a great market. Honestly you'll not want to go back to Paris.

leon76

Thanks for that. Printing it off now and will use as a reference when I get there.

regards

Leon.

Cicero

Only coming accross this now Leon 76- another hotel is the Churchill which while simple, is bang in the centre of the town in Bayeux and good staff there. Would appreciate your views on your accomodation in Paris, or the name of the place your staying at- desperate to find good reasonably priced accomodation in Paris that doesn't have a lot of v.bad reviews on tripadvisor- I'm usually good at finding places in France and Italy but Paris has me stumped
Enjoy the trip.