Normandy beaches without car

lindascribbler

Thirteen year old is mad interested in seeing WW11 beaches this summer. Would like to bring him but am too nervous to take the car or hire one out there. Is it possible to do the tour without having to drive...say, take the train from Beauvais airport to Bayeux, stay in Bayeux & join an organised tour from there? Has anyone done this or is it a hugely better option to drive?

Any suggestions, tips greatly appreciated.

Linda

nompere

Google is so often your friend:

https://www.google.ie/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENIE293&q=normandy+bus+tours+bayeux&oq=bus+tours+bayeux&aq=1mK&aqi=g-msK1g-mK1g-bK1&aql=&gs_l=igoogle.1.1.0i5i10i30j0i5i30j0i8i30.247.8269.0.10742.16.15.0.1.1.0.83.1080.15.15.0...0.0.V7ZL95wO4zA

lindascribbler

Thanks for that Nompere. I have actually spent the last couple of days on Google & am aware of bus/train tours, flights etc etc.
Just wondering if anyone who has gone the bus/train tour route has any tips....
Such as whether I could book the beaches tour itself when I get to Bayeux or if it's essential to have it pre-booked.
Or if I should book the train trip from airport to Bayeux before or wait til we get out there??
Or if anyone has stayed in Bayeux & can recommend hotels that have tours leaving from them?
If you've done Normandy beaches yourself, Nompere, any info greatly appreciated.

nompere

lindascribbler wrote: »

If you've done Normandy beaches yourself, Nompere, any info greatly appreciated.

I have visited the Normandy beaches, though it was a long time ago.

It was the first time I had driven my car in France, and I still remember the very deep breath I took as I drove off the ferry in Dieppe. It was the first hour or so that took a lot of concentration. I then took my car all over France in most of the following 25 years.

I vividly recall peering over the Pointe du Hoc and marvelling that anyone could actually climb that cliff, let alone when someone else was shooting at them at the same time.

I have very happy memories of an amazing fish lunch in Arromanches, a town that is well worth visiting. There's a terrific museum in Arromanches.

In September this year I'm going back again.

Ardennes1944

i am back from normandy only a week. was there the last 2 years for the anniversary. without a car youre going to need a hell of a lot more time. it is not a place where you spend a day at one place. youre constantly hopping in and out of the car to see the next site. i do want to do it by bicycle at some stage but car is definitely best. its a 3hour drive to bayeux from paris airport too, although you can get a train to caen and then a bus to bayeux. it is a fantastic place, but you need to be prepared to get the best out of it.

there is nothing to be nervous of with driving also, the drive from charles de gaulle is pretty easy as you go around the periphery of paris. i can only imagine beauvais airport would be even easier being so far north. straight 2 and a half hour drive down the a13 motorway and then driving around basse normandy is fine. loads of tourists in the same boat as you.

if you need any information i would be happy to help

lindascribbler

Thank you Ardennes for helpful tips

I've just found organised trip from Central Paris that gives good overview of beaches. Very long and expensive, though. I agree car would be much more practical.

Thanks again

Cent849

Hi Lindascribbler,
I am going to Normandy next week, ferry to Roscoff, driving to St Aubin sur mer, where we are based.
Myself & Hubbie will share the driving, just over 3.5 hours. There is nothing to worry about driving on the other side, the roads are very good in France, and sure if you get a bit lost, it all adds to the adventure.
Check out "the lonely planet" website, it gives a good bit of info there. I am looking forward to doing the D-Day sights as it's something I've always said I'd do (another one off the bucket list! LOL).
Enjoy it whichever way you decide to travel.
Ardennes or Nompere, any advise, tips would be appreciated, I have made out a sort of itinerary to follow, as we have just three days there before we head back to Brittany.

Ardennes1944

things that would be first for me after both times are pointe du hoc, longues-sur-mer, St. Marie du Mont, Bayeux ( walk along by the river by the tourist office its beautiful) , the german cemetary at La Cambe, american one at colleville sur mer, between vierville and st.marie du mont there is a 1,000 year old church at Angoville au Plain that still has blood on 2 pews from 7 June 1944. it is a beautiful hamlet and church, learn about the battle and the story behind it before you go. the museum at pegasus bridge is fantastic, as is the airborne one at st.mere eglise. sword and gold beaches arent very pretty (not that that matters) but the beaches of utah and omaha are fantastic, the longest beaches ive ever seen. arromanches is pretty too, and make sre you check for low tide at the tourist office so you can walk to the mulberry harbour. if youre feeling brave like I did last week, take a swim at Omaha beach
enjoy it, its a fantastic place. around the anniversary is best though as there is hundreds of ww2 vehicles and soldiers in full pack around the place.

Cent849

Thanks for that Ardennes, I'll make a note of your suggestions. I guess when we sit down with a map we can plan a bit better.
Thanks again, much appreciated.

maddragon

Done the beaches a few times. Much easier with your own car to be honest. Don't miss the new museum at Pegasus bridge near Caen. This was where the British Airborne troops were landed in order to seize the canal bridge over the River Orne and prevent a German counterattack on the left flank of the landings.

Great restaurant near the Longue-Sur-Mere gun battery called le chaumiere if it's still there.

Also, St Mere Eglise with it's excellent museum is not to be missed. Go on the ferry with your car and watch "The Longest Day" the night of the crossing. Read and or bring D-Day by Anthony Beevor, Overlord by Max Hastings and Six Armies in Normandy by John Keegan so you can appreciate it.

Just saw Ardennes1944 recommendations - basically what he said, excellent advice.

Sorry, I'm just such an anorak for military history. I'm jealous now. Enjoy and stock up on the vino in Cherbourg (Normandy wine warehouse) before you leave.

maddragon

PS: One word of advice. If you visit any of the sites and it is very quiet, make sure you don't leave valuables in the car. Our laptop and camera was stolen at the Longues-Sur-Mere gun battery back in October 2001 when we left the car for 15 minutes to go and look at the guns. It was late afternoon there was no other visitors there at the time. Apparently, it's common for cars to be broken into at the more obscure sites outside of normal hours (isn't it the same everywhere).

ProudDUB

OP, many moons ago, I went to the Normandy beaches on a school trip with my Inter Cert history class. Going to the beaches was fab, but what really stayed with me was going to one of the Allied cemeteries and seeing all the thousands of graves of the D Day landings soldiers. Row after row after row of those small white crosses stretching out as far as the eye could see, was an incredible sight.

Seeing the beaches and the mulberrys and museums were great. But after a couple of days, each new beach was just...well.. another beach. (Hey what can I say? I was only 15. ) Visiting the cemetery really brought home to me what happened there far more than any museum ever could. I can still remember the silence. Even the birds didn't sing. Twenty years later, and that's what I remember far more than I do the beaches themselves.

I don't remember the name of it, but there was a big memorial monument at the entrance to it, so I presume it was one of the major ones. I think that your son could really find it interesting.

lindascribbler

Thanks for all the tips & recommendations. I've found a trip from Paris with a company called Viator & will go with that. Will report back:)

Merci encore.:D

Ardennes1944

Oh and more important thing! Bring a good torch so you can investigate the bunkers for yourself. It's something not many think of and I only learned from last year. It was much better this year examining every inch of the interior

okiss

I would not know about this. I was looking at the pab tours in the Ireland, Britain and Europe 2012 and they had a tour in it showing the battle fields.
I don't have the info at the moment but there web address is pab.ie.

lindascribbler

For those nervous of driving around France like moi, I'm back & it worked out fabulously, without car. Flew to Paris (Beauvais) with Ryanair and while I know I could have hired a car & drove up to adjacent Normandy etc, instead we took shuttle bus & metro into Central Paris, stayed overnight & left the following day at crack of dawn with Viator. Comfortable coach, knowledgeable guide & a visit to War Memorial at Caen, Point du Hoc, Omaha, Arromanches, Juno & Gold. Got back to Paris in time in evening to take a stroll to Eifel Tower & flew home Thursday. Thirteen year old loved it all, especially getting in and out of the bunkers at Point Du Hoc:)
Thanks for all the tips etc., visiting Normandy beaches was unforgetteable even if it was planes, trains & coaches:rolleyes:

greenspurs

Ghost thread alert*

Trying to plan a trip to Normandy myself.

Any tips/hints ?

Living Off The Splash

If anyone knows of a train or bus link from either Beauvais airport or Beauvais town to the area around Honfleur I would be interested. I remember researching this some years ago and I think there were train and bus changes that did not seem practical.