Normandy travel suggestions

August 18, 2005 1:18 PM

What sites should I make certain to visit in Normandy during a one-day bus tour from Paris?

I'm traveling with my 80-year-old dad, a WWII vet. I'm looking for bus-tour company recommendations and specific destinations. Also, do I have enough time during a one-day trip to see the D-Day beaches as well as the Bayeux Tapestry?

posted by sixpack to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

Possibly one of the most beautiful castles ever built, you may want to check out Mt. Saint Michelle. I don't know how that figures into your time-scale, but it's a place I've always wanted to see in person.
posted by thanotopsis at 1:37 PM on August 18, 2005

Mont-Saint-Michel is, in fact, spectacular. The only problem is that if you don't have a car, you need to bus out there as a separate trip, and it pretty much turns into a whole-day affair since buses don't leave all that often.
posted by mkultra at 1:45 PM on August 18, 2005

Mont St. Michel involves a lot of steps and inclines. Would this pose a problem for your dad?
posted by Morrigan at 3:02 PM on August 18, 2005

Monet's Garden is pretty nice, but stay well clear on the weekends.
posted by Wolof at 9:38 PM on August 18, 2005

Was in Normandy a couple of months ago for four days. Can't speak about bus-tours, as I rented a car.

Bayeaux Tapestry is definitely worth a trip, though if you're short for time, it might be worth fast-forwarding through the first half of the exhibition (context, history, interpretation etc.), and go straight on to the Tapestry itself, for which they give you a great audio tour that covers a lot of the stuff in the first half. Read up on this in any guide book.

Bayeaux is within easy one-day driving distance of the Normandy beaches, as I recall, but please note that the American cemetery at Colleville (Omaha beach) closes around 5-6pm. Find out exactly when to avoid disappointment.

That said, I'd give yourself two days to potter around Normandy/Bayeaux (are you coming from Paris?), esp. if you're Dad's not as sprightly on his feet as in the past.

Arromanches is worth dropping by just to see the remains of the Mulberry artificial harbour. I was pretty amazed.

The memorials/museum at Pegasus Bridge at Caen (a great story in itself) are also worth a look.

I found this all a pretty easy drive, it has to be said. If you can't find a bus tour that meets your needs, you might appreciate the flexibility of doing this all off your own bat, and renting a car. The "D-day" tour route is clearly signposted in English (though I cut corners past what I wanted to skip).

It's also worth noting that even though there are many D-day memorials, cemeteries and museums etc., the D-day beaches themselves are almost nothing like they were 60-odd years ago. For example, Omaha beach is now more about the massive U.S. cemetery overlooking the beach area than any reconstruction of the beach itself.

Also, re: Wolof's point, the gardens at Giverny are beautiful, but doing the Normandy coast and Giverny in one day is probably not a goer.
posted by bright cold day at 12:03 AM on August 19, 2005

you're/your Dad. Doh.
posted by bright cold day at 12:04 AM on August 19, 2005

More pics of Mt. Saint Michel, it may not be old-folks-friendly, but it should be seen at some point.
posted by wsg at 2:13 AM on August 19, 2005