We are on our first trip to Paris in July, and would like to do a day trip from Paris to Normandy to see the d-day landings. Has anyone done this? We are only in Paris for 3 days, so unsure if this is too much of a rush, and too long a day?
Any suggestions would be great.
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Several tour companies (for example Parisvision) offer one-day trips to the Normandy beaches. It is a long day -- 12 to 14 hours depending of the traffic -- but definitely do-able if it is important for you to visit.
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You could take an early train to Caen from Gare St. Lazare (there is one around 7 AM) two hour train ride - pick up a rental car for the day (I suggest renting through Hertz) and do a self guided tour. Just read up before your trip - buy a good map and guide book.
The sites, monuements and museums are in relatively close distance to each other. With renting your own car - you can go where you want and judge the amount of time you want to spend at each place.
Buy your return ticket after you%26#39;ve dropped the car off - or if you buy it as a round trip ticket - leave the return ticket time open ended.
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Contact www.fattirebiketoursparis.com. They do a one day tour of the D-day beaches utilizing the train to Bayeux and then an eight passenger van with a tourguide. There is no bike riding involved.
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check out the website www.linkparis.com, they offer 1 day tours from Paris. We used them and they were great, you can arrange your own rail, or they will do it for you, either way, they will pick you up at the Caen train station.
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If you%26#39;re only in Paris for 3 days, I%26#39;d recommend against it, I%26#39;d also recommend to skip Versailles. There%26#39;s plenty to see and do in Paris without using valuable time traveling outside of Paris.
However, in 2002, we hired a semi-private guide. Picked us up at our hotel in Paris early, returned back to hotel late. Wonderful trip! I do not know if this guy still does Normandy however!
Voyages a Paris
Pierre Dejeammes
work: +33 1 55 35 38 00
mobile: +33 (0)6 08 42 21 91
work: mdeur@voyagesaparis.com
home: dejeammes@ifrance.com
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Question... if we went with the Fat Tire Bike Tour on the tour to Normandy... how long is the van ride from the train station to the sites?
Thanks so much!
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I%26#39;m guessing less than a half hour.
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We signed up for the Fat Tire trip to Normandy on one trip. I chose that one because departure was several hours later from Paris and not so long a day.
However, when we went to the office to pick up our train tickets, we were advised that there were so many signed up that the tour would be conducted on a huge coach bus, rather than a minivan. And, that there we should bring lunch to eat on the train, and that there would be NO stops or even coffee breaks during the tour in Normandy. All that, combined with their somewhat abbreviated list of destinations in Normandy...well, we cancelled (and had no problem getting fully refunded).
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We took the Fat Bike Tour to Normandy in early November and had a great experience. When we got off the train and met the driver we were the only ones on the tour. I would have thought they would have cancelled because of the small number but they didn%26#39;t and we had the driver/tour guide all to ourselves. He was fabulous and after all the sites took us to the town where he was raised and saw a lot more than we expected and was more personalized. I realize now that it might be a different experience in warmer months with so many visitors. But if you know you will not get back to France and you really want to see Normandy then go for it.
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Fat Tire is tres expensive (150 euros per person?) but I guess that includes transportation to and from. But for a family it makes you think twice, yikes!
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