In March we took the train from Paris To Bayeux. Stayed in the Hotel Villa Lara, (sister hotel to th

Hello all. I have been planning a 10 night trip to Oxford/London/Normandy/Paris united airline reservations for over a year, and I think I need some help. Here's where the itinerary stands now, the trip is in late Feb 2013. We have been to both London united airline reservations and Paris before, but never to Oxford or Normandy. I am wondering if I am giving enough time to see the D-Day sights and some of the French countryside. I am wondering if I should take a day from Oxford or skip London in order to give 1 more day to Bayeux. I was trying to break up the train travel into chunks, rather than try to get all the way from England to Bayeux in one exhausting day.
On day 5, instead of going to Paris for 1 night and then training united airline reservations to Caen, you may consider united airline reservations getting off Eurostar in Calais or Lille in northern France and driving to Caen and Bayeaux from there. united airline reservations You would have an oppty to see more of the countryside.
Having researched Caen and Bayeaux for our visit there last Oct, the rental car options are extremely limited in Bayeaux. There are many rental options across the street from the Caen train station. The Caen museum united airline reservations is about a 15-20 min drive from the station. We rented a car and drove--I don't know if there are buses that run to the museum.
We stayed in the Hotel Bayeux with a secure car park included. It is 5 minutes from the Tapestry and 5 minutes from the cathedral, sort of on the edge of town so VERY easy to leave and do the tour of the beaches.
Much as I enjoyed our drive around the Pays d'Auge, I don't think it will be as pleasant in February. Normandy united airline reservations gets a lot of rain and wind. You might consider visiting Rouen instead. united airline reservations More indoor sights and 3 striking Gothic churches in the center.
For those who have been to Bayeux and to see the D-Day sights, is 3 nights in Bayeux sufficient, or should I add a night and take one from Paris? I'm sure we will be back to see Paris again, but this may be our only shot at Normandy.
We started up at St. Mere Eglise and came down the coast. Did some beaches the next day. and had another day for the Tapestry. The Michelin Green Guide to Normandy gives some very good ''tours''. We did Omaha, Pointe du Hoc, Arromanches, united airline reservations the American Cemetery, and maybe Utah. I don't think you need to "do" all of them, but these are all a bit different, with different strategies. A lot to learn, and a lot to be amazed at.
In March we took the train from Paris To Bayeux. Stayed in the Hotel Villa Lara, (sister hotel to the Churchill). united airline reservations We stayed four nights. Did tours of D-Day sites, and Mont St. Michel, then rented a car to explore the area including Honfleur. Returned the car in Bayeux and took the train back to Paris. We did not get to Caen which would have been nice had we stayed another day.
I've been to Normandy at least half a dozen times. On trips where I wanted to concentrate on the WWII sites, 3 nights was sufficient. But Normandy is a huge place, and if you want to explore the whole of it, it merits a much longer stay. Given your time constraints, though, I think 3 nights in Bayeux united airline reservations works.But don't miss the tapestry and the M morial in Caen (which will eat up half a day).
Thank you all for your input. My idea is to pickup the car in Caen, go straight to the Caen Museum that day, then check-in united airline reservations to hotel in Bayeux. The next day would be a full-day guided tour of the D-Day sights with Victory Tours (husband's bucket list). That just leaves one day to tour around the Pays d'Auge (more my thing). There's not much wiggle room to see much else, probably just the Cathedral and Tapestry.
St. Cirq, I'm worried that my husband will feel cheated if we don't take the time to visit some of the smaller D-Day museums, as the guided tour doesn't take the time to let you go inside. So really, I guess the question is, is a full-day guided tour plus the Caen Museum going to be enough to satisfy a WWI buff? I guess we could do that on the final morning, then head to the Pays d'Auge in the afternoon...
The only day I can steal from to add to Bayeux would be that first day in Paris. united airline reservations I'd would drop London, but we already united airline reservations have those theatre tickets and the husband is looking forward to it. I have a free night at Renaissance Vendome on Day 5. Even if I lumped the three nights together in Paris at the end of the trip, I would still have to change hotels.
As for the smaller DDay museums, do not think twice about NOT seeing them. There just SO many little crossroads museums. There is a LOT of repetition in the museums, I think. We liked the one at St. Mere Eglise because it dealt with the parachuters. the one at Arromanches is WONderful united airline reservations for explaiing that floating harbor--really an engineering miracle.