My husband and I are visiting the Normandy area (staying in Bayeux) for two days only. We%26#39;ve never been there before. We arrive in Caen by 7 a.m. on 7/22 via ferry, stay overnight for two nights, leaving for Paris on 7/24 in the morning.
We will definitely be going on one of the D-Day tours, and seeing the Bayeux Tapestry (I understand that it takes only about an hour to see that). I cannot decide whether to go to the Caen Peace Museum or to Mont St. Michel. I%26#39;ve heard that the Caen Peace Museum is very good, but I%26#39;d love to visit Mont St. Michel also (even though I%26#39;m sure it will be a madhouse). I%26#39;m leaning slightly in favor of visiting Mont St. Michel, rather than the Caen Museum, because it%26#39;s a %26quot;real%26quot; sight, rather than a museum (if you know what I mean). Also, we%26#39;ll be doing an all-day D-Day tour, so maybe we should balance it out with other history in the area.
Anyone have thoughts on which to visit - Caen Peace Museum or Mont St. Michel? Many thanks.
|||
Are you doing a full day or halfday tour?
If it%26#39;s a halfday, say the afternoon of the 22nd, you could do the tapestry in the morning, leaving the 23rd free to do the Caen museum the next morning and visiting MSM late afternoon after the majority of the crowds have left.
Alternatively, if you%26#39;r doing a full day tour on the 23rd you could do the Caen museum on your way to Bayeux on the morning of the 22nd (it%26#39;s enroute from the ferry to Bayeux), do the tapestry in the afternoon and if you wanted a really long day, MSM in the evening.
If I had to choose between the two I would probably go for the museum but that%26#39;s because I have a big interest in the war history and hate crowds (MSM). It would also involve less driving.
|||
Hello Twink-Twink,
Visit Caen, it%26#39;s a lovely city with the Peace Museum and William I the Conqueror%26#39;s castle, visit the harbour. And then go to the Mont Saint Michel there is around 100 KM between the 2 points. If you want to avoid the crowds, after 4 or 5PM, when all the bus tour leaves.
But if you have to choose between the museum of MSM, visit the abbey, it%26#39;s the second most visited site in France after Tour Eiffel, and if you%26#39;ve never been there it%26#39;s a wonderful place!
|||
Thanks to all for the responses. We are planning to do a full-day D-Day tour on 7/23. The hotel we%26#39;re staying at (Churchill Hotel) has a bus to Mont St. Michel that leaves at 9 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m. If we took the bus to Mont St. Michel, I%26#39;m thinking that we would miss out on the Peace Museum because it would probably be closed (or close to closing) by the time we got there (probably around 4:30 or so). The museum website does not say how late it is open (at least, not that I could find on the English version of the website). Any idea how late the museum is open?
It sounds like we could do it all if we had a rental car, but I%26#39;m a little worried about having a rental car due to the crowds in July. Will parking and driving be a hassle? I wouldn%26#39;t imagine that Caen has loads of parking like here in the U.S., but I could be wrong about that. Again, thanks so much!
|||
The roads in NOrmandy are rarely buys, only really the coastal roads in August. There are plenty of underground car parks in Caen. The only place that could be a hastle is parking at MSM but if you go later in the day it won%26#39;t be too bad at all.
|||
I meant to say busy!!!!
|||
If you have to choose I would go to Mont Saint Michel. It%26#39;s unique. The information you%26#39;d get from a visit to the memorial you can get through internet and the history channel. Only go there if you%26#39;ve seen every thing else that you want to see. In Two days I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;d have time.
How will you get from the ferry to Bayeux without a car?
For the price of a taxi, the MSM shuttle and taxis to Caen you could rent two cars. You need a car in Normandy. You%26#39;ll see twice as much.
No comments:
Post a Comment