We are planning to take a side trip from Paris to Normandy one morning and back the next evening as we pass through to go to the alps. We want to see the D-Day beaches and Mont St Michel. It looks like by train we would need to go to Rennes and head north or Caen and head south. But from what I read, the interconnecting trains and busses are a pain in the behind. Also, when you are touring like that, with no base to leave your stuff, what do you do with your bags? We are just bringing large wheeled backpacks, but even that will get burdensome to lug around all day.
We looked at one day car rentals but they are really high over there - almost $200 right now. I cant see spending that much for one day. But I am not sure if the alternatives look much better. Any ideas on how to do this mini-tour of Normandy more efficitively w.r.t. time and money?
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To get d-day and mont st michel in a short trip a car is the best bet.
With a car you can use a d-day audio guide which will save you the cost of several minibus trips or a private guide. Don%26#39;t try to visit without a guide of some sort. The zone covers 60 miles by 10.
At Mont St Michel guides are available in the ticket price. You just have to wait for the next english tour.
For car rental have you looked at
rentacar.fr
or
ada.fr
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If I am correct that you are planning an overnight in Normandy, I would suggest that you choose Bayeux as your base. Choosing between a car rental and train/tour packages would probably be determined by the number in your party. Train travel is usually faster than car routes, but all of the tickets and tour costs can add up to more than car rental. I just find train travel more relaxing than driving, but others would recommend differently. It%26#39;s really a matter of choice.
I%26#39;m not sure from your post if the trip to the Alps is included in these two days. If it is, I think The D Day/MSM visits would be too much. MSM is about an hour and a half from Bayeux, so I would choose one or the other.
It is possible to visit the sites you mention without renting a car. Here%26#39;s how:
1) There is a direct train from Paris St. Lazare to Bayeux. This train goes through Caen, and if you choose to rent a car, I would suggest you that do this in Caen as rates are more competitive than in Bayeux. The cost of this train travel is as little as 28 Euros one way. Read more on the %26quot;France%26quot; forum for discussions on how to purchase your ticket;
2) If you take an early morning train, you can catch a 1/2 day afternoon tour of the Normandy sites. Overlord and Battlebus are two companies that are frequently recommended on this forum, and the cost is about 45 Euros/person for 1/2 day. If you are staying in Bayeux, you can leave your bags at your hotel;
3) The Hotel Churchill offers a minivan trip to Mont St. Michel. Visit their site for the exact cost, but it%26#39;s not cheap. From Bayeux, it is possible to take a train to Pontorson (spelling?) and a bus to MSM. I haven%26#39;t done this, but you should be able to find info on the MSM site. Three hours seems to be the consensus of the time you should plan for your MSM visit.
These are just options that you can consider when choosing the one that is right for you. Have a great trip and let me know if I can answer any questions.
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