Traveling to Normandy-Be Prepared!
Written: May 25 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful French countryside and D-Day beaches
Cons: Lack of development and road signs.
The Bottom Line: Great to see the battle beaches, D-Day cemetery and French countryside. But do your homework before you go or take an organized tour. This is still an undeveloped area.
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| rlesino's Full Review: Normandy Region - France |
I just returned (travel May 15-20, 2005) from a five day visit to the Normandy D-Day Beaches, Mont St. Michelle and Paris. I have read the four other reviews on Epinions and they are very good, but don't give the traveler the real insight to traveling to this area of France, so I hope to help you if you decided to go.
Getting to Normandy from Paris:
Four of my friends flew to Paris a few days before me. One had never been to Paris and wanted to do all the tourist stuff (Eiffel tower, etc.). So, we decided that they would do the tourist stuff and then we would all meet in Caen. They were renting a car and driving from Paris to Caen and would pick me up at the Caen train station.
The train to Caen:
I booked my one-way ticket on the Rail Europe web stie. Easy to use and my tickets were mailed to me in the USA before my trip. I had a flight that landed in Paris at 10am, then booked a van to take me to my hotel which got me there at Noon. I checked into my hotel (Kyriad in Bercy Village near the #14 Metro line). I then took the Metro to St. Lazara train station (about a 20 min. Metro ride). My train reservation was for 2:30pm to arrive in Caen at 4:30 pm.
When I arrived at the St. Lazara train station it was a bit confusing. Three giant train schedule boards show the trains and which tracks they depart. Not knowing there were three (thinking there was on one schedule board) I did not see my train. Only after asking several French travelers who spoke English did I find that the trains to Caen left from the very end of the station (track 27) and the far right (or third-end display board) lists the trains and track they depart for Caen.
The station has many vendors to buy a sandwhich, drinks, papers, etc. I bought a sandwhich and bottled water for my lunch on the train. However, the train did have a trolly-cart with food that came thru the train.
The train ride to Caen:
The train was neat and clean. It left on time. I would compare it to an Amtrak metroliner. Tickets were colleted on the train and the conducter punched my Euro Rail ticket. One French woman did not have the correct ticket and had to pay a large fine and buy a ticket on the train, very expensive...so don't travel without a ticket as the fines are steep.
Arrival in Caen:
My friends and their rental car were waiting at the Caen train station to pick me up. Caen is a very large and modern city.
The drive to Normdy Beaches:
We had booked in advance to stay overnight in Arromanches, a small village near the Gold and Sword beaches where the Canadians and British landed. It was a restored Chateau called the Hôtel Ferme de la Rançonnière (see their website). Off the beaten track but a unique experience with lovely dinner and breakfast included in the room price. Beautifully restored rooms, with all the modern conveniences. Best French dinner meal we have had in a long time with nice bar too.
Driving to the beaches and the Omaha Beach Cemetery and Mont St. Michelle:
I think most Americans think France (now day) must be built up and modern and look a lot like America. WRONG! The area near Normandy and the D-Day beaches is still quite rural with rolling hills, many farms, and only small villages. The coast roads are one-lane roads, called two-lane roads, but two cars can barely pass each other. The interstate system is in-land and about 10 miles from the beach area.
So, if you plan to go, I suggest you be an experienced European car driver, or go on a group bus tour and leave the driving to the local French, or go on a group van tour where a local is driving you.
While we were not experienced European drivers, my friend drove and I navigated from Map Quest directions he had worked on for about a month before the trip. For some reason Map Quest took us on all the back country roads. Beautiful, but lots of turns, twists and changes in road signs and road names, thru small villages and on back roads.
Canadian Beaches of Sword, Gold Juno:
This small town has a small museum worth seeing. The beach area was quite shocking. For May, it was cold, wet and closed for the most part. The town is a sleepy sea-side town. To us it looked like Wildwood, New Jersey which is closed for 9 months and then swell for the Summer 3 month season. Even in May the town looked closed. No restaurants were open, no people walking around in Arromanches. Only thing moving was a group of school kids taking wind surfing lessons on tri-wheel sand carts that use the wind to drive the carts on the beach sand.
This area still has a German 88 gun emplacement, but the day, weather, and look of the beach could have been June 1944 at D-Day. We had the whole place to ourselves, and the cold and wet made of have visions of the soldiers experience on that day coming ashore.
Omaha Beach:
We drover further north on a one lane road that had only one gas station. Our Mercedes car was diesel and luckly the station had diesel fuel. Omaha beach is in the middle of nothing. A small road takes you down to the beach area off to the side of the cemetery area. We walked on the beach, again vacant except for a few kids wind surfing on the beach.
We drove to the cemetery on the top of the bluff. A fantastic cemetery but again in the middle of nowhere...no towns, no gas stations, no snack bards, even the toilets on the cemetery had large signs not to drink the water as it is NOT potable...a very remote area and not really built for tourists...so bring your own food, water, and lunch...or have your tour operator bring a cooler for you.
Omaha Beach Cemetery:
A haunting place, and most enjoyable. Many graves, maps of the battle. However, I was dissappointed that on May 15, 2005 a few weeks before the 60th anniversary there were no guides, or persons or volunteers to speak to the tourists. Unless you saw the movies "The Longest Day" or "Saving Private Ryan" or are a student of history, or have a guide, you really won't understand what took place. I was shocked standing on the overlook by the map of how many American and French tourists came to look at the map and ask ME questions about the battle.
My father was in a DC-3 dropping paratroopers that night so I was a student of the D-Day invasion. One couple had never even heard of the movie "The Longest Day"...I was shocked. They came because they saw, "Saving Private Ryan" and had not historical knowledge of WWII or the D-Day Landings...how said our own culture has forgotten so fast!!!!!!!
The Drive to Mont. St. Michelle:
We drove from Omaha beach to Mont St. Michelle, the ancient island monestry. Our Map Quest direction took us on some back road of beautiful farms, and then onto an interstate highway. Mont. St. Michelle is a tourist area (I call it a tourist rip-off area) where you pay to park and walk into the castle. The small street is full of vendors trying to sell you anything and everything. The only good thing is the beautiful church and many bars on the walk up the hill. We stopped and had a beer and calvados (this is calvados country in Normandy ...an apple cognac for those of you never having Calvados).
Be careful of the tides at Mont St. Michelle. That is what tourist go to see. They come in and depart swiftly leaving the water filled moat empty so you can walk around the castle, then come in swiftly and trap many tourists.
The drive back to Paris:
It was about a two hour drive. If you have never driven on the beltway around Paris (called the Perriffeire) don't do it at rush hour. French drivers have no patience and if you miss a turn off, you will have to drive quite a distrance to get back. We missed one turn and got quite messed up in Paris. We eventually found our way back.
Summary:
Do go to the D-Day Beaches. Our one day trip was not long enough. You will need two to three days to really see it.
If you don't feel like driving, take a tour bus or van, my recommendation. Next time I visit I will do a tour van.
The Normandy area is still much undeveloped, very few towns, or gas stations. The train trip from Caen is beautiful but have a rental car or tour ready to pick you up in Caen.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
rlesino
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Location: Mount Laurel, NJ, USA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Retired from Federal Government. Served a Senior Executive.
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