Normandy beaches from Le Havre

[Pearl64]

We will be on the Nautica next June and would like to see the Normandy beaches. The ship disembarks in Le Havre.  My question is logistics. We can do a Road Scholar tour that ends in Honfleur or Paris. We would leave one day early. No biggie--just wouldn't have the last lunch. This would be before the cruise and would need to get to Lisbon in order to pick up the cruise.  We saw that there are direct flights of under 3 hours. Or, we take the cruise first and then try to see the beaches from Le Havre afterwards. We would need transport to Bayeux, hotel for 2-3 nights and then make our way to CDG for flight home. I know there are trains but we will have luggage which makes it difficult. Possibly we could rent a car but not sure my husband wants to drive as we don't know how much traffic that would entail or how difficult the route is. I don't know how much a private transfer from LeHavre to Bayeux and then from Bayeux to CDG would be. I have found tours from Bayeux for under 500 euros for both of us. 

 

Which would be easier? Taking the Road Scholar tour would probably be more expensive but I don't think that much more. We are getting to an age where we are starting to look at easier ways to accomplish travel.

 

Thank you for all responses.

[Hlitner]

The D-Day beaches (there are 5) are best visited on a tour of with a rental car.  Public transportation is worthless when it comes to the beaches and some associated sites such as St Mere Eglise.  Driving in Normandy (they drive on the right in France) is not particularly difficult and made a lot easier with GPS.  If one wanted to avoid driving to CDG (it does get quite congested as you near the airport) it is possible to arrange to drop a rental car in places like Le Havre or Rouen where it is easy to get a train to Paris.  I should add that driving to CDG is almost all done on major highways and you do not need to drive into Paris.

 

I will leave the tour issue to others, since we are primarily DIY folks (have done a lot of driving and trains in France).  

 

As to the beaches, most Americans are primarily interested in Omaha Beach and perhaps Utah Beach.  Omaha is quite interesting with its well known Pointe du Hoc and nearby American Cemetery (used in the opening shots of Saving Private Ryan).  As an American Veteran who has visited this area (twice) I found it all quite moving...especially when looking at the Pointe du Hoc cliff and imagining the selfless bravery of the Rangers who climbed the cliff while under fire.  DW and I have enjoyed staying in the area and were there one year for the anniversary (when US Airborn troops reenacted the jump near St Mere Eglise.

 

Of course the easiest way to visit this area would be on a tour (especially small group tour) although DW and I prefer to be by ourselves so we can set our own pace and do our own thing.

 

 

[John Bull]

Like Hank we've visited by car.

Roads in Normandy are quiet - a fast (but not too fast for the speed cameras) divided highway from Le Havre to Bayeux or thereabouts, then rural & coastal lanes. No toll roads, tho' a spectacular toll bridge ( €5.80) over the Seine Estuary.

Easy parking at the sights, plenty of signage and knowledgeable English-speaking staff. Rent from Le Havre, return to Bayeux (or Caen) if there's no excessive one-way fee - or meander the coastal roads back to Le Havre calling in at Honfleur en-route, Then direct train from either Le Havre or Bayeux (or Caen).  Bayeux is convenient to the D-Day beaches, though with a car you could lodge in a waterfront village or small town (Arromanches to Grandcamp Maisy) or in the rural hinterland.

 

But you mention taking tours from Bayeux - I'll hazard a guess that's with Overlord Tours - they won't disappoint.

If so probably a car service from Le Havre to Bayeux (tho will you be there in time for a tour on Day One?). Then train to Paris

 

JB 🙂

[Pearl64]

Thank you Hank and John Bull. I think your suggestions are great but my husband is not favorable to driving. He has driven in France before with no issues but that was10 years ago. Plus, I would have to listen to his displeasure doing so. I added up costs and ease. We would have to return the car to LeHavre as the drop off cost was around $300. We would need at least one and probably two nights in Bayeux as we would not get to Bayeux in time the day we disembark the ship.  All of this for two-3 days. Right now our thinking is to do the Road Scholar tour before the cruise. It ends in Paris. We may leave the tour early so we are in Lisbon the night before. We realize we could fly down the day of the cruise but that is not in our comfort zone. The tour hits all the major sights as well as sights in Paris. We have been pleased with their product. 
 

Thank you again.

[Ajnp]

On 6/6/2023 at 3:24 AM, John Bull said:

Like Hank we've visited by car.

Roads in Normandy are quiet - a fast (but not too fast for the speed cameras) divided highway from Le Havre to Bayeux or thereabouts, then rural & coastal lanes. No toll roads, tho' a spectacular toll bridge ( €5.80) over the Seine Estuary.

Easy parking at the sights, plenty of signage and knowledgeable English-speaking staff. Rent from Le Havre, return to Bayeux (or Caen) if there's no excessive one-way fee - or meander the coastal roads back to Le Havre calling in at Honfleur en-route, Then direct train from either Le Havre or Bayeux (or Caen).  Bayeux is convenient to the D-Day beaches, though with a car you could lodge in a waterfront village or small town (Arromanches to Grandcamp Maisy) or in the rural hinterland.

 

But you mention taking tours from Bayeux - I'll hazard a guess that's with Overlord Tours - they won't disappoint.

If so probably a car service from Le Havre to Bayeux (tho will you be there in time for a tour on Day One?). Then train to Paris

 

JB 🙂

great information John, I prefer tours, my husband LOVES to drive in foreign countries 😬 

(it was almost a divorce when I made him take a private tour around Amalfi rather than drive it 😅) Still to this day he wont let me forget it! 

This is interesting as we are going to be in le havre and he asked me to drive to Omaha beach I declined but to be honest your post has me questioning if he is onto something? 

Although I still would like a guided tour of the area

[kcs413]

We will be on a cruise stopping at Le Havre next May and would like to day trip it to Normandy. I am not seeing any Royal Caribbean excursions there (too early???), so I am wondering if this is something we would have to plan on our own. Any advice and/or input regarding a day trip to Normandy would be appreciated!  TIA

[Tbird58]

14 minutes ago, kcs413 said:

We will be on a cruise stopping at Le Havre next May and would like to day trip it to Normandy. I am not seeing any Royal Caribbean excursions there (too early???), so I am wondering if this is something we would have to plan on our own. Any advice and/or input regarding a day trip to Normandy would be appreciated!  TIA

I just booked the American Sector tour with Overlord Tours.  They offer group and private tours.  We booked the private for 6 people from the Le Havre port at 995EUR.  There were 2 tour companies highly recommended - ACSM and Overlord.  Same price for 6-7- 8 people, however Overlord was accommodating for offering a fold up wheelchair for my FIL.  They also suggested private if people have mobility issues (2 of our 6 people do) - so that was a deciding factor for us.  Make sure you look at the tours from LeHavre.  Another person on our ship booked from Caen by mistake since it was cheaper, but it doesn't work if you're arriving in LeHavre!   We're so excited to see Normandy.  A long time in the bucket list!  

[John Bull]

10 hours ago, Tbird58 said:

 Make sure you look at the tours from LeHavre.  Another person on our ship booked from Caen by mistake since it was cheaper, but it doesn't work if you're arriving in LeHavre!  

 

 

They probably booked from Bayeux, where most of Overlord's shared tour start.

Even worse for cruisers.😮

 

Like other US ships, RCI's tours concentrate on US D-Day sights. 

If you're Canadian or Brit. it's even more important to book with a local operator. They book-out early.

Or rent  car.

 

JB 🙂

BTW, kcs. Common language problem with North Americans. You'll already be in Normandy, it's a large departement of France. We're all pretty certain that your question is about D-Day..

Edited July 21, 2023 by John Bull

[edinburgher]

4 hours ago, John Bull said:

Common language problem with North Americans. You'll already be in Normandy, it's a large departement of France. We're all pretty certain that your question is about D-Day..

 

15 hours ago, kcs413 said:

Any advice and/or input regarding a day trip to Normandy would be appreciated!  TIA

JB is 100% correct.  le Havre IS in Normandy so the OP is already there on arrival.