There are so many amazing places around Paris that are perfect for day trips. Here is a complete account of the top day trip destinations around Paris; Champagne Valley, Loire Valley, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Giverny, Bruges and Normandy D Day beaches.
You can find great selection of day trips from Paris and book online through this Viator site.
Below are the top operators and their offerings on self-guided tours as well as day tours.
Champagne Valley Day Tours
The champagne valley has 5 small places in it but most of the tours concentrate on Reims and Epernay. Reims is home to famous champagne houses like Perrier Jouet, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Mumm and Tattinger while Epernay has Mercier, Moet and Chandon etc. Reims also has the incredible Notre dame Reims cathedral where every French king worth his name has been coronated. There is also the Saint Remi abbey which is called the biggest Roan pilgrimage church in north France and the famous Fossier pink biscuit factory. The champagne region has 11 Michelin starring restaurants so don’t forget to feast.
Reims is 144.2 km away from Paris while Epernay is 143.1 km from Paris. Reims and Epernay are 45 minutes and 75 minutes away from Paris via TGV. If you hold a Paris Visite pass then you can travel to Reims and Epernay for free using regional train service. Most guided tours will take you in an A.C Coach or minibus and it will take you around 1.5 hours. A self-guided tour is only possible after intensive research…you will have to line up visits to Chateaux of your choice and that’s not easy.
Best Season
May to October is the best season to visit the Champagne region and harvesting happens from late September so that’s when tourist traffic and production is at their highest.
Top Tour Operators
A 10 hour guided tour to the champagne region of Epernay and Reims, its vineyards producing Champagne (Moet et Chandon, Mumm and so many more), the Reims cathedral and Dom Perignon’s tomb at Hauteville is offered by Paris City Vision.
O Chateau also provides nice 10 hour day trips to Reims Champagne region where a thorough exploration of the mighty Taittinger house is done apart from small organic champagne house visits. Exploration of the French countryside, Reims Mountains, local cheese and meat markets apart from visits to the cathedral are part of the tour.
Wine Day Tours offers similarly structured 12 hour champagne enthusiast tours with visits to the Mumm Champagne House and Met and Chandon house at Epernay besides explorations of nearby attractions and the lovely French country side.
Go through Great Wine Tours from Paris to know about all the top guided tours & operators for Champagne Valley including prices, how to book and contact details.
Loire Valley Day Tours
Loire valley is one of the most beautiful areas of France and its home to many medieval towns like Amboise, Blois, Saumur and historic Chateaux are reminders of French monarchy. Bourges, Chartres cathedrals, Musee des Beaux Arts, quaint villages and a river bank that’s now UNESCO listed heritage…there is simply too much to see in Loire.
The Loire valley begins Roughly 213.3 km away from Paris. If you want to get there in minimum time take a TGV ride; this will take you about 35 minutes. However the countryside is beautiful and to savour the experience going by road is recommended which will take you about 3 hours. Most tour operators will take you in an A.C coach or a Mercedes Mini Van and it will take you about 2.5 to 3 hours to reach depending upon the transport option.
If you want to do a self-guided tour then a Paris Visite Pass is a great option (unlimited regional and RER train travel). If chateaux hopping is your priority and you are doing a self-guided tour then a Loire chateaux pass will allow you to make good savings (you can buy it from the bois chambord UK official website).
Best Season
Any season is good for the gorgeous valley but if you want to see the wine making process in detail then mid-September to October is a good time and if you want to see grape harvesting then mid-august to mid-September. For chateaux, castle, museum and village tours early summer and spring is comfortable.
Top Tour Operators
Some 12 hour castle and chateau culture architecture day trips are offered by a well-known local tour operator A La Francaise and these smartly use TGV trains to cut travelling time while giving good exposure to the Loire valley castles and local culture. A tour representative picks up guests at Paris hotels and escorts them to TGV train stations. The Olaloire guide greets guests as they get down at Loire station and whisks them off to different destinations on a minivan.
In the Chambord Chenonceau castle day trip the first stop is the Chambord castle. Lunch is at a tiny Loire valley castle hosted by a French countess. There are visits to Chaumont, Amboise, Clos, Luce castles and a thorough tour of Chenonceau castle and the Cher River. An aperitif and snacks session in a local park is the last activity before guests are escorted back to station.
Also by the same operator is the Chateau Villandry and Loire valley day trip which focuses on the gardens and gorgeous architecture at Villandry and then an intimate tour of Chateau de L’Islette followed by lunch on the riverbanks. Next activities are a tour of the Vouvray wineries and tastings and visit to the underground wine storing caves. The trip rounds off with an aperitif with a sommelier and a selection of local delicacies.
Timings
these are approximately 13 hour end to end trips with departure from Paris hotel at 6.30 a.m. and return to Paris at 7.30 p.m. return to Paris hotel from TGV station is not included in the trip.
Indicative Prices
At 325 euros per person these are slightly pricey but action packed day trips.
Booking & Contacts
A La Francaise
50, rue Bernard Palissy, Lieu dit Thibaudiere
Phone: +33 2 46 65 51 57; Call any day between (9am – 6pm); Booking Website
Paris City Vision offers 10 hour Day trips to the Loire valley that include a visit to its royal chateaux (Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise etc.) and palaces and the vineyards in the stately mountains. The red, rose and sparkling wines of Loire are very famous so trips and tasting tours to a couple or more winemaker’s is a part of the trips.
Wine Enthusiast Tours by Wine Day Tours takes guests to the junction of Loire and Burgundy valleys. Stops include Crottin de Chavignol Port Aubry cheese farm, winery in the Tracy Sur Loire region, a tour of the quaint Loire village and Sancerre region. A visit to the large and small wineries of Sancerre are also on the list.
The 12 hour Wine and Country Tour by Wine Day Tours introduces a new concept; tour of the fantastic open air market in Cosne sur Loire plus tour of markets at Sancerre. Usually a traditional French lunch at a local restaurant and a tour and wine tasting session at a well-known and the Loire castle tour is a part of the agenda.
Visit Top Paris Wine Tours & Operators for more information on the above operators including the popular wine tours, booking websites and contact details.
Versailles Day Trip
A charming suburban village with one of the most opulent palaces in the world; Versailles is one of the top attractions of France. All the information you could possibly want to know about the palace is here: Versailles Palace. People generally concentrate on the palace but the whole Saint Louis area has beautiful architecture and there is a good perfume shopping hub in Versailles (Cour des Senteurs).
Versailles is just 25.3 km away from Paris and you will reach roughly in 40 minutes. You can reach Versailles by train from Paris if you take RER C towards Versailles Rive Gauche and get off at the terminus.
By car you need to take Motorway A13 or A 86 and exit Versailles Center. Nearest parking: parking de Sceaux. If you are doing a self-guided day tour then take the road left to Starbucks (the one right outside the station)…it’s scenic. You can go up to the palace and take an audio tour/ live guide tour from the Versailles palace tourism office.
Best Season
March to October is the best time as the musical gardens show apart from the regular fountain shows and the light and sound shows happen.
Top Tour Operators
Guidatours has been operating since 2004 and is hands down the most popular operator when it comes to all Versailles tours. Versailles palace ticketing, reserved entrance to the palace, self-guided tour with audio guide are some of the tour inclusions. These guys are members of both Versailles Tourist office and Paris tourist office so the audio guides provided by them are as good as the ones sold by Versailles palace tourist office.
All audio guides are available in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese while live guides offer a choice of English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Versailles’s Passes
The VIP Castle and Gardens pass offers reserved entry at a particular time and a whole days’ time to tour the castle. The VIP pass Versailles offers reserved timed entry and an audio guide. Perfect for tourists planning to do self-guided tours. The castle and garden pass costs 26 euros. Versailles VIP pass costs 35 euros.
Guided Tours Versailles
This offering includes privileged access and a tour of the whole Chateau with a proper guide with a retelling of historic episodes from Louis XIV to the French revolution. A guided tour of the Versailles palace starts at 40 euros per person. An audio guide tour is 35 euros per person.
Versailles by RER from Paris
The trip begins at La Boutique on rue de Bellechasse near the Orsay museum. These tours are offered in English, Spanish, Italian and French. The tour includes round trip RER tickets, services of a hostess guide (optional), and priority entry to Versailles palace and gardens and Domaine Marie Antoinette and entry ticket to gardens. The actual tour of the castle lasts for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Versailles by RER guided tour with hostess starts at 55 euros per person while Versailles by RER with audio guide starts at 45 euros. Roughly a 5 to 6 hour tour, the timings can be chosen by guest at the time of booking….there is no limit on the departure time. Tour is offered everyday apart from Mondays. Tuesdays and weekends are when the fountain, light and sound shows happen.
Versailles from Paris by Bus
These tours are conducted in the Versailles Express bus that starts off near the Eiffel Tower, at 1.30 p.m. The tour includes round trip bus tickets, services of a hostess guide (optional), priority entry to Versailles palace and gardens, Marie Antoinette’s estate and entry to gardens and fountains / musical show (optional). There are two versions of the tour; audio guided tour and live guide tour (75 minutes).
The tour is offered from Tuesday to Sunday at 1.30 p.m. Roughly a 5 hour tour with returns at evening. Versailles by bus guided tour with hostess starts at 69 euros per person while Versailles by bus with audio guide starts at 59 euros.
Contacts and Booking
Guidatours. 10 Avenue du General de Gaulle, 78000 Versailles.
Between Versailles River Gauche train station and Chateau
Phone: 0033 (0) 1 39 02 05 18 (call Tuesday to Saturday 2 pm to 6 pm)
Email: [email protected]; Booking Website
Similar Versailles tours are also offered by Paris City Vision. Combined tours to Giverny and Versailles is offered by Paris City Vision as well as France Tourisme.
Giverny Village Day Trip
Whether or not you are a Monet fan; the village of Giverny with its surreal beauty will surely enchant you. Even if you have never seen his stupendous work, the lovely pink house where he stayed for 40 years and its gardens full of blooms, ponds full of lilies and iconic Japanese bridge will have your heart. And if you have seen Monet’s work then you can immediately several canvases including reflected in the natural beauty of the place.
Its common knowledge that Monet designed the tree orchard, green Japanese bridge, flower garden filled with iris, daffodil, rose, narsitium, peony himself…all you want to know about the famous painter, gardener and designer will be revealed on the tours. Giverny is a small charming village with no ATM’s; carry cash!!
Giverny is 75 km away from Paris via road and most tour operators use a minibus/ AC coach and get you there from Paris in about 1.5 hours. For travel by train catching the SNCF train to Vernon from Gare Saint Lazare is a good option. You need to take a bus/ cab/ bike your way to Giverny from Vernon. Going by road is beautiful…you get to see the Siene banks and the large sunflower fields of Normandy.
Due to proximity of Versailles and Auvers sur Oise (Van Gogh’s haunt) sometimes a visit of Giverny is combined with a visit to either of these two places. A standalone self-guided day trip to Giverny is very much doable.
Best Season
Monet’s house and a large percentage of the restaurants in Giverny are closed between November and the Easter weekend… summer and spring are perfect for seeing the flowers in full bloom.
Top Tour Operators
Paris City Vision offers a number of popular day trip formats to Giverny.
One of the best is Giverny Monet Gardens Impressionism Art Tours on an A.C coach. This includes some Norman countryside photo-shoots. Tour of Claude Monet Foundation, house, studio and water gardens with all entry fees paid. There is priority access to the Impressionisms museums and its garden and then a gourmet French food break (not lunch) at Au Coin P’aintre bakery that’s just a few meters away from the grave of Monet.
A tour of the burial spot, village and the Sainte Radegonde church follows. Every guest receives a Giverny map with itineraries and advice. There is a driver/ guide fluent in English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, but he won’t accompany guests inside the house, museum etc. So in essence this is a self-guided day trip.
Timings
Departure from Louvre agency at 8.15 a.m. in air conditioned coach (report half an hour before). Departure from Giverny at 5 p.m. and arrival at Paris around 6.45 p.m.
Indicative Prices: 69 euros per adult
Half day guided tour of the Monet Gardens is also offered in case you want a thorough art tour. This will take you to Giverny in a Luxury coach and a specially trained art guide will accompany guests to Clos Normand Gardens and Japanese water gardens along with Monet’s studio. There is a village tour and gift shop / book shop stop and the house is demonstrated properly with additional information provided by the guide.
Timings: Departure from 1.15 a.m. in luxury minivan (report half an hour before). Departure from Giverny at 5 p.m. and arrival at Paris around 6.35 p.m.
Indicative prices: 85 euros per adult
Contacts and Booking
Paris City Vision
2 rue des Pyramides
Toll free phone: 000-0800-100-6999; Booking Website
France Tourisme also offers Giverny ½ day tours of Monet’s House, studio and gardens. This is a self-guided tour that includes entry ticket to the Monet museum and hotel pick and drop.
Timings: The tour departs twice in a day; 8.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. every day and the returns to Paris are at 1.00 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. respectively.
Indicative prices: 45 euros per adult
The Versailles plus Giverny package day tour covers an audio guided tour of Versailles palace and self-guided tour of Monet’s garden and house and museum . The tour price includes tickets for Monet’s house and tickets for Versailles palace along with audio guides in 8 languages. These tours start from the France Tourisme office at Louvre agency. If you opt for this tour try taking it on Tuesday/ weekend as this is when the fountains and musical garden shows are on.
Indicative prices: 95 euros per adult
Timing: Tour begins at 8.00 a.m. and ends at 6.30 p.m. every day from Tuesday to Sunday
Art lovers may opt for the Giverny and Auvers Sur Oise tour that includes a self-guided tour of Monet’s house, garden and studio. Guests can pay extra to enjoy a lunch at nympheas Restaurant outside Monet’s house and tour the Impressionist museum maintained by the Terra Foundation for Art.
This tour also allows guests to appreciate the Auvers Sur Oise village that’s just 40 minutes away from Giverny. The village is remarkable for having inspired many painters including Camille Pissarro, Charles Daubigny and Van Gogh. Van Gogh’s house “Auberge Ravoux” is a part of this tour and its suicide bedroom (where the painter killed himself) is a point of particular interest. There is also an audio visual presentation “walking with Van Gogh” delivered in the attic of this house.
Indicative prices: 99 euros per adult
Timing:Tour begins at 8.00 a.m. and ends at 6.30 p.m. every day from Wednesday to Sunday
Contact and Booking
Louvre Agency – 6, rue de l’amiral de Coligny
Phone: 00 33 (0)1 53 10 35 35
Email: [email protected]; Booking Website
Mont Saint Michel Day Trip
A stunning island with a huge abbey dating back to 1144 the Mont saint Michel has been commanding major tourist draws since eternity. Incidentally this is the first French place to get the UNESCO world heritage site status. Originally a Mont Tombe the archangel Michael gave his holy name to the place and is till date referred to as Mont-Saint-Michel-au-péril-de-la-Mer….one of the world’s first religious destinations.
Longish day trips will take you to the bewitching island and you can spend quality time touring the museums, beach and abbey. Incidentally ‘kingdom of Corona’ in the Disney movie Tangled is inspired from the island. The sight of the gilded gold statue of St Michel slaying a dragon can be seen 156 meter above the sea level as you approach the island…it’s indeed a surreal sight.
Though most tourists head off straightaway to the abbey, there are other good attractions like the Parish Church, Bay of Mont St Michel etc. Check out the vintage restaurants like La Mere Poulard (1888) and the Grand Bazaar with its religious iconography and shops selling everything from weapons, gargoyles, and candle holders to jewellery. Don’t leave without buying some delish Abbey biscuits!!
Mont Saint Michel is rather far away and it will take you 3.5 hours to travel one way but it’s doable if you stick to schedule. The TGV train departs from Montparnasse at 7.04 a.m. and arrives at Rennes at 9.19 a.m. the local bus departs from Rennes at 9.40 a.m. and arrives at Mont St Michel at 10.55 a.m.
If you are doing a day tour…the earlier you get here the better and don’t miss the Last connection (bus departs from Mont St Michel 5.20 pm, train arrive Paris Montparnasse 9.11 p.m.)
Best Season
March to October is the best weather wise and better avoid July and August as they command the highest crowds.
Top Tour Operators
Paris City Vision offers an end to end tour of Mont St Michel with conveyance in an A.C bus and lunch at a local village. There is a guided tour through the medieval streets and the historic abbey along with a retelling of its religious history. There is a couple of hours of free time to shop, do self-guided museum tours and admire the ocean and natural beauty. The bus tickets, guides services, lunch (proper 3 course gourmet meal with dessert) and a drink and the abbey entry ticket is included in the tour price. There is an audio guide version of this tour too
There is a nice version of the tour where the return ticket isn’t included (all other details same) as many guests find staying back at St Michel a good option…the island looks prettier at night.
There is a long hike up the stairs to the Abbey so this isn’t really a trip for tourists with mobility issues.
Paris City vision also offers 2 day tours of Mont Saint Michel abbey and a tour of the Loire valley Chateaux (Langeais and Chenonceau). There is another extensive 3 day tour that includes all the above and the Villandry gardens and the Chambord Chateau as well.
Timings
Tour departs at 7.15 a.m. (if pickup is from Central Pyramides office) and 6.30 a.m. (if it’s from a Paris hotel) the tour duration is 14 hours 30 minutes and it ends at approximately 9.15 p.m.
Indicative Prices: 169 euros per person for the guided tour and 139 euros per person for the audio guided tour.
Contact and Booking
Paris City Vision
2 rue des Pyramides
Toll free phone: 000-0800-100-6999; Booking Website
France Tourisme offers a small group tour (8 people only max) called the Mont St Michel Prestige Tour by luxury minibus and when the distance is this great travelling in comfort matters. The abbey ticket, audio guide, visit to abbey and museum along with tastings of cider and calvados at Mere Poulard are a part of the tour.
The last part i.e. the 3 glasses of cider (sweet, rose and hard) and the calvados along with the iconic Mere Poulard biscuits is a good way to end the tour. The history museum visit with all its collection of weapons and torture instruments and the 19th century Periscope is another good tour offering.
There is a normal France Tourisme Mont St Michel bus tour without a live guide (only audio guide) and without pick and drop that’s much cheaper and has all other features.
Tour departs from Louvre Agency (6, rue de l’amiral de Coligny). the prestige tour is for tourists who want the most comfortable version of the island tour and can pay for it…this includes lunch (packed meal pay extra), snacks, pick up and drop too (pay extra) apart from bathroom breaks.
Timings: The tours start from 7.15 a.m. and end after 14 hours at 9.15 p.m.
Indicative Prices: The Prestige Tour of Mont St Michel costs 160 euros and the bus tour costs around 96 euros per adult. Packed lunch can be provided for 12 euros
Contact and Booking
Louvre Agency – 6, rue de l’amiral de Coligny
Phone: 00 33 (0)1 53 10 35 35; Email: [email protected]; Booking Website
Bruges Day Trip
Lovingly known as “little Venice of north” and an UNESCO world heritage site the loveliness of this city of Belgium will bewitch. The region is a history and culture lover’s paradise with its century old traditions, quaint architecture and historical town centre.
Some of Bruges famous attractions are le Beffroi, la Basilique, la Grand Place, le Beguinage. Cruises on its canals are as famous as the artisanal chocolates found in its vintage chocolate shops. There is even a museum dedicated to chocolate here….Choco Story and one dedicated to torture…Bruges Torture Museum. Other things to try are Brussels waffles and Flemish fries from the street vendors on the town square.
If you are doing a self-guided tour, do it on boat…the city is set on water. Bike tours are quite popular too…this is a small city so walking around isn’t strenuous.
If you are going by train the fast Thalys Train run by Rail Europe is super comfortable; it has nice tables and a small café plus bathrooms. You can get it from the Gare du Nord station.
Note: all guests who are residents of non-European countries need a visa for Belgium along with passport.
Best Season
Summers (March to June) is the best season as spring in Bruges tend to be cool and autumn is relatively damp and cold.
Top Tour Operators
Paris City Vision tour starts with a guided tour of the wonderful gothic architecture of the historic centre (walking tour of 1.5 hours). Sights include market hall with the huge bell tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, le Beguinage (Benedictine convent) and the Town Hall. Guide sensitises guests towards the food and culture traditions of the town
In summers i.e. between April to October there is the canal tour which allows guests to admire the waterways and the huge Flemish mansions dotting the banks.
Tour inclusions include all taxes and tolls, transport to and fro from Paris, canal cruise (only in summer) and services of a tour guide.
Timing: The tour leaves Paris at 7.15 a.m. and arrives at Bruges around 11 a.m. the bus departs from Bruges at 4.30 p.m. and arrives at Paris at 9 p.m.
Prices: The Paris City Vision Bruges tour is 169 euros per adult.
Contacts and Booking
Paris City Vision
2 rue des Pyramides
Toll free phone: 000-0800-100-6999; Booking Website
Chateau de Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte
These two impressive places are usually covered under one day trip which is why they are grouped together. Vaux le Vicomte is a pretty little town that’s 55 km south east to Paris with the impressive castle of Vicomte (supposedly the inspiration behind Versailles palace). The extravagant vaulted cellars, period furniture and furnishings were all created by the best of French architects under the supervision of Nicolas Fouquet (finance minister of Louis XIV).
Exquisite French gardens and majestic fountains adorn the 40 hectare property. Incidentally Man in the iron mask, Marie Antoinette, Vatel, Moonraker are just some of the movies that were filmed there. The period dresses inside can be rented so don’t miss the opportunity of dressing like royalty. There is a fabulous gift store inside too!!
Just a little south of Vicomte castle is the Châteaux Fontainebleau (a UNESCO world heritage site). This castle was inhabited for 7 centuries and juicy intrigues were played inside its 1500 rooms with wood carved walls and frescoed ceilings and beautiful ballroom. Look out for the Italian décor (one of the kings Francois-I brought in a whole army of Italian artists to revamp the castle). There are romantic heavily ornamented gardens outside the Chateau that sprawl across 130 acres. You can take a horse carriage to ride around the grounds. Once you are done with the castle you can check out the Fontainebleau forest and INSEAD.
Incidentally a trip to these two gorgeous castles will more than compensate if by chance you haven’t been to see Versailles. Neither of them are expected to command humongous crowds like Versailles though, so the trips can be done in a shorter time.
Vaux le Vicomte is 60.2 km away from Paris and it will take you 48 minutes to reach. If you go by train to Vaux le Vicomte then a good option is to take Verneuil l’Etang from Paris Gare de l’Est (Line P) and then a chateau shuttle bus that takes you to the chateau in 15 minutes.
If you do an independent day trip to Fontainebleau then take a Ter train from Gare du Lyon and get down at Fontainebleau Avon (it will take you 40 minutes) and there is a train every 30 minutes (covered by Paris Visite pass). Post this, you need to take Bus 1/ Aerial (find this at the back of the station) and you will reach the chateau in 15 minutes.
If you are doing an independent day trip, Fontainebleau is easier to reach than Vaux Vicomte but the latter has more attractions and is more impressive. Logistically combining both castles in 1 day using public transport is tough!!
Best Season
March to October is the best weather-wise and better avoid July and August as they command the highest crowds.
Top Tour Operators
Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte day Tour by Paris City Vision includes a tour of two castles; Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte and gives guests exposure to both places in a 9 hour tour. The tour has Vaux le Vicomte as the first stop and an audio guided tour of the state private apartments, kitchens, cellars, state rooms is provided.
Guests have some free time to explore the gardens and grounds and have lunch at Vaux Vicomte restaurant at own expense. Around 1.30 p.m. the bus leaves for Fontainebleau and reaches the castle in 45 minutes. The audio guided tour takes guests through the royal collections of the palace, throne of napoleon and iconic horse shoe shaped staircase along with private apartments of the French kings.
There is a live guided tour of both the castles too offered by the same operator….all other tour features remain the same.
Tour inclusions are to and fro transport from Paris by A.C Coach, audio guided/ live guide tour of both castles and grounds and admission tickets to both places
Timings
Tour starts off at 9.15 a.m. from Paris and ends at 6.15 p.m. from
Indicative Price
79 euros for the audio-guided tour of Vaux Vicomte and Fontainebleau by A.C Coach. 99 euros for the live guide tour of both places (guide speaks English, French and Spanish).
Contact and Booking
Paris City Vision
2 rue des Pyramides
Toll free phone: 000-0800-100-6999; Booking Website
Normandy D Day Beaches
History books have immortalised D Day i.e. June 6th 1944 and its glorious reminders lie scattered all over Normandy’s gorgeous coastline. The allies opened a radical European front against formidable third Reich (biggest military operation in history and it led to the 2nd world war). More than 160,000 soldiers enlisted in Canadian, American and British armies landed on the beaches of Utah, Omaha, Juno beach etc. and laid down their lives for changing history.
A visit to the Normandy sensitises guests to the enormous bravery of the soldiers, historic events leading to 2nd world war and allows them to pay homage at the graves of those 10,000 war casualties.
Some major D Day sites include the American cemetery and Visitor centre and memorial gardens on Omaha beach (9000 white crosses stand here). Most of the action took place on Omaha beach so if you have to choose just one D Day visit choose this one…the beach has been immortalised in famous movies like ‘Saving Private Ryan’.
Utah, Juno, Gold and Sword beaches have tombs of Canadian, British and American soldiers. Pointe du Hoc is a steep bluff flanked by cliffs that stand between Omaha and Utah beaches…the place still bears craters from the massive bombings that happened here (it’s sort of caught in a time bubble since 1944 with its bunkers, rubble and craters).
St Marie Eglise and St Marie du Mont are two charming old world towns that played pivotal roles in the war. Caen (east to the Normandy beaches) has the memorial centre for peace and History that’s a museum dedicated to Normandy invasion. Arromanches les Bains is a town where the allied troops transported tonnes of supplies and war equipment into France to run the Second World War against Germany. The shoreline still has huge steel tanks, wrecks of ships and pieces of artificial war harbours. There is also the Arromanches 360 war museum.
The Normandy beaches are rather far off from the bigger towns so if you are doing a self-guided tour then take a train to Caen (237 km)/ Bayeux (227 km) and then hire a private car and do your own tour. Travelling to Bayeaux (trains are available every half an hour from Gare St Lazare) from Paris is easy and it takes just 2 hours and you can do it via Caen too.
Best Season
Crowds peak at 6th June and then are grand memorial celebrations and huge rush. August and July are very busy and if you want to avoid crowds then April, September and October are best in terms of pleasant weather and lesser crowds.
Top Tour Operators
Paris City Vision and France Tourisme both offer very similar A.C Coach Tours to D Day Normandy beaches from Paris. Yet the most informative activity packed tours are offered by Bayeux shuttles… a local operator who specialised in D Day tours to the American, British and Canadian sectors of the beaches and towns. You can catch a train to Bayeux from Paris and then do the shuttle tour. The actual tours are done on A.C Minivans/ shuttles with a live guide speaking English, French (with microphone)…the vehicle has comfortable seats and free WI Fi.
The American D Day Experience full day tour from Paris takes guests to St Marie du Mont, Ste Mere Eglise, Utah beach, Omaha beach, American cemetery. This is smartly designed to match with train schedules from Paris and guests have to catch the train to Bayeux from Gare St Lazare at 7.00 a.m. and reach at 9.00 a.m. the tour guide escorts guests from Bayeux station at 9.16 a.m. and takes them to the shuttle. The vehicle stops at Ste Marie du Mont, American forces leadership monument, Utah beach (guided tour and free time), WN 8 (stranded German bunkers near Utah), Hedgerow battlefield.
The next stop is at St Marie eglise town (1.5 hour stop) including guided visit, optional lunch and airborne museum tour. This is followed by a 60 minute stop at Pointe du Hoc and a 50 minute stop at Omaha beach and the last stop….60 minutes at the American cemetery where guests will tour the visitor centre and see the flag lowering ceremony. The shuttle takes back guests to Bayeux train station in time for the 6.30 p.m. train to Paris.
This is the kind of day trip where a good guide is essential and the Bayeux shuttle tours score highly in this aspect…excellent retelling of the poignant war history and the importance of different sites. There are only 6 people in each shuttle so lots of interactions with the tour guide happen.
Timings
7.00 a.m. departure from Paris and 8.45 p.m. arrival in Paris…around 10 hours of actual tour time on D Day spots. This tour operates everyday apart from Saturday and Sunday
Indicative Prices
110 euros per person excluding lunch, price of train journey to and fro from Paris. You will end up spending around 150 euros in actuality which is still cheaper than the 175 euro Paris City Vision tour.
Contact and Booking
1 Rue Larcher, Bayeux 14400
Phone: 33 970 444 989 (from 08:30 a.m. To 6.30 p.m.); Booking Website
Paris City Vision offers a guided bus as well as mini bus tour to Normandy D Day beaches with a different schedule. Both the tour starts from Paris hotel at 7.00 a.m. and reaches Pointe du Hoc (first stop) at 10.15 a.m. followed by American Cemetery at St Laurent and then an hour long exploration of Omaha beach.
Lunch is at the Caen memorial centre museum restaurant …a nice 3 course meal with cheese platter, Boudreaux cheese/ cider and coffee (Normandy is known for its excellent cuisine). The next stop is Arromanches town or alternatively the Juno beach followed by departure to Paris
Timings
Tour starts from Paris at 7 a.m. and ends around 11 p.m. at Paris. Travelling by A.C coach lets you make an end to end day journey but it takes longer than a part train journey!!
Indicative Price: 175 euros for the A.C coach tour and 233 euros for the Minibus luxury tour.
Contact and Booking
Paris City Vision
2 rue des Pyramides
Toll free phone: 000-0800-100-6999; Booking Website
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.