Normandy France – Bayeux – Day 1

Bayeux

Due to a train strike on the first 2 days of our trip, we opted for a rental car to get us to Bayeux and the Normandy area. This worked out well as we needed a couple of extra days of train travel on our 15-day Eurail Global Pass. We arrived at the rental car area at CDG and it was a disaster. Sadly, the workers were slow, the air conditioning was not working, and people were impatient (myself included).  Needless to say, we were tired after the flight from Atlanta to Paris. It took about an hour to get our rental car.

On The Road

I found the quickest way out of the airport and off we were to the highway. I had not driven on mainland Europe in 25+ years, so it took a few minutes to get back on track. About 30 minutes out of Paris and noticed that the fuel gauge looked like we were on empty. That can’t be right, it should have been full.  I kept driving thinking it was in error then BAM, the electronic fuel gauge changed. The blocks in the gauge were the opposite of common sense, they were all blank until the fuel was used, then they changed to solid blocks.

Luckily, no more stress that we would be stuck on the side of the highway in rural France.  Then, I started to feel the steering wheel shake occasionally. It was happening when I would get close to the lines between the lanes. AAH, the fancy car has lane departure warnings that vibrate the steering wheel, and if you are speeding, it will beep at you.  There is no way I could fall asleep driving this car, it was constantly screaming at me.

Bayeux

We arrived in Bayeux late in the afternoon and we were all starting to feel the jet lag, especially me since I did not take a nap in the car for obvious reasons. We were spending 2 nights in Bayeux.  Bayeux is a quiet town about 3 hours west of Paris and 30 minutes from the English Channel by car. After checking into our hotel, we set off to discover the downtown area.  We stayed just outside the downtown area, about a 5-minute drive from the center of Bayeux. Our first order of business was to find food; we found a small restaurant set on a creek with a beautiful view and outside dining. Luckily, it had a roof over the patio area as it started to rain as we arrived.

After eating, we walked around for a while and decided to head to the coast since we had a couple of hours of daylight left. Less than 5 minutes outside of town, you are back in the French countryside with beautiful farms.

Afternoon Sightseeing

Even though it was late in the afternoon, we set our path for Arromanches Les Bains as it was fairly close. This area is part of the D-day beaches and is just west of Gold Beach and Juno Beach. If you are a history buff, this area is full of history from WWII and the D-day invasions. Also, this area is extremely beautiful with farms, sandy beaches, and high cliffs overlooking the English Channel.

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Taking the Road Less Travelled

Since it was starting to get dark, we returned to Bayeux. We were using google maps and for some reason, it liked to send you via small one-lane farm roads. When I say farm roads, I mean directly through someone’s farm. It was a nice break from paved roads. However, it was odd and not the last time on this trip we would be sent on a path that was better suited for farm equipment or a donkey.

Upon our return, the old church in Bayeux was now lighted and was beautiful against the dusk sky. We were running on fumes at this point from our flight from Atlanta to Paris and the 3+ hour drive to Bayeux, plus the running around we did after arriving. It was time for bed and to plan the next morning and where we would start the tour of the beaches.

How to Beat Jet-lag

The best way to beat jet lag is to immediately get on the local time zone with your wake up and bedtimes.  Go to bed at the same time as the locals, and get up with them as well.

Travel Tips for Bayeux

Bayeux is a great place to stay if you want to see the beaches of Normandy. You have access to restaurants, major highways and several historic areas within an hour.