Paris to Normandy: D-Day Day Trip

When you think of Paris, you might envision the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and charming cobblestone streets. However, just a few hours away from the City of Light lies a place of great historical significance—the Normandy D-Day beaches. While Paris is undoubtedly a treasure trove of culture and art, a day trip to Normandy offers a unique opportunity to pay homage to history and honor the heroes of World War II. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through a memorable day trip from Paris to the Normandy D-Day beaches.

Getting There

The main D-Day sites are not directly accessible by public transportation and you will need to arrive by car. You can choose to either rent your own vehicle or visit as part of a guided tour group. For renting a car, you have a couple options:

• Take a train from Paris to Bayeux or Caen (a little over 2 hours) – the two largest cities next to the D-Day sites. From these locations you can then rent a car for the day. Both of these locations have many car rental services available right near the train stations. Pay close attention to the rental locations’ hours so that you get your vehicle returned in time.
• You can also choose to rent a car in Paris and drive the whole way yourself. It’s approximately a 3 hour drive from Paris to the main D-Day sites.

Our Experience

We opted to rent a car from Paris. We wanted to leave first thing for our Paris to Normandy D-Day day trip as we were visiting other sites throughout the day. To accommodate this, rented our vehicle the night before leaving and stored it in a parking garage near our Paris Airbnb. This worked well for us and we found that there were plenty of parking garages and car rental locations available throughout the city.

Main Stops

There are so many significant spots in this area that you’ll have to pick and choose which ones you can fit into your day trip. These are the main stops that we visited (in order from east to west):

• Longues-sur-Mer Battery – This site contains well preserved bunkers and gun installations of a German coastal defense battery. You are able to explore inside the bunkers and take in the views over the Atlantic of the D-Day landing beaches.
• Normandy American Cemetery – The cemetery is the final resting place for 9,387 United States soldiers. It’s a picturesque place to take a stroll among the crosses and stars and reflect on the lives lost during the D-Day landings. There is also a visitor center at the location as well as numerous memorials.
• Omaha Beach – While visiting the Normandy American Cemetery you can take in the views of Omaha Beach from above as well as walk the short descent down to the beach. Omaha Beach, which was ground zero for American D-Day landings, contains the “Les Braves” sculpture as well as several memorials.
• Utah Beach Landing Museum – This museum is one of many in the region that are focused on the D-Day events. The Utah Beach Landing Museum is located at the site of a former German strongpoint. We were impressed with the artifacts and vehicles that the museum housed. There are many interactive exhibits and short films to help you fully immerse in the history of the D-Day landings. The museum also contained a nice gift shop and outdoor memorials.
• Utah Beach – Just steps from the Utah Beach Landing Museum you will find Utah Beach. Stroll along the beach, and you’ll discover remnants of the Mulberry Harbour, a crucial piece of infrastructure used during the invasion. This was a beautiful place to explore and reflect.

Local Delicacies

As you make your way through the D-Day sites you will pass many small villages along the coast. If time allows, make sure to stop for food and shopping. We enjoyed seeing the more traditional side of France while cruising through the countryside!

A day trip from Paris to the Normandy D-Day beaches is a journey through history that will leave a lasting impact. It’s a chance to honor the bravery of those who fought for freedom and gain a deeper understanding of one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century. Don’t miss the chance to explore this remarkable region when you visit France. Check out our International Travel posts for more trip inspiration.