Visiting the D-Day sites in Normandy, France, is often done as a day trip from Paris. It’s the easiest way to experience it, even though it’s a really long day. But after spending two days in Bayeux, a medieval city in the Normandy region, I’m here to argue that Normandy deserves more than a day trip.
Like many history buffs, visiting the D-Day sites throughout Normandy, France, has always been on my travel bucket list. I finally got the opportunity when my fiancé and I celebrated our engagement by going to Paris. I’d been a decade before, but agreed to return if we added a new region to the itinerary. I suggested Normandy and Alex agreed.
(It’s worth noting that after spending two days in Normandy on this trip, I took a D-Day day trip from Paris on a later trip. It was a long day — about 12-14 hours — but doable! More on the day trip on a separate post.)
Two Days in Bayeux: Why Normandy Deserves More Than a Day Trip
The Normandy Region is Full of Medieval Cities
Normandy is one of the 13 regions in France, and has five departments within it. Which means Normandy is quite big! The region’s history dates back to the Vikings in the 9th Century and several cities have existed since Medieval times. Bayeux, Caen, and Rouen still have houses, cathedrals, and even castles from the Medieval era!
We opted to stay in Bayeux, one of the first cities liberated by the Allies after D-Day. The city’s population is 18,000, but you’d never guess it by walking down the street. It’s quaint and quiet, with narrow streets hugged by centuries-old buildings draped with Allied flags. One house even dates to the 1300s! It’s the perfect contrast to the fast-paced vibe of Paris.
Bayeux is famous for the Bayeux Tapestry, an enormous embroidered cloth from the 11th Century that tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England. Instead of seeing it, we wandered around the city and visited the stunning Bayeux Cathedral. But now the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is closed for renovations until 2027 so we regret not going!
Next time, we’ll take this history walking tour of Bayeux to learn more about the history of the city.
Bayeux is the Starting Point for D-Day Tours in Normandy
While it’s possible to take a D-Day day trip from Paris, already being in Normandy means you can spend more time at the sites and less time getting there. (The drive from Paris to Normandy is about 3 hours.)
Many D-Day tours of Normandy start in Bayeux. There are full day options, half-day options like this, even multi-day options. Some focus exclusively on the American sites (like Utah and Omaha beaches and the American cemetery) while others go to the Canadian sites like this tour or British areas like this tour. Others do all of it.
We took this In-Depth D-Day Tour from Bayeux Shuttle. Our guide, Jordan, was a wealth of knowledge who gave us a history lesson on the broad part of World War II and D-Day, plus intimate stories of soldiers I’d never heard before.
Our tour started at Omaha Beach, stopped at the American Cemetery, then Pointe-du-Hoc, the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église, and a small church in Angoville-Au-Plain. At Pointe-du-Hoc we got to go in a German bunker, with bullet holes and shrapnel blasts still etched into the walls. Near the Airborne Museum we saw the cathedral that caught the parachute of American Airborne soldier John Steele. And at Angoville-Au-Plain, we heard the amazing story of two medics who saved the lives of 80 men from both sides of the war.
It was an incredibly moving day, and we barely scratched the surface.
The Food in Normandy is Incredible
No one needs to point out how good the food in Paris is. It’s one of the culinary capitals of the world, and has been proven so time and time again. So imagine our shock when we discovered that the food in Bayeux is incredible! In fact, I’ll argue that one of the best reasons to spend two days in Bayeux is the food.
Even though Bayeux is a small city, many of the downtown restaurants have been noticed by the Michelin Guide. As of publication, there are 18 one-starred restaurants and 25 Bib Gourmand in Bayeux alone! Plus there are dozens of bakeries and chocolate shops worth stopping in. We loved À La Reine Matilde, the oldest bakery in Bayeux (opened in 1898!), so much we went twice!
The food focuses on local produce and Normandy specialties like Bayeux pork, oysters, and lamb. Normandy is the birthplace of brioche and Camembert cheese (among others), and is known for its excellent butter and cream.
Our favorite meal (possibly of our entire time in France!) was at L’Angle Saint Laurent. I had perch with Bayeux pork chorizo and brussels sprouts, while Alex had veal with roasted carrots, chanterelle mushrooms, and confit potatoes. L’Alcove was another standout, with creative yet delicious dishes. But a word of warning: most restaurants in Bayeux require reservations and fill up fast, so book before you go.
Normandy is Home to Cider & Calvados
Fun fact: Normandy is the only region in France that doesn’t grow grapes. It’s too wet, so instead they grow apples to make cider, pommeau (an aperitif made of unfermented cider mixed with apple brandy), and the most famous, Calvados, an apple brandy made only in Normandy. Calvados is made from distilled cider, aged at least two years in oak barrels. It can be distilled in a pot still or a column still.
Cideries and Calvados distilleries are spread throughout the region and many are open for tours and tastings. Maison Busnel is the oldest in the region, dating back to 1820. They offer daily tours. And Ferme de la Sapiniere, near the historic Omaha Beach, produces cider, apple apertifs, and Calvados. Our tasting there included cider, unfermented cider, pommeau, Calvados, and Calvados aged for 10 years. It was fascinating to taste the difference between each product!
There aren’t any cideries or distilleries right in Bayeux, so you may need a car to visit them in person. Or if you can’t make it to the source, there are plenty of pubs and bars offering Calvados, local cider, and even local beer!
Bayeux is Easy to Get to
And the final reason why you should spend more than two days in Normandy is because it’s easy to get there. Only 163 miles from Paris, the train takes just 2.5 hours and runs 34 times a day. (Book it in advance here.)
Or the drive takes about 3 hours and is really simple — once you get out of the hectic city! (After Bayeux, we continued onto the Loire Valley to visit a chateau — our wedding venue! — so we rented a car.)
And the truth is, once you’re in Bayeux, you won’t want to leave. With adorable architecture, amazing food, and plenty of history, you’ll want to spend more than two days there!
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I’m a big fan of side-trips to smaller places outside of big cities, and Bayeux checked all the boxes. And two days in Bayeux charmed me enough that I already want to go back.
If you’ve been to Bayeux (or the Normandy region), I’d love to hear where you went and how you liked it in the comments!
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