HOW TO ARRIVE
IN THE HEART OF NORMANDY ?
ROAD
Freeway A 13 to Caen
(Tolls can be paid by credit card)
TRAIN
Trains from Paris/St Lazare train-station to Bayeux or
Carentan
(the most centrally located)
– Plenty of
trains (no TGV)
it takes about 2h30
Important ! do
not forget to tick your ticket in the yellow
machines before boarding your train (or you
could be fined)
For train schedules:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
AIR
By private plane to
Caen/Carpiquet airport or helicopter
(service out of Paris)
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RADARS
Beware ! They keep adding more & more of
these ugly treacherous boxes...some flash you
when passing them or after (from
behind !) you will not escape the
heavy fine (depending at which speed
you are driving...) because
if you are in a French rented vehicle: it will be
debited from your credit card ! |
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TIPPING CUSTOMS in FRANCE
American clients are
favorites of waiters
in bars & restaurants as they are
(overly) generous…
No need to tip as much as in America as there is a 12 to
15% service-charge included in the bill
(as well as a 19,6% Tax)
but it is customary
(if service was fast & friendly)
to leave a 1 or 2 euros
per person on the table.
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LANDSCAPES
The purpose of your visit is probably to see the sites
of the D-Day Landings
but you will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the
scenery, the chateaux,
fortified farmhouses, flowers everywhere, good roads...
Lots of race-horses and cows, wheat, barley, corn, flaks
are some of the local agriculture
For a complete discovery of all the treasures Normandy
has to offer,
you will need to spend 4 to 6 days minimum.
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HOW IS THE WEATHER ?
April/May:
Spring is in the air.…”
still cool but nice in 60°F
temperature range. Apple-trees are blooming.
June: A
special month with commemorations, festive atmosphere
in the Landing Beaches sector.
Better reserve in advance !and
you will be surprised how long daylight last. Lots of
flowers everywhere.
July
& August: High vacation time,
lots of families in August,
summer weather in the mid 80°F
Higher prices & reservations have to be made early.
Beware that very few places have air-conditioning but we
only need it a few days in Normandy.
Sept/October:
Uncrowdy, still nice days getting
shorter & cooler.
Sometimes Indian summer in October !
(70° to 60°F)
For the rest of the year, have a wind-breaker, umbrella,
warm clothes but Normandy being bordered by 375 miles of
coast line, the climate is quite mild with only a few
days of
snow & freezing temperatures usually in January/February
To convert
temperature Celcius to Fahrenheit ° : C X 2 + 32
- Exemple: 20° C becomes 72° F
To call France from the US
dial 011 then the number (skip the 0)
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Please note that
the best bank cards to have when traveling to
France are
Visa or Mastercharge!
(not American Express refused by many shops)
also there are plenty of ATM to retrieve cash but
make sure that you indicate a sufficient maximum
amount to your bank before departure and
also know your pin code !!! |
LANDING BEACHES
UTAH,
OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, SWORD
Only
about 50 miles long but to do a full tour, you would need
at least 2 full days,
3 days if you also want to go in the footstepsof the
Battle of the Gap
(end of Battle of Normandy near Falaise)
In one day you can see the most important
sites of the US sector
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NORMANDY
GASTRONOMIE
Lots of variety of seafood: Fresh oysters & sea-scallops,
mussels & the 3 most famous cheeses of Normandy:
Camembert, Pont-Lévêque, Livarot (the
Colonel)
Caramels made in Isigny, cream, better...and the brandy
made with apples: Calvados
(soldiers learned quickly what it was in 44 !!!)
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