Cheap and easy way to Normandy?

I am considering visiting Normandy for the 60th aniversary of the D-Day landing.
What is the cheapest and easiest way of getting there?

 

Swim?

You can take a ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg of from Plymouth to Roscoff. Both are easily reached by train from Bristol.

 

Train from Brizzle to Reading, change there for slow train to Guildford - may also have to change to even slower train at Ash - then walk north 1/2 mile from Wanborough Station.

Sorry - wrong Normandy

I used to get looks of amazement and admiration when I said I cycled to work from Normandy!

 

Portsmouth - Cherbourg 27 quid return as foot passenger.

I could probably hitch from Cherbourg to St Mere Eglis and then on to the beaches.
Now to find a travel partner, dont think the better half would be into it

 

About 10 years ago I cycled this. Bikes in a van to Portsmouth. Then on the overnight ferry to Cherbourg. We cycled all the way down to Caen along the beach road, then inland to Bayeux and across to the other coast. Finally back to Cherbourg across the middle of Normandy. We camped along the way. Took 7 days. We did about 230 miles. The countryside was beautiful. The food was fantastic. The people were mostly friendly. It helps if you speak some french of course.

 

Don't you have transport, Penance? It's more spread out than you think. We did the D-Day beaches on the way back to Swizzieland a couple of years ago, and it took a while by car (admittedly we only had a couple of days). And then we didn't see it all. And St.-Mère Église is a reasonable distance from the beach.

The US monument and cemetery at Omaha Beach (of "Saving Private Ryan" fame) is a sobering one - and you can stroll down from it on to Omaha Beach itself, replete with swimmers and picnickers. It all feels rather unreal.

The remains of the Mulberry Harbours are still offshore at the British beaches, and of course there are German fortifications everywhere.

The beaches did all have French names at one time, but no more - they are and will remain Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. As Jacques Chirac once said, "We do not forget who came to our rescue in those days".

 

Yep, ive got my bike but not keen on it going on a ferry.

I figured as it was the 60th aniversary there would be plenty of bus/coaches about but i think i best look into it a bit more.

In honesty i would rather visit North Africa (Alemein, Tobruk etc) but that will take a lot more planning. I'm researching my Grandfathers time with the 8th Army and would base my tour on where he went.

 

Really? So you might hear one teenager say to another: "Tu veux aller à la plage de Omaha ce weekend?"...."Mais non, je préfère la plage de Sword."

Michael.

 

AFAIK, Michael, that's pretty right. All the maps and road signs now bear those names, to the absence of any French names. Of course, the whole thing is a big tourist draw and the French have made the most of this, which means they push the names.

The sign to Ste.-Mère Église even has a depiction of that paratrooper hanging from the church spire, as in "The Longest Day"!

P.S. Some of the beaches aren't the best bathing beaches you ever saw anyway - we're not talking Waikiki here! When we were there, Gold had a phemonenal amount of green slime all over it.

 

Mais non, je préfère la plume de ma tante.
I'm obviously in troll patrol mode today :JOEL:

PS, I second swimming. Just try not to get hit by a tanker en route!
PPS The train between London and Paris is hallaciously expensive. I've been quoted 149quid one way mid week. Unbelievable. Do they serve champagne and caviar? I'd hope so.

 

Mr P,

I went Portsmouth to Caen overnight. Bearing in mind that the D Day landings started just after midnight at Caen, it would be great to go there first, then just follow the beach road down the coast.

Oh and take your bike - it's fine on the boat and cycling in France is one of life's finer pleasures

 

Interesting idea Merlin

Its a bike with an engine

 

Ca ne marche pas - ma chandelle est morte.

 

I seem to recall there was a very good D-Day museum at one of the smaller ports along the north facing coast not too far from Caen. If memory serves it was Port en Bessin but you'd best check. Anyway, it was very good and well worth seeing

 

BTW, if the sea if rough enough for a bike to fall over, the ferry won't be going anywhere anyway.

 

well hopefully they may be better than the isle of mann ferry company

have to admit, it is tempting to take the bike, and as i'll likely be on my own i can carry more luggage
and a tent!

 

whenever ive taken a bike abroads it been straped down,no chance of moving,also i seem to recall one ferry company wont transport bikes more than 10 years old

 

Then please leave it at home and leave the roads to us

 

LoL

but at 150mph+ will i actually intefere with ya?

 

well it looks like i am going along with Kay, we'll be going on the bike, Portsmouth - Cherbourg.
Anyone know of campsites, prefferably in the area of St Mere Eglise, i want to be there on the evening of the 6th.

I know why i'm going, i just hope Kay feels the same.........