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Rome to Normandy: Bayeux, the D-Day beaches and Étretat

Rome → Bayeux → Étretat

Bayeux Cathedral
"P1240007_Bayeux_cathedrale_ND_rwk.jpg" by Mbzt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
France Caen Trinite c (Caen)
Photo: TTaylor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tapestry, beaches & chalk cliffs Best season (general guide): May–Sep

Normandy, in northern France, combines medieval history, the landing beaches of the Second World War and some of the most striking coastal scenery in the country. This route spends three nights in Bayeux and two in Étretat. From Rome you'll fly to Paris and continue by train, or fly to Caen.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Bayeux: day one, the old town and cathedral; day two, Bayeux Tapestry; day three, D-Day beaches and the American Cemetery. Then spend days four and five in Étretat: day four, travel via Honfleur to Étretat; day five, cliff walks to the arches.

Bayeux is a small town with a Gothic cathedral and a mill on the river. The Bayeux Tapestry, nearly seventy metres long, tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, and it is displayed in a museum in the town.

Bayeux is the closest town to the D-Day beaches, where Allied troops landed on 6 June 1944. The Normandy American Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc shows the craters left by the bombardment, and at Arromanches the remains of a Mulberry harbour still lie in the sea. Guided tours explain the events of the landings.

The road east passes Honfleur, a harbour town with tall slate-fronted houses, painted by many artists.

Étretat, on the Alabaster Coast, is known for its white chalk cliffs and the arches the sea has carved through them. Paths climb the cliffs on both sides of the beach for views of the arches and the needle of rock offshore.

May to September is the best time. Early June brings commemorations of the landings, when the area is busy.

Bring a windproof layer for the cliff paths at Étretat, and allow a quiet hour at the cemeteries above the beaches.

Good to know: A hire car is the easiest way to see the beaches and the coast, or join a guided tour from Bayeux. Try local cider, Calvados and cheeses such as Camembert.

Suggested outline

  1. Rome

    Start

  2. Bayeux

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    The Bayeux Tapestry, a Gothic cathedral and the D-Day beaches nearby.

  3. Étretat

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    White chalk cliffs and natural arches on the Alabaster Coast, via Honfleur.

    Étretat
    "Vue_d'Étretat.jpg" by Jörg Braukmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Bayeux — Arrive; the old town and cathedral· Rome → Caen (by air), then Caen → Bayeux (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Bayeux — Bayeux Tapestry
  3. Day 3 · Bayeux — D-Day beaches and the American Cemetery
  4. Day 4 · Étretat — Via Honfleur to Étretat· Bayeux → Étretat (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Étretat — Cliff walks to the arches
  6. Day 6 · Étretat — Travel home from Étretat· Étretat → Caen (overland), then Caen → Rome (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Bayeux

Nearest airport: Caen Search fares · Caen ↗

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