We just spent a fantastic 4 day press trip, care of Normandy Tourism, exploring Normandy's coast from Honfleur to Cherbourg and one of our highlights was the historic city of Bayeux. World famous for its UNESCO registered Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings, Bayeux is also a fantastic base for exploring northern Normandy's other important sites: half an hour or less by car from Omaha, Juno and Gold Beaches and under 50 minutes drive from Sword and Utah; just over an hour to charming Cherbourg and the Cotentin Peninsula and less than an hour and a half to the dreamy towns of Honfleur and Deauville that so inspired the Impressionists 150 years ago. You could even drive 90 minutes to one of Normandy's greatest treasures: Mont St Michel!
How to get to Bayeux by ferry, train and plane:
We arrived by car having taken the Brittany Ferry from Portsmouth to Caen - it's about a 6 hour crossing (leaving at 8:00, 15:00 and 23:00) and Bayeux is around 40 minutes drive from the port. Alternatively you could sail from Poole to Cherbourg, a shorter crossing at around 4 hours 45, but this route only runs once a day at 8:30 - 14:15.
You can also catch the train from Paris St-Lazare to Bayeux which takes between 2 hours 30 and 3 hours. If you're flying into Paris, you can travel from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris St-Lazare in 45 minutes using the RER train network and then pick up your train to Bayeux.
One day itinerary in Bayeux:
1. Start your visit with a 2 hour guided walking tour of Bayeux with Discovery Walks.
Run by Marie-Noëlle and Christèle, the "Ladies with green hats" leave everyday at 9:30am from outside the Tourism Office from March 1st - September 30th and take you on a fascinating, funny and highly educational journey through 2000 years of history from the Celts to the present day - Bayeux is one of the few Norman cities that escaped Allied bombing in WWII and so is an absolute treasure trove of historic buildings, half timbered medieval homes and grand mansions. We spent a fantastic 2 hours with Christele, her binder of visual aides and her unlimited supply of fun facts and interesting anecdotes.
Prices: 15€ for adults, 5 for 16/17 year olds, under 16s free. If you're visiting outside of Marc - September, you can arrange a private tour for 2+ adults which will cost 30€ per person.
2. The Bayeux Tapestry.
Now you've got a good grounding in Bayeux's history, it's time to visit the city's biggest claim to fame: the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. Nearly 70 metres long and 50 centimetres tall, this incredibly precious embroidery depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, culminating in the defeat of Harold II, King of England, at the Battle of Hastings.
Your ticket includes an audioguide available in 16 languages: French, English, German, Chinese, Danish, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Portuguese and Czech plus a junior commentary in French and in English. The tapestry is displayed in an enormous U shaped cabinet, and the audioguide keeps you gently moving along its length, explaining the images in front of you and pointing out important context and details you might have missed.
Upstairs is an exhibition about how the Tapestry was made, its tumultuous history (surviving two fires, the French Revolution and Nazi Occupation) and life in England under William the Conqueror.
Prices: Full price 12€ / Reduced price 7,50€ / School price / Students 5€ / Free under 10 years old.
You can buy a pass to also include Bayeux's Battle of Normandy Museum (see later) for 14€/10€ which saves you 5.50€
Opening times:
Mar 1st to Oct 31st 09:00 - 18:30 (19h May to August)
Nov 1st to 28th Feb 09:30 - 12:30 / 14:00 - 18:00
Last admission 45 min before closure.
Annual closure
24th December pm & 25th December
31st December pm
From 1st to 31st January 2025
N.B. From September 2025, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum will be closing until October 2027 while a new facility is being built, so book your trip before then if seeing the tapestry is high on your Normandy bucket list!
3. Lunch at Gourmandise & Tradition
This cute little restaurant is run by Gwendoline and Thibaut, a husband and wife team who serve outstanding, inventive comfort food. They have a 3 course set lunch menu and honestly, their butternut squash and garlic oil soup was one of the nicest starters we've ever had.
Open 12:00 - 13:00 / 19:00 - 21:30 Tues - Fri, 19:00 - 21:30 Sat, 12:00 - 13:00 Sun. Closed Monday.
4. Visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux
While your walking tour will touch on Bayeux's magnificent Cathedral, you're bound to want to go back for a longer visit. It's a stunning blend of Norman Romanesque and Gothic architecture, consecrated on 14 July 1077 by William the Conqueror's half brother, Bishop Odo. Largely rebuilt following a catastrophic fire in the 12th century, the Cathedral's nave is believed to be where the Bayeux Tapestry was first displayed.
4b: The Battle of Normandy Museum and Bayeux's War Memorials.
Alternatively, if you're satisfied that you've seen enough of the Cathedral, pay a visit to Bayeux's Battle of Normandy Museum: Divided into 3 sections, covering June, July and August of 1944, the museum goes through the Normandy Campaign following D-Day with lots of information about General de Gaulle and the French Resistance.
Open from 10:00 - 12:30 and 14:00-18:00 everyday except 24th December pm & 25th December, 31st December pm and from 1st to 31st January
Full price 7,50€ / Reduced price 5,50€ / School price / Students 5€/ Free under 10 years old
or buy a 2 museum pass at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum for 14€.
A short walk from Bayeux's Battle of Normandy Museum is the largest British and Commonwealth cemetery in Normandy, the final resting place of around 4,144 Commonwealth soldiers killed elsewhere and buried in Bayeux, over 400 German soldiers and a small number of French and Polish soldiers.
Close to the Bayeux war cemetery, is the Reporter's Memorial, a beautiful memorial garden dedicated to over 2000 war correspondents and reporters who have died since World War II while covering conflicts and terrorism around the world. Their names are carved on stone pillars along a woodland walk, including Robert Capa, James Foley and the Charlie Hebdo journalists.
Dinner:
Bayeux has a lot of different restaurants, but here are two that we really liked:
Tucked away on the river, Le Volet Qui Penche serves exceptional French cuisine alongside an impressive wine list. The entrecote steak was outstanding.
Open 18:30-21:00 Monday/Tuesday and 12:00-14:00/18:30-21:00 Wednesday - Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Serving delicious, creative, seasonal meals ("No strawberry in January, no cabbage in summer!"), L'Alcove sits right opposite the cathedral and as been awarded a Bib Gourmande by Michelin. Not only is the food divine, but the presentation is beautiful. Open 12:00 - 13:30 Tuesday, 12:00 - 13:30 /19:00 - 21:30 Wednesday - Saturday. Closed Sunday/Monday all day and Tuesday evenings.
Both restaurants are about a 2 minute walk from Hotel Reine Mathilde. Be sure to make a reservation as seating is limited in both!
Where to stay in Bayeux:
For our press trip, we spent 2 nights at Hotel Reine Mathilde, a comfortable and perfectly located hotel in Bayeux's Old Town with a delicious continental buffet breakfast. Less than 5 minutes walk from the Bayeux Tapestry Museum and the Cathedral (our room had Cathedral views), Hotel Reine Mathilde is fantastic base for exploring the city and we couldn't recommend it more. All the staff we encountered were extremely welcoming and friendly, and if you need to store your luggage before starting your day, Hotel Reine Matilde will keep it for you in the reception and transfer your bags to your room once its ready.
The Hotel has 3 separate spaces all within a couple of minutes walk from each other:
16 rooms in the historic hotel building itself (where the reception and breakfast is) with Queen sized or twin beds, a coffee machine, Wi-Fi, safe and a TV.
The Annexe: a self catered studio flat suitable for a couple, Comfort Rooms and a large family sized suite that can sleep 5 people with a King sized double and 3 single beds.
The Maison: bright and spacious King rooms and suites with large walk in showers and a sunny exterior courtyard to relax in.
For more useful information, you can visit the websites of the Bayeux Bessin Tourist Office and Normandy Tourism
Disclosure: We were invited and hosted on this trip by Normandy Tourism, but we were not paid to post and as always, all opinions are our own!
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