should we stay in town in Bayeux or further out?

We will have 2 and a half days in Normandy in April. We are debating between staying in town in Bayeux itself as our base, to be close to the sights, shops, and restaurants, versus staying a littler further out, in Villiers le Sec, in a country estate for a feel for the country. We even think about staying one night in each place to take advantage of both. We will have a car, and although we have visited France in the past this will be our first time driving in France. Could you give us some advice on which option may be better given our short time frame in terms of ease of driving at night to get to restaurants or driving into Bayeux to see the sights? Thank you.

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Helloooo, from freezing Minnesota!

I%26#39;ll be in Bayeux in less than a week, staying for about the same amount of time as you. All I can bring to the table is to warn against splitting your two nights between locations with so little time.

What is usually neglected is that dead time in the middle of the second day after checkout and before checkin at the second place -- when you%26#39;re stuck with your bags. Often it can be as long as 6 hours.

Can%26#39;t really weigh in on town vs. country stay, but I chose the town to be close to the museums and the square from which my D-Day tour leaves.

I%26#39;ll return on the 9th and will have a lengthy trip report if you%26#39;re interested.

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Hello mntoathens,

From one Minnesotan to another: yes, it has been a cold winter with more cold spells than we need! Thank you very much for your comments. We agree and would prefer to stay in one place. Have a wonderful time and please do tell us how your trip goes upon your return.

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We just returned from Bayeux, it is a small enough town that you can walk anywhere in 15-20 min. We did rent a car aswell driving was easy with the aid of a gps .

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Tough choice! Have done it both ways and can%26#39;t really say which I%26#39;d choose the next time around. While we enjoyed the convenience of staying in town on our first visit we%26#39;ve stayed in gites near Commes and Vaux sur Aure since. It%26#39;s fairly easy to get oriented to the area and I think you%26#39;ll find that getting around the countryside and in and out of town to be fairly simple - especially that time of the year and in the evening when what traffic there is lessens considerably. The roads are very good but you do want a fairly detailed map. Regardless of your choice, I have to agree with the previous posters about staying in one place rather than trying to do both.

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We stayed in Logis les Remparts -a B%26amp;B in Bayeux, but on a quiet street next to a park. Easy walking distance to the Cathedral, Market, Tapsestry, etc., but still quiet with free parking on the street. I liked walking to the sights and restaurants, but it was also easy to get to Arromanches (15 minutes drive), landing beaches, etc.

www.lecornu.fr

Here%26#39;s a link to my review and photos:

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187181-d314…

Have fun!

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Thank you, everyone, for your very kind and helpful suggestions. We have decided to stay in Bayeux, to make it easier for us to enjoy the town%26#39;s many wonderful attractions. This will be our first time driving in Normandy, so staying close to the sights will also reduce our stress level. We will have a chance to visit other places during our drive from Rouen to Bayeux. Again, many, many thanks!

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