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Voykit pocket guide · France
Bayeux
Give Bayeux two nights: one full day for the tapestry site and cathedral, one for the D-Day beaches by car or guided tour. Without a car, the beaches need a tour or a long day out.
Bayeux is a small Norman town that survived 1944 almost intact, so its medieval centre and cathedral still stand. It holds the Bayeux Tapestry and the largest British and Commonwealth war cemetery in France, and it is the usual base for the D-Day landing sites — Arromanches is about 10 km north, the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer about 25 km. Most travellers use it as a two-night base rather than as a town in its own right.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, wet, some sites on reduced hours)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a pastry at a boulangerie | €2–5 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €14–20 |
| Dinner, mid-range restaurant | €25–40 |
| Beer in a bar / bottle from a supermarket | €5–8 / €2–3 |
| Cathedral entry | Free |
| Battle of Normandy Museum entry | €7.50 adults, €5 students (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- Rail via Paris Saint-Lazare; allow 4–5 h door to door
- ORY · Paris Orly
- Same rail route via Paris Saint-Lazare
Typical fares
- Train Bayeux → Caen, TER
- about 20 min; fare check
- Train Bayeux → Paris Saint-Lazare, TER
- about 2 h 20; fare check
- Nomad bus Bayeux → Arromanches, line 121
- about 45 min, few services; fare check
Get around
The town centre is a 10-minute walk from the station, mostly along one main street that changes name as it goes; streets are narrow and cobbled, so wear flat shoes. Trains from Gare de Bayeux reach Caen in about 20 min and Paris Saint-Lazare in about 2 h 20 min. Buses (Nomad lines 114, 120, 121) link Caen, Arromanches and Grandcamp-Maisy but run a handful of times a day and less on Sundays. For the D-Day beaches, a car or a guided minibus tour is the practical option.
See and do
Known for
- Bayeux Tapestry
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
- D-Day beaches base
- Bayeux War Cemetery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Arromanches-les-Bains | Nomad line 121 bus, or about 15–20 min by car on the D516 | About 45 min by bus |
| Caen | TER train from Gare de Bayeux | About 20 min by train |
| Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer | Car on the N13 then D517/D514, or a guided minibus tour | About 45 min by car |
| Honfleur | Car via the A13, or train to Caen then bus | About 1 h 15 by car |
| Mont-Saint-Michel | Car via the A84, about 1 h 45 | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Centre-ville (Rue Saint-Jean and around)
- Walk to the tapestry site, cathedral and restaurants; 10 min on foot from the station.
- Near the station (Place de la Gare)
- Cheapest beds and easiest with bags; 10 min walk to the centre.
- Ring-road edge (Boulevard d'Eindhoven)
- Campsite and free parking; 20 min walk along the River Aure, unlit at night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay VOO on-GLEH |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo eh la GAR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- The Bayeux Tapestry display is closed for renovation until 2027 and the tapestry has been moved to London: check the official museum site before you book travel.
- Buses to the beaches are few and timed for school and work journeys; a missed bus can strand you for hours.
- The river path from the campsite to town is unlit; carry a torch after dark.
- Many shops and restaurants close one or two days a week outside summer; check before walking out.
Bayeux is a low-crime small town and safe to walk at night. The real risks are uneven cobbles, unlit river paths and the sparse bus timetable if you rely on public transport for the beaches.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bayeux yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bayeux Tapestry
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
- D-Day beaches base
- Bayeux War Cemetery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Bayeux: www.bayeux.fr/en
- Bayeux Bessin Tourisme: bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com/en/
- SNCF Gare de Bayeux: www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/bayeux
- Wikivoyage: Bayeux, revision 5258716 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5258716
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bayeux
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Bayeux; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Paris. The US also has a consulate general in Rennes.
Tourist office: Bayeux Bessin Tourisme, Rue Saint-Jean, 49.2769, -0.7009.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bayeux). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.