Getting There -- The best way to get to the D-day beaches is to drive. Public transportation is unreliable. The trip takes about 3 hours from Paris. Take A13 west to Caen, and continue west along A13 to Bayeux. From Bayeux, travel north along D6 until you reach the coast at Port-en-Bessin. From here, D514 runs along the coastline; most D-day sites are west of Port-en-Bessin. Parking is not a problem, and most of the designated areas along the roadway are free. It's best to visit on a weekday, because weekends (especially in summer) can be crowded with tourists and sunbathers.
Bus service from Bayeux is uneven and usually involves long delays. Bus Verts (tel. 08-10-21-42-14) runs to Port-en-Bessin and points west, and bus no. 75 offers service year-round to Arromanches and other points in the east. Bus no. 70 travels west (June-Sept only) from Bayeux toward Omaha Beach and the American cemetery.
If you don't have a car, the best way to see the D-day beaches is on a tour. Normandy Tours, Hotel de la Gare, Bayeux (tel. 02-31-92-10-70; www.normandy-landing-tours.com), runs a 4- to 5-hour tour (in English) to Arromanches, Omaha Beach, the American Military Cemetery, and Pointe du Hoc for 39€ ($57) adults and 34€ ($49) students and seniors. D-Day Tours, 52 rte. de Porte en Bessin, Bayeux (tel. 02-31-51-70-52; www.normandywebguide.com), offers tours with a bit more pizazz and guides who speak better English. A half-day trip costs 45€ ($65) for adults and 40€ ($58) for students; a full-day trip is 75€ ($109) for adults and 70€ ($102) for students. The company picks you up at your hotel in Bayeux. A final option, Battlebus (tel. 02-31-22-28-82; www.battlebus.fr), conducts a full-day tour encompassing all sites and beaches that were pivotal during the D-day landing and Battle of Normandy; cost is 80€ ($116) per person. Most participants have found this latter option the best tour of all -- simultaneously riveting, exhausting, and stimulating.
Visitor Information -- The Office de Tourisme, 4 rue du Maréchal-Joffre, Arromanches-les-Bains (tel. 02-31-21-47-56), is open year-round.
