Expert: Terry Casey - 7/6/2009

Question
Hello ,we are a family of 2 adults and 3 children travelling from Beauvais Airport to Villers sur mer on the 15 th of July. Would we be better to hire a car or is public transport a viable option? Car hire is around 450 euros. Thanks

Answer
Hi . . . Chris!

From your question, I wanted to double-check on your exact final location.  

Are you trying to reach Villers-sur-Mer that is along the north coast of France between Le Havre and Caen?  

There appears to be a train station near this location, but the Beauvais Airport is somewhat remote and distance from main Paris.  Making this connection by rail or bus, especially for a family of five could be challenging. Possible, maybe, but not likely to be quick, easy and/or time-efficient.

A train will connect from Trouville Deauvile to Villers sur Mer.  It will take a little over two hours from Paris St Lazare to Trouville with limited times for this routing.  And getting from Beauvais Airport into Paris is a long, time-consuming process.

It would be much quicker and easier to get there via a rental car.  PLUS, with your own car, you can visit other nearby places in this nice area.  And the train costs, going and returning, do add up for five people.   Wasted time can be very costly and not much fun.

RAIL vs. BUS vs. AUTO REALITIES: In France, overall, the trains are great, especially along certain key routes with the fast and comfortable TGV Express train service.  Between Paris and Avignon, it is only a two hour and 35-40 minute trip that zooms this route by traveling up to 199 mph.  On other TGV routes, the top speed is around 186 mph.   These super nice and fine TGV trains are not, however, on all routes, nor to all cities.  For other routes, mostly between larger cities, the service can be good to very good.  BUT, in many rural areas and to connect among various smaller village and country areas, rail service is not available and/or fairly slow or limited.  There might be several train changes need to cover some routings.  There is "some" bus service in France, but it is done by many different private companies and it does not have a centralize website, nor fast, frequent service.  Because elements of the rail service are so good, it has made it harder to have equally good and frequent bus service in most parts of France.  

Below are some notes car rentals, getting directions for driving, train routings, etc.

Does this start to help a little? What are your reactions and needs for added information?  Be happy to provide additional info and answer other questions after learning more from you.  Be sure to complete the evaluation section so that our "bosses" on this volunteer service know we are working hard to make inquiring minds as happy as possible. ENJOY!  Merci Beaucoup!

Thanks.  Terry Casey in Columbus, Ohio


CAR RENTALS OPTIONS:
We have had excellent success with
www.autoeurope.com
Their phone toll-free is 1-888-223-5555 (North America only).
There are also rail-auto plan options through raileurope.com
Avis has lots and lots of location around France and Europe.
Don’t assume one price will be the THE PRICE, best price.  Make an advanced booking at a good price, but keep check back as different specials will come up, especially in these fast-changing economic times.

WEB-MAPPING FOR FRANCE:
Use this website to get any detailed maps you need. Scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the directions with your details on where are coming from and going to. It will give both graphic maps and written point-by-point instructions.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/main.adp?country=FR
or
http://www.mapquest.com/directions/europe.adp?do=nw

RAIL SCHEDULES: You can go to this website
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/point_to_point/triprequest.htm
or
www.raileurope.com
and check all of the various train options, timings and costs on rail travel within Europe through the "schedules" option on their web page.  For some routings, such as Avignon to Barcelona or Nice to Rome, it will not yield results.  You will be need to break it out into separate routings such as Nice to Genoa, then Genoa to Rome.  Great, very useful site!


NORMANDY:  This is an area with many great potentials, including its 360-mile coastline, historic cities, beaches, lush farmlands, fine cheeses, nice ciders and many Gastronomic delights!  This includes calvados, an apple brandy and Camembert cheese, a local specialty.  It was part of ancient Gaul, conquered by Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC. The name of  Normandy is derived from the settlement and conquest of the territory by Vikings ("Northmen") from the 9th century. Architecture in upper Normandy is typified by half-timbered buildings that also recall vernacular English architecture.   
For the area, here’s more tourism info: www.normandie-tourisme.fr

In our one day-trip there, we did:

GIVERNY: This is a pilgrimage for art lovers in this picturesque village (just east of Vernon where the train from Paris took us and we got our car for our day-trip in this area).  It is on the banks of the Seine and was the home of French impressionist painter Claude Monet. Visitors can wander through Monet's spacious house and the exuberant gardens.  Near these garden is the famed pond and bridge, the inspiration of his famous water lily series.

BAYEUX: This charming town is built around the magnificent Cathedral of Notre-Dame and is home to the 200-foot long Bayeux Tapestry.  This is a world famous masterpiece whose cartoon-like scenes depict the epic tale of William the Conqueror's expedition conquering England in 1066 AD.  We had a wonderful lunch at the Lion d’Or, a former coaching inn dating back to 1770.  The town/area tourism website is: www.bessin-normandie.fr

WORLD WAR II LANDING BEACHES: The largest military landing in history took place in Normandy on June 6, 1944 with 130,000 troops landing that day on the beaches. Monuments, museums and bunkers are a living commemoration to the Battle of Normandy. The American Cemetery is located near  Colleville-sur-Mer on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion) and the English Channel. It covers 172 acres and contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations. The graves face westward, towards the United States.  This cemetery is very moving and is maintained in an incredibly beautiful manner.

MONT-ST-MICHEL  (mohn-san-mee-shel) is a unique abbey perched precariously on a 264-foot high rocky islet connected to the mainland by a causeway. Surrounded by over half a mile of massive walls and reached by a steep climb up winding streets, it remains one of the greatest sightseeing attractions in Europe and the second only to the Eiffel Tower as the most visited place in France.  Its fortifications enabled the islet to withstand repeated English assaults during the Hundred Years' War. The abbey served as a prison during Napoleon's reign. Restored after 1863, and connected to the mainland by a causeway in 1875),  Mont-St.Michel is also known for its tides, the highest on the continent.  For more tourist info/options: www.ot-montsaintmichel.com

We took the TGV Express train back from Rennes in Brittany at the end of our day-trip to this wonderful area with many great sites and sights!

There are also options at:

ROUEN: A thriving industrial and commercial center and the third largest port in France, Rouen is steeped in history. Both William the Conqueror and Joan of Arc died in the town Victor Hugo called it "the city of a hundred spires". Rouen is home to many museums as well as its famed Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame, immortalized by Claude Monet’s paintings.

DIEPPE/FECAMP/ETRETAT: As the oldest seaside resort in France, Dieppe has its history retold in the castle museum. The Benedictine Palace & Museum, home of the famous Benedictine liqueur, is Fecamp's main fame, along with its picturesque marina. A short drive down the coast is the village of Etretat, nestled between striking white cliffs.

DEAUVILLE/TROUVILLE:  The glamorous resort town of Deauville, home to the rich and famous, is a thriving vacation spot of luxury hotels, casinos, race tracks, golf courses and polo grounds. Its twin city, Trouville, separated from Deauville by the Touques river, is a more sedate fishing village. Both towns boast wide sandy beaches. Another town named Honfleur is the birthplace of impressionist painting. Honfleur is a charming harbor village with narrow timbered houses. Monet and Baudelaire are two of the many artists who spend time in this 11TH century town.