We will be moving from the South of France to Normandy to visit with a former exchange student. Help is appreciated for the following questions:
1. Is there a way to search the train website to see what stations are near the area that we wish to visit?
2. Is there a TGV train that would go from Nice to Caen area or Montpellier to Caen - or do we need to make connections along the way (perhaps in Paris)?
3. Should we stop in Paris to drop off luggage and then go forward?
4. Is there a place in Caen that would allow us to store our luggage at the train station?
5. We want to visit Mont St. Michele and then briefly stop at the American Cemetary. We assumed that Caen was the best rail station....is this correct?
6. Is it easy to drive ourselves to the two places? Does anyone know of private drivers that we could hook up with if we don%26#39;t drive ourselves?
7. Our former student lives up in Calais. To save her the time to drive from there to Caen, is there another train that we can take to that area that will allow us to meet in a better location?
Thanks for any help!
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Check your train rides on this site :
www.voyages-sncf.com/leisure/fr/launch/home/
There are no direct trains for these trips, you will not only have to change trains in Paris but also go from a train station to an other. You will arrive from Nice or Marseille at Gare de Lyon and departures to Caen are from gare d%26#39;Austerlitz.
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Caen may be the closest train station to Mont-Saint-Michel...but it is definitely not close! I think to access easily both the Mont and the American cemetary you really need to rent a car.
A private driver/taxi is an option, but will cost a fortune considering the distances. Joining an organized tourist group is another option, with less flexibility as for your visit, of course.
OK, the French have a nasty and hectic driving code (if any code!), but renting a car in Caen (not such a big city) the traffic won%26#39;t be so bad, nice little roads...
Calais to Caen by rail...will be a similar mess as for Montpellier to Caen. No straightforward way, I am afraid...the easiest location for a meeting is Paris!
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Thanks for the responses. It seems that it would be much simpler to check into a hotel in Paris since we would need to change rail stations there anyway. I think I%26#39;ll also take the advice and encourage my former student to visit in Paris instead of meeting in Caen. Certainly seems closer for her!
I%26#39;m glad I took the time to ask this question as I had no idea that it would involve going to two different stations in Paris.
The information gleamed from this website has been invaluable lately....the biggest problem has been narrowing down the Paris hotel :)
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