Minibus Hire Across France

Bayeux and the Normandy Beaches by Minibus

Bayeux is the easiest base for the D-Day beaches, with most of the main sites within half an hour. A minibus with a driver lets a family or small group follow its own story along the coast, at its own pace.

Planning a beaches day

Arromanches is about 20 minutes away, with the Musée du Débarquement and the Arromanches 360 cinema above the remains of the Mulberry harbour. The Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach is about 30 minutes, as is the Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer. Pointe du Hoc is about 35 minutes; visitors there must keep to the marked paths.

With distances this short, a minibus can follow a personal thread, perhaps a relative's unit or one particular beach, without long stretches on the road. Plan the order with your driver to avoid doubling back.

Minibus interior with individual seats
Minibus interior with individual seats

What to book and check

The Normandy American Cemetery opens each day at 09:00 and closes at 17:00, apart from Christmas Day and New Year's Day; arrange a group visit with the cemetery beforehand. Pre-registration is expected of all visitors, groups too, from summer 2027, so check what applies to your dates and register if needed. For now the grave plot areas are shut because of drought restrictions, but the visitor centre, memorial and chapel remain open.

Both the Mémorial de Caen, which has a free coach park, and Bayeux's Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie want groups of 20 or more to book.

Flying in to Bayeux

  • Aéroport de Caen Carpiquet (CFR)

Places your group will love in Bayeux

  • Mémorial de Caen — Museum of the Second World War and peace; groups must book; free coach park
  • British Normandy Memorial, Ver-sur-Mer — Memorial above Gold Beach, open all year; contact the site before a group visit
  • Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer — Canadian museum; free on-site parking suitable for buses while the museum is open; closed in January
  • Pointe du Hoc — Cliff-top battle site with craters; visitors must stay on the marked paths
  • Arromanches and the Mulberry harbour — Musée du Débarquement and the Arromanches 360 cinema above the remains of the artificial harbour; Arromanches 360 has free coach spaces near the orientation table
  • Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer — Above Omaha Beach; open daily 09:00 to 17:00 except 25 December and 1 January; group visits are arranged with the cemetery in advance
  • Bayeux War Cemetery — The largest British military cemetery of the Second World War in France, with about 4,000 graves
  • Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie — Museum of the military operations in Normandy in summer 1944; groups of 20 or more book with the museum
  • Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux — Norman cathedral dedicated in 1077, later extended in Gothic style

Where groups tend to stay

  • Caen (larger hotels, about 30 min away)
  • Coast: Arromanches-les-Bains and Port-en-Bessin
  • Bayeux station area
  • Bayeux town centre and the cathedral

In Bayeux itself

For now, the Bayeux Tapestry is not in Bayeux. Its museum shut for renovation in September 2025, and the Tapestry has gone on loan to London's British Museum until July 2027. A return to Bayeux is announced for 2027; confirm the date before you plan around it.

The cathedral, dedicated in 1077, is a fine first stop, and the Bayeux War Cemetery, with about 4,000 graves, is the largest British military cemetery of the Second World War in France. The coach set-down is the Parking d'Ornano, Boulevard Sadi-Carnot.

Getting to Bayeux

The train from Paris-Saint-Lazare is about a three-hour ride. Doing the beaches as a there-and-back from Paris means roughly 560 km at the wheel, a very long day once the drivers' hours rules are applied. Staying in Bayeux keeps the driving short and the days relaxed.

Your questions, answered

Can we visit the British Normandy Memorial?

Yes. The memorial at Ver-sur-Mer overlooks Gold Beach and is open all year. Local roads are narrow and in places cannot take coaches, so drivers follow the tourist signs. Contact the site before a group visit.

Is Mont-Saint-Michel within reach of Bayeux?

The coach park there is about 1 hour 35 minutes away, so it makes a full day out. Honfleur, at about 1 hour 15 minutes, is another option.

Which sites have parking for our vehicle?

At Courseulles, the Juno Beach Centre lets buses park free on site during opening hours (it shuts in January), and Arromanches 360 keeps free coach spaces by the orientation table. Elsewhere, your driver confirms the stopping point.

More days out you can book with us

Other vehicles with a driver