Planning a trip to the Normandy landing beaches usually starts with one question: where should we base ourselves? For most visitors, and especially for families retracing a relative's footsteps, the answer is Bayeux. Here is why, how far everything is, and how to choose the right kind of accommodation for your group.
Bayeux sits right in the middle of the D-Day landing coast. Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery lie to the west, Gold, Juno and Sword to the east, and Pointe du Hoc and Utah Beach further west, towards the Cotentin. From Bayeux you can reach every sector in under an hour, then come back to the same base each evening.
It is also a place with its own D-Day story. Bayeux was liberated on 7 June 1944, the day after the landings, and came through the Battle of Normandy almost intact. On 14 June 1944, General de Gaulle came to Bayeux to give his first speech on liberated French soil. Today the medieval centre, the cathedral and the Bayeux Tapestry make it a pleasant town to return to after a day on the beaches, with restaurants, cafés and a train station a short walk away (direct trains to Paris and Caen).
Approximate driving times from Auxais Private Mansion, in the historic centre of Bayeux:
The British Military Cemetery and the Normandy Battle Memorial Museum are in Bayeux itself, a 15-minute walk from the house.
A hotel or a bed and breakfast in the centre of Bayeux works well for one night: breakfast is served, and you are within walking distance of restaurants.
When grandparents, parents and children travel together, a private house makes the trip easier. Everyone has their own room, but you share a living room and a kitchen, and you can talk over the day around one table instead of in a hotel lobby.
Groups following a regiment or a family member's route often keep different schedules: early starts, a guide for one day, a rest day for another. A house with parking, a laundry and a kitchen gives that flexibility.
Auxais Private Mansion is an 18th-century hôtel particulier, rated five stars by Atout France, rented as a whole to one group at a time.
When you book direct, a bottle of Champagne awaits you on arrival, and you deal with Franck, the owner, from the first question to check-out.
Check availability and book direct →
We suggest three nights. That gives you one day for Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery and Pointe du Hoc, one day for Arromanches, Gold and Juno with a late afternoon in Bayeux, and a third day for Utah Beach and Sainte-Mère-Église. You can visit Giverny on the way from Paris and the Caen Memorial on the way back.
Early June, around the D-Day anniversary on 6 June, is the busiest period of the year, and accommodation fills up well in advance. Spring and September are quieter and often more pleasant for visiting the sites.
A car gives you the most freedom; you can leave it in the courtyard and explore Bayeux on foot. Without a car, a private guide can collect you at the house.
Yes. A private guide brings the beaches to life, especially if you are following a particular unit or relative. See our private guided tour page, or ask Franck when you book.
Yes. Breakfast with daily housekeeping, or a dinner prepared at the house by a chef, can be arranged on request, depending on availability and with some notice. Ask Franck when you book.
The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is a 10-minute walk from the house, but it is currently closed and will reopen in November 2027.