Caen Memorial vs. Seaside Honfleur

Jim Johnson

We are two couples booked on the May 5th "Rendezvous on the Seine" cruise. On Day 5 we have the shore excursion options of (1) driving to Caen for a guided tour of the Memorial de Caen museun, then continuing to Bayeux to visit the Bayeux Tapestry, or (2) traveling to Honfleur for an orientation tour, then stopping at the Cliffs of Étretat. I would appreciate any advice from those who have visited these destinations regarding which option would be our better choice. Thank you.

British

For me, I have always dreamed of seeing that famous tapestry

AshvEd

We have visited Le Memorial 3-4 times. My father and son were volunteers there for six weeks during the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. You can spend a good 2-3 hours going thru the exhibits and gardens. The Bayeux Tapestry is also worth a visit. I've been to Honfleur and it is a quaint seaside village. I have not been to the Cliffs of Entretat however have seen them in Monet's paintings. IMO Le Memorial and Bayeux Tapestry would be more rewarding.

Claudia Sails

We did a different Seine cruise last June that had a morning stop in Etretat and lunch in Honfleur. They are both picturesque seaside towns with cafes and mostly touristy shops. The cliffs were amazing. We were there during a heat wave so it was pleasant at Etretat where we got a nice breeze but uncomfortably hot in Honfleur. One of those times when the European lack of AC and ice really hurt. Wished that the Bayeux Tapestries had been an option.

Kind of depends on what your interests are and what the weather looks like that day. If it's overcast/foggy then don't bother with Etretat/Honfleur. Would you rather spend time in a museum or wandering around buying souvenirs and looking at the sea?

Enjoy

MCD

It does depend on what you like, but I would vote for the museum in Caen and the Bayeux tapestry, both of which I was fortunate to experience on Tauck's Normandy, Brittany, Paris and the Loire Valley trip. It was exciting to see the tapestry, about which I had heard so much, and the museum was very well done.