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luggage check
We're on this trip in April and staying at the Intercontinental Grand in Paris. We'd like to take a quick trip to Normandy on the train the day before we check into the hotel for our Tauck tour. Do you think we can leave our bags with the hotel the day before we check in so we can just take backpacks with us on the train? I've emailed the hotel but not heard back. Tauck will not arrange it with the hotel.
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This should not be a problem. There may be a small fee for storage. In any case be sure to tip the porter.
Are there bag storage lockers at the train station?
SE travel, at the risk of getting into your business more than you'd like I'm having a bit of concern over the idea of a "quick" trip train to Normandy from Paris. We've done the Tauck Seine cruise and their land tour of Normandy/Brittany and I wouldn't attempt this. The train takes 2-3 hours each way depending on which city you're going to. That's on top of the time to get from the airport to the train station, check in, etc. What is your plan once you get there? Are you just going to Bayeux or Caen to see the sites there? Joining a group tour? Going to the D-day beach locations? When Tauck does the D-day beaches its a very long, full day because the sites are spread out.
On the plus side I believe you can pay to leave your luggage at the train station and Tauck will pick you up at the train station and take you to the hotel for your first night's stay.
After arrival in Paris, we're planning on taking the train to Bayeux in the afternoon and spending the night. We're doing the Overlord tour the next day and training back to Paris that night to check into the Intercontinental. We would only store our bags one day. There is no paid storage at Gare St Lazare. I'm happy to pay a fee and tip the porter at the hotel. We are planning on a Tauck pick up at the airport to take us to the hotel. We'll walk to the train station with our backpacks. The station is about 10 minutes away. My husband wants to go to Normandy before our tour and our schedule doesn't permit an earlier arrival.
Just want to say that the land tour that goes to Normandy, Brittany, Paris and the Loire Valley includes time in Bayeux, Caen and Normandy. It was wonderful. Great history (which is my "thing")
SE Travel, I think you're right about the lack of luggage store though the website seat61.com had this info
"Left luggage lockers... There are no left luggage lockers at Paris St Lazare, but there are privately-run luggage storage lockers 4 minutes walk away, see www.lockers.fr." Hope this helps. Certainly would be faster than detouring to the hotel. I've found seat61.com a very useful website for European train information.
Best of luck seeing all you plan.
We’re were 5 days in Normandy on a private tour with Stuart Robertson, a distinguished British World War Two historian and tour guide. 5 days wasn’t enough time to absorb and comprehend the logistics of this battle. We stayed with him at his lovely Bed and Breakfast where in his yard the brave young men landed on D-day. I believe his website is Normandy Battle Tours.
FYI. The Intercontinental got back to me and they will keep our luggage. Now we can deposit the luggage and walk to St Lazare to catch the train to Bayeux. Thanks for the input.