Hi, will be in Paris next month and am interested in taking a day-trip to Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach. I do have a Eurail pass and would like to use (get the most yse out if it as I can). I know there are a number of sites at the beaches...which beach would be best worth visiting, and how would I get there from Paris.. Thanks!
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You are aware that the WW I, VIMY RIDGE and WW II JUNO BEACH D-Day sites are in two entirely different parts of Frenac, right?
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Not sure what you mean about which beach being worth visiting. Juno is one stretch of a very long beach in Normandy that was used by 3 invasions forces - It%26#39;s the middle of of the 3 Commonwealth beaches. There is a Canadian Museum there, but not a lot else war-wise.
Luckily for you, they are closer to Paris than the US landing beaches, but the closest you can get to Juno by train is Bayeux.
Vimy is Up near Beligium (but I am sure you know that) and the closest main staion is probably Arras
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As previous posters have said, Vimy %26amp; Juno are about 180 miles apart and not v near Paris. Depending on how long you are in Paris, a day trip to Vimy may be possible and a couple of days in Normandy is the least you need. Vimy is incredibly moving and a testament to the Canadian army. Juno is different - my great uncle is buried in Bayeux military cemetary and the whole area is moving and fascinating. Arromanches is maybe the best base to see it all but I don%26#39;t think a day trip from Paris would do it, or you, justice. Sorry if that sounds a bit negative, but I feel very strongly about the area.
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Hi
To visit Vimy Ridge, WWI Battlefield and Canadian Memorial, a 50 minute train ride from Gare du Nord to Arras will get you to a shuttle that will take you there.
To then get to the Normandy Beaches you%26#39;ll need to return to Gare du Nord and head to St Lazare for a train to Bayeux...
Might want to give it two days if the idea was day trips from Paris...
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Having visited both areas I found them, particularly the cemetaries, to be very very moving. In fact just to read the thread now moves me and I am the most unemotional person you could meet.
I was a child during WWII but it had a great effect on me, my father and his older brother saw service in both wars and one is still in a military cemetary.
Tread reverently and wonder at the strength and courage shown.
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Hi,
I am in Rome right now and will be flying to Paris May 5th. I am staying there for four days. I want to go to Vimy. I know I can take a train from Gare du Nord to Arras. I%26#39;ve been told to take a taxi from Arras or rent a car. Is there a bus that can take me to the memorial and pick me up. I just want to do a day trip to see where my Uncles served in World War One.
Thanks in advance for any help
Steve Murray
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As a fellow Canadian, I feel your need to see both. I was in the same dilemma on my first trip to France in 2005. We choose Juno. Someone said that there is not a lot of war stuff there, but I am not sure how much you need to see to get the impact. OUR CANADIAN musuem is very well done. the names on the palques outside is very moving. They will take you on a walking tour of the beach and there is a bunker there to see. That was enough for me. I had just turned 40, had no direct family members in the war and was still brought to tears. After there, we did drive to the Canadian war Cemetery in Beny sur Mer (just a few minutes away). It was unbelievable, seeeing the thousands of headstones and just thinking about the poor families back home that never saw their loved ones again. We drove next to a series of large bunkers just north of Bayeux. They were not near as moving for us, but the cliffs at the shore there were amazing.
All in all I would suggest you get a car. If you do not want to drive take the train to Caen, get a car and it is only about 20 minutes to Juno.
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