Tourist Information

Directions

From within France

Via Car

The Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer is 270 km from Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris. The drive is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes in length and includes 250 km on the A13 highway. Drivers are encouraged to have change ready for the numerous toll booths.

Please visit one of the following websites to get more detailed directions to Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy and the Juno Beach Centre.

Mapquest

Mappy

ViaMichelin

Or enter the GPS coordinates of the Centre in your navigation system: 49°20’11.52″N / 0°27’42.52″W

Renting a Car

Renting a car and touring the D-Day beaches on your own is an excellent way to visit the area, as some of the historic sites can be difficult to reach by public transportation. Information regarding car rentals is available by contacting the tourist office in Caen or in Bayeux. Renting a car in Paris is also an excellent option.

The Bayeux Tourist Office:
Website: www.bayeux-tourism.com
Email: info@bayeux-tourism.com
Phone: 00 33 (0)2 31 51 28 28

The Caen Tourist Office:
Website: www.ville-caen.fr/tourisme
Email: tourisminfo@ville-caen.fr
Phone: 00 33 (0)2 31 27 14 14

Via Public Transit

To get to the Juno Beach Centre from Paris, you may take the train (TER) to Caen from the GARE ST LAZARE in Paris. This journey takes approximately two hours. There are about 15 trains to Caen daily. Fewer trains run on Sunday. You can find all the train schedules at www.voyages-sncf.com.

Once you arrive in Caen, you will need to get to Courseulles-sur-Mer, the small coastal town where the Juno Beach Centre is located. The Centre is approximately 25km from Caen. You can take a taxi or use the regional coach service called the BUS VERTS. Once in Courseulles, the Centre is located on the west side of the port, right on the beach.

Bus Vert – Line Number 3: (see the Bus Verts website at www.busverts.fr for timetables and exact fair – website in French only)

Next to the “Gare” (train station) in Caen is the “Gare des bus” (bus station) where you can purchase a ticket which costs less than 4€ one way (ask for same day return discounts and/or student discounts). Tickets can also be purchased from the bus driver. It is usually possible to take Bus N°3 at this station but sometime taking a tram to “Côte de Nacre” is necessary. If you need to take a tram, the stop is right in front of the train station.

A tram ticket costs less than 2€ and is valid for an hour once it is inserted in the machine on the tram to validate it. Tickets can be purchased from a machine at the tram stop. Coins are necessary as the machine only accepts coins and CB cards (French bank cards).

Once the ticket is purchased, take tram “A” in the direction of “Caen Campus 2” and stop at “Côte de Nacre”. The ride should take approximately 20-30 minutes. There are maps in all of the trams and all stops are announced on a flashing display screen. Once at “Côte de Nacre”, look for the bus stop for the Bus Vert N° 3. Bus schedules are posted in the bus shelters.

Once you get on the bus, ask the driver to let you off in Courseulles at the “Chant des Oiseaux” stop. Depending if you are on an express bus or not, the ride can take between 30 minutes to a little more than 1 hour.

Via Taxi

Travel time is approximately 30 minutes, depending on traffic. The taxi stop is in front of the Caen train station. Going to Courseulles (one way) will cost you between 40€ to 65€ depending on the company and the time of day. Make sure to ask the drive for an estimate of the price before getting in if you want to avoid a surprise. Ask the driver to bring you to the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles. The Centre’s opening times vary depending on the season so check beforehand to ensure that you have enough time to visit.

From England

Via Eurostar

It is possible to take a Eurostar train (www.eurostar.com) from St Pancras International or from Waterloo Station in London to Gare du Nord in Paris. Travel time is a bit less than 2 1/2 hours between London and Paris. You then need to change train stations to take a regional train from Paris Saint Lazare to Caen.

A car journey via the Euro Tunnel to Calais is also possible. Travel time between Calais and Courseulles-sur-Mer is approximately 3 1/2 hours, depending on traffic.

Via Ferry

• from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (about 5 hours crossing)
• from Portsmouth to Caen-Ouistreham (about 7 hours crossing)
• from Portsmouth to Le Havre (about 6 hours crossing )
• from Dover to Calais which is the shortest crossing, however you will need to drive, take the bus or take the train from Calais to Courseulles-sur-Mer

Note: to get to Portsmouth from London, you have several options: train, bus (National Express) or car rental. Trains from Heathrow and Central London are quite accessible. 

LD Lines: Every mile with a smile (http://www.ldlines.co.uk/). To reach Normandy by ferry from Great Britain.

Via Plane

• from London to Paris
• from London to Le Havre
• from London to Deauville-St-Gatie
• from London to Cherbourg-Maupertuis

Note: no direct flights to Courseulles-sur-Mer or Caen are available.