How to See the Bayeux Tapestry

Embroidered around the 11th century, the Bayeux Tapestry is a must-see. Find out how to get tickets, visiting hours, what to wear, and , most importantly, ticket prices and whether guided tours are available. All this and more, I'll tell you below.

The Bayeux Tapestry is located in the Musée de la Tapisserie, at 13B Rue de Nesmond in Bayeux. Tickets can be purchased online via the official website or at the ticket office and cost £12 for adults and £5 for children aged 10 to 18. Children under this age go free.

However, the best option for visiting this work of art is to book a guided tour of Bayeux, which includes a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry. Why? An expert guide will provide you with all the details about this large canvas depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. This is very useful because if you decide to visit on your own, you will miss out on a lot of interesting information.

The museum offers an audio guide that is included in the admission price. One of the advantages of this audio guide is that you can choose from approximately 16 languages, including French, English, Spanish and Italian. The guide is also available in Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Russian and many other languages.

In addition, you can take a guided tour that will show you around the museum and tell you all about the most important works, including the tapestry. This guided tour, which you must book at least one hour in advance at the ticket office, lasts just over an hour and a half.

Of course, if you want to make sure you don't miss out on all the interesting details about this tapestry and its history, you can also book a tour of this French city with a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry.

Anyone with a ticket can see the Bayeux Tapestry, but please note that you must present official identification to be allowed into the museum, either your passport or identity card if you are European.

Children are welcome on the premises but must be accompanied by an adult at all times for safety reasons.oportu

As for animals, whether pets or assistance animals of any kind, it is important to note that they are not allowed in the museum, so if you are travelling with pets, you should take this rule into consideration.

As you know, it is very easy to get to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. In fact, it is very close to the city's three other major museums, so you can walk between them. However, if you are coming from further afield, you will need to use public transport or a private car.

Private car

If you are travelling by private car, there is a car park near the museum where you can park your car. You can travel by private car from anywhere in the city of Bayeux, or you can travel from Caen using the N13 route, exiting at 36 towards Bayeux.

Parking is free if you are visiting the museum. You can also find paid parking spaces nearby. The museum car park is also available for those travelling to the museum on a guided tour and arriving by private car.

Train

If the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is one of your top choices for visiting Bayeux, you should know that once you arrive at Paris Airport, you can take the train to the city of Bayeux. It's not very difficult because Saint-Lazare station is the closest to the airport and takes you to Bayeux station, from where you can easily reach the Tapestry Museum.

The good thing about going by train is that the station is really close to the three museums in Bayeux, so once you arrive at Bayeux train station, you can walk to each one. The walk takes between 10 and 15 minutes.

The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is open at the following times:

• Between January and October, it opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6:30 p.m.
• Between May and August, visiting hours are extended by half an hour and the museum closes at 7pm.
• In November and December, the museum is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

You can enter the museum up to 45 minutes before closing time so that you can enjoy your visit to the fullest. The museum is closed on 24 and 25 December, as well as on the afternoon of 31 December.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the museum is closed in January, so if you are planning your trip to Bayeux during the first month of the year, you will not be able to visit the famous tapestry.

Children have a special price:

• Children under 10 years old enter the premises free of charge.
• Children and young people up to the age of 18 pay approximately £5 per ticket.

However, this activity is not recommended for the youngest members of the family. As it is essentially an interpretive work that will be enjoyed more by history and art lovers, younger children are likely to prefer more entertaining and educational activities than visiting the Bayeux Tapestry.

If, after that, you still think that the children who are going with you on the trip to Bayeux will really enjoy this experience, or you simply don't want to leave them out of your trip, try talking to them about the tapestry before you arrive at the museum, read the history of this embroidery with them and explain why it is so important.

It is a masterpiece of impressive quality and attention to detail. It features more than 600 human figures, 200 horses, almost 60 dogs and 500 other animals and beasts, 37 fortifications and 41 boats. Made of wool, it is 68.38 metres long and half a metre wide.

One of the most interesting details of this tapestry is that it is of great historical importance, because it not only shows the great medieval battles, including the Battle of the Norman Conquest, but also shows part of the preparations for this battle, which sets it apart from other historical documents.

Don't miss the other areas of the museum, which are sure to surprise you.

It is important to allow enough time to see the Bayeux Tapestry, so I recommend setting aside at least an hour and a half or two hours to explore the Tapestry Museum.

Considering that the audio guide can take approximately one hour to an hour and a half and the guided tour can last up to two hours, a visit on your own can take approximately two hours, although it all depends on how thoroughly you want to explore the place and appreciate the work.

• Before going to the Bayeux Museum, I recommend booking well in advance, bearing in mind that it is a very popular place, so this is the perfect option if you want to save time when you arrive.
• Another option is to book a tour that includes a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry, which will give you free entry and skip the queues. This way, you can learn all about the history behind the tapestry.
• If you are going with children, try to talk to them about the tapestry and its importance to everyone before you go. This will give them an idea of what they are going to see when they arrive, and they won't get bored.
• You can take your camera without flash to document everything you see inside the site.
• And, of course, before your trip, be sure to discover the best things to see and do in Bayeux to make the most of your visit.