1. We stayed in Bayeux, and it appears to be your best destination for D Day tours. It seemed that most of the tours originate from there. The town is charming, and I would allow time for the students to tour the Tapestry Museum.
2. The train takes about two hours, and I think Second Class is about 26 Euros one way. Perhaps some more seasoned travelers can give you advice on booking in advance, and I would probably do this with the number in your party traveling during the summer.
3. We used Overlord Tours and had a wonderful time. Overlord has French guides speaking very good English. There is also a Britsh Company, Battlebus, that also gets good reviews.
Our tour van held 8 passengers plus the driver, so it would be too small for your group. If you Google the Overlord and Battlebus, you'll be able to get to both websites and email them with your needs. I know Overlord arranges "custom" tours, and Battlebus probably does the same.
I would suggest the "Band of Brothers" tours because your high school students will probably relate to the sites they saw in the miniseries. These tours include the American Cemetary and Omamha and Utah Beaches, but you'll visit other sites as remarkable. The "Band of Brothers" tour is not cliche' or "Hollywood," but if your students can view D Day films such as "The Longest Day," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Band of Brothers" before they travel, visiting recognizable locations will be quite meaningful.
For the tours, expect to secure your reservation by credit card that you either phone in, FAX or Email. We felt secure calling the company. This credit card is not likely to be your final means of payment, however, as our guide collected cash at the end of the tour and no charge was made to our card. You may, therefore, want to make arrangements for payment in advance of your trip given the size of yu group.
You may also want to arrange a meeting point for the start of your trip. Our tour started at the Tapestry Museum, but if your hotel is not close to that location, I would see if something else could be arranged. With the size of your party, this could be possible, and I would think that you would want to avoid arranging additional tranportation.
4: Other suggestions:
We stayed at the Hotel Churchill, and the staff, building itself and historic photographs certainly added to our experience. It is in the heart of the town, so further transportation for dining and city sites would not be necessary. We took a taxi from the train station (about 5 minutes), but, being young, the students could walk this distance! Book ASAP if you choose the Hotel Churchill...it is very popular!
You may also want to take your students on a day trip to Mont St. Michel. Hotel Churchill offers a daily trip to MSM, but you could also take a train. I think the closest stop to Mont St. Michel is Pontorson, and it was my impression that a bus could take you from there to the base of the village. Perhaps someone else could give you more information. Post on the Mont St. Michel forum and see what you get!
I would advise your students to talk to their banks and credit card companies well in advance of their trip. ATMs are plentiful, but many American banks charge conversion and transaction fees on overseas charges. These add up. Also, it is advisable to travel with a Visa or MasterCard if you typically use American Express (as we do). Many places do not accept AE. For cash, it is best to live with the fees your bank will charge. Interest on credit card cash advances start at the point of the transaction and is steeper than bank overseas charges. We also found that most places have a 15 Euro minimum on credit card transactions, so carrying cash is necessary.
Allow at least three, if not four hours, for check in if you are flying out of Charles De Gaulle. Arriving is easy, but departure is not!
