Visit Normandy and the Beaches
Visit this charming and very historical region of France. Below is an outline of what we propose on a private basis with excellent, knowledgeable guides that are licensed and of course English-speaking. We do offer other options that are a day trip from Paris and group excursions from Paris as well. It’s all dependent on your desired way to experience Normandy. We can design the perfect time in Normandy and include Mont St. Michele, Giverny and more. To make your trip extra special we can design your visit around seasonal festivals, advise on where to dine, explore impressionism art and so much more. Meanwhile to get started, we present a two night visit to Normandy:
DAY 1 – Arrival & Visit Departure for Normandy TRAIN SCHEDULE (Train schedule will be confirmed 3 months prior the service Departure from Paris St Lazare Train station at 10.10am
Arrival in Caen train Station at 11.58am Arrival in Bayeux Train station Meet your English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the end of the platform and departure for a visit of the Caen Memorial ( 2h30 visit) The Memorial, has set itself beyond being a simple place of remembrance to become a wonderful observatory for peace, a place bringing together news, reflection and culture for the some 350,000 visitors who come every year. The visit of the Dailaï Lama in April 1997 stands witness to the international reputation of the Museum for Peace Then departure for a visit of Bayeux old town and tapestries Although it was the first large town liberated by the Allies in Normandy in 1944, Bayeux escaped serious damage during the Second World War, much of the delight of lovers of History. All different styles of architecture from antiquity through the Renaissance up to the modern day are represented in this town that was, until the 11th century, the capital of lower Normandy. Without a doubt, one of the most impressive sites is the cathedral which sits at the heart of this historic town built between the 11th and 13th centuries under the order of Odon, bishop of Bayeux and halfbrother to William the Conqueror. You can’t hear of Bayeux without mention of its famous tapestry, an embroidered cloth over 200 feet long and about 18 inches high which tells the story of William the Conqueror between the years of 1064 and 1066, retracing all the events which led William, Duke of Normandy to invade England in October 1066 and depose its King, Harold, thus giving him the title William the Conqueror, King of England. Bayeux also wrote its own page in French history in June 1944 at Place du Chateau when this became the first spot visited in newly liberated France by General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, who announced officially the liberation of the first French town after four long years of German occupation. The Bayeux Tapestry, embroidery on wool, dates from the 11th century. It was created to tell the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in England (1066), a battle that became known as the Norman Invasion. As you may know, William was the Duke of Normandy who believed he had been promised the kingship of England and invaded the country when the promise was broken. The Tapestry, consisting of 58 embroidered scenes, is approximately 280 feet in length, two feet high and in amazing condition. The final few panels of the tapestry have been missing since the French Revolution. Each of the colorful panels of the Tapestry recounts an important part of the history leading the Battle of Hasting, as well as detailing the Battle and its aftermath. The scenes depict people, events and places and include some commentary in Latin. Time for lunch included – your guide will suggest you the best place to have lunch depending on your request on site
pm – End of the tour for today at a classic and well located hotel we recommend in the historic centre of Bayeux, nested in a very quiet and arbored square facing the 11th century majestuous cathedral and along the Aure River, the famous Bayeux Tapestry is 2 minutes away. The 28 elegantly appointed rooms in a French style with 8 different colour schemes, all the furniture is made by Moissonnier a well-known company founded in 1885, its French cabinetmaking skills have been passed on down the generations, bringing the past to life with light touches... suggesting without imposing... breathing new life into traditions to make the present feel magical again, and creating jewelry for the hotel while cultivating an offbeat style: such is the spirit of Moissonnier today.
DAY 2 – Normandy Landing Beaches
9 am – meet your English speaking driver guide in the lobby of your hotel departure for full day visit of the Normandy Landing Beaches area. You will enjoy St Mere L’Eglise , Utah Beach & Omaha Beach ( American cemetery ) - North area of the Normandy Landing Beaches · St mere L’Eglise Sainte-Mère Eglise : This old cattle market town was made famous in the film “The Longest Day”, when Red Buttons who played Private John Steele landed on the church steeple during the night of 5th – 6th June 1944.
Stop by the US Airborne Museum Built at the location where stood a house that was on fire during the night before Dday, this museum has been gathering an amazing collection of memorabilia, in particular in the form of donations from the veterans themselves. The first building that was opened for the 20th anniversary houses an incredible and unique Waco glider, the second one for the 40th a C-47 airplane. There is an interesting film, and whole collection of vehicles, weapons, uniforms, material and much more.
· Pointe du Hoc was the site of the german coastal battery with Utah Beach and Omaha Beach well within their gun range. The assault and capture of Pointe du Hoc fell to Americas’ elite unit, the 2nd Ranger Battalion, lead by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, as seen in “The Longest Day” They held out from the 6th – 8th June 1944 until reinforcements arrived from Omaha Beach. For people visiting the site today it is truly a spectacular site as it has been left in the same condition as when the rangers left it 1944.
· The landing on Omaha Beach of the 1stInfantry division (The Big Red one) and the 29th Infantry division on D Day proved to be the most costly of all the landings in Operation Overlord. This was due to the natural defensive terrain and the fact that none of the German defensive positions had been knocked out by either the aerial or naval bombardments. Today you can visit the Memorial museum at St Laurent sur Mer, which is located just behind Omaha Beach. The museum shows an informative collection of uniforms, weapons & vehicles and through photographs and film, guides you through the D Day landings
· American Cemetery Overlooking the eastern end of Omaha Beach, the American cemetery holds the bodies of 9,387 soldiers who came from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to liberate Western Europe from the Germans. This immense place of memory and reflection will impress you with its calm and serenity. You can see the graves of some of the 307 unknown soldiers or visit the resting places of the more famous, such as the Niland brothers, the family who inspired the film “Saving Private Ryan” as well as the three Medal of Honor winners, one of whom is General Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
· Utah Beach Utah Beach was the most western landing beach under Operation Overlord. The American Landings on Utah Beach were spearheaded by 8th Regiment, 4th Infantry Division who after landing moved quickly up over the beach to neutralise the German defences. The troops then pushed in land and linked up with American Paratroopers from the 101st Airborne. Utah Beach was the most successful of the Allied Landings with the least amount of casualties on D Day. End of the tour at your hotel around 6pm
DAY 3 – Normandy Landing Beaches Breakfast and check out 09 am – meet your English speaking driver guide in the lobby of your hotel departure for full day visit of the Normandy Landing Beaches area. Departure with your luggages You will enjoy a visit of Gold , Juno & Sword Beaches -- North area of the Normandy Landing Beaches
· Longues sur Mer Longues Sur Mer -located on top of a 200-feet-high cliff, this site offers a magnificent view over the English Channel, toward both Gold and Omaha beaches. This battery (built in 1943-44) consisted in four 6-inch guns sheltered in bunkers, covering a range of 12 miles both east and west. So it was declared a strategic target for the massive pre-D-day air bombardment, which resulted mostly incapable of destroying the fortifications. Even though the bomb craters have now been filled in, this coastal battery is the only one in France that has kept its big guns since 1944. The German battery was successfully attacked on the second day and captured by the British Devonshire Regiment.
Lunch at leisure, your guide will suggest you the best place to have lunch depending on your taste and requirements.
Arromanches Arromanches - Charming beach community and quiet fishing village before the war, things rapidly changed when the Germans started building many bunkers and defenses, due to its strategic location at the end of the cliff. A couple of miles away from Gold beach, it was spared of destruction and rapidly taken in order to start the construction of the Mulberry harbor. First time in history, this most incredible feat of engineering was first inspired by Churchill with the vital task of replacing the enemy-held ports of Cherbourg and Le Havre in order to resupply our troops. Everything was constructed ahead of time in England, all different parts were towed across the Channel (Phoenix caissons, floating docks and pontoon bridges) … and put together in about 10 days! Stop for a visit of ARROMANCHES 360° Located on the Arromanches clifftops, the Arromanches 360 Circular Theater dominates the remnants of one of the two artificial Mulberry harbours set up by the Allies. On 8th June 1944, two days after the liberation of Arromanches, the first Phoenix blockships were sunk. They formed a dike that sheltered the ships from the swell when they unloaded their cargoes. Some "whale" floating roadways and some platforms following the movements of the tide completed the deployment. On 14th June, some ships started to unload their cargo. In 100 days, "Port Winston" permitted to land 400 000 soldiers, 4 million tons of equipment and 500 000 vehicles. It remained active until 1st December 1944. A few dozen "Phoenix" blockships are still visible today and continue to keep the waters of Arromanches smooth.
Juno Beach Western part of the assault on Juno Beach, three sectors were given to different regiments to attack : Canadian Scottish / Royal Winnipeg Rifles / Regina Rifles. The troops landed on either side of the Seulles river and the small fishing village of Courseulles was liberated in the afternoon. Numerous monuments are to be found here, including a Churchill Petard tank(especially engineered for D-day) and one of the so-called “amphibious” D-D tanks,and also a large Cross of Lorraine that marks the place where General de Gaullecame back to France in June 1944.
End of the tour at Caen train station TRAIN SCHEDULE (schedule will be confirmed 3 month in advance Departure from Caen train station at 5.57pm- Arrival at Paris St Lazare train station at 7.45pm
Discuss this plan and costing with your Destinations' Travel Adviser in detail.
DAY 1 – Arrival & Visit Departure for Normandy TRAIN SCHEDULE (Train schedule will be confirmed 3 months prior the service Departure from Paris St Lazare Train station at 10.10am
Arrival in Caen train Station at 11.58am Arrival in Bayeux Train station Meet your English speaking driver guide who will wait for you with a nominative board at the end of the platform and departure for a visit of the Caen Memorial ( 2h30 visit) The Memorial, has set itself beyond being a simple place of remembrance to become a wonderful observatory for peace, a place bringing together news, reflection and culture for the some 350,000 visitors who come every year. The visit of the Dailaï Lama in April 1997 stands witness to the international reputation of the Museum for Peace Then departure for a visit of Bayeux old town and tapestries Although it was the first large town liberated by the Allies in Normandy in 1944, Bayeux escaped serious damage during the Second World War, much of the delight of lovers of History. All different styles of architecture from antiquity through the Renaissance up to the modern day are represented in this town that was, until the 11th century, the capital of lower Normandy. Without a doubt, one of the most impressive sites is the cathedral which sits at the heart of this historic town built between the 11th and 13th centuries under the order of Odon, bishop of Bayeux and halfbrother to William the Conqueror. You can’t hear of Bayeux without mention of its famous tapestry, an embroidered cloth over 200 feet long and about 18 inches high which tells the story of William the Conqueror between the years of 1064 and 1066, retracing all the events which led William, Duke of Normandy to invade England in October 1066 and depose its King, Harold, thus giving him the title William the Conqueror, King of England. Bayeux also wrote its own page in French history in June 1944 at Place du Chateau when this became the first spot visited in newly liberated France by General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, who announced officially the liberation of the first French town after four long years of German occupation. The Bayeux Tapestry, embroidery on wool, dates from the 11th century. It was created to tell the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in England (1066), a battle that became known as the Norman Invasion. As you may know, William was the Duke of Normandy who believed he had been promised the kingship of England and invaded the country when the promise was broken. The Tapestry, consisting of 58 embroidered scenes, is approximately 280 feet in length, two feet high and in amazing condition. The final few panels of the tapestry have been missing since the French Revolution. Each of the colorful panels of the Tapestry recounts an important part of the history leading the Battle of Hasting, as well as detailing the Battle and its aftermath. The scenes depict people, events and places and include some commentary in Latin. Time for lunch included – your guide will suggest you the best place to have lunch depending on your request on site
pm – End of the tour for today at a classic and well located hotel we recommend in the historic centre of Bayeux, nested in a very quiet and arbored square facing the 11th century majestuous cathedral and along the Aure River, the famous Bayeux Tapestry is 2 minutes away. The 28 elegantly appointed rooms in a French style with 8 different colour schemes, all the furniture is made by Moissonnier a well-known company founded in 1885, its French cabinetmaking skills have been passed on down the generations, bringing the past to life with light touches... suggesting without imposing... breathing new life into traditions to make the present feel magical again, and creating jewelry for the hotel while cultivating an offbeat style: such is the spirit of Moissonnier today.
DAY 2 – Normandy Landing Beaches
9 am – meet your English speaking driver guide in the lobby of your hotel departure for full day visit of the Normandy Landing Beaches area. You will enjoy St Mere L’Eglise , Utah Beach & Omaha Beach ( American cemetery ) - North area of the Normandy Landing Beaches · St mere L’Eglise Sainte-Mère Eglise : This old cattle market town was made famous in the film “The Longest Day”, when Red Buttons who played Private John Steele landed on the church steeple during the night of 5th – 6th June 1944.
Stop by the US Airborne Museum Built at the location where stood a house that was on fire during the night before Dday, this museum has been gathering an amazing collection of memorabilia, in particular in the form of donations from the veterans themselves. The first building that was opened for the 20th anniversary houses an incredible and unique Waco glider, the second one for the 40th a C-47 airplane. There is an interesting film, and whole collection of vehicles, weapons, uniforms, material and much more.
· Pointe du Hoc was the site of the german coastal battery with Utah Beach and Omaha Beach well within their gun range. The assault and capture of Pointe du Hoc fell to Americas’ elite unit, the 2nd Ranger Battalion, lead by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, as seen in “The Longest Day” They held out from the 6th – 8th June 1944 until reinforcements arrived from Omaha Beach. For people visiting the site today it is truly a spectacular site as it has been left in the same condition as when the rangers left it 1944.
· The landing on Omaha Beach of the 1stInfantry division (The Big Red one) and the 29th Infantry division on D Day proved to be the most costly of all the landings in Operation Overlord. This was due to the natural defensive terrain and the fact that none of the German defensive positions had been knocked out by either the aerial or naval bombardments. Today you can visit the Memorial museum at St Laurent sur Mer, which is located just behind Omaha Beach. The museum shows an informative collection of uniforms, weapons & vehicles and through photographs and film, guides you through the D Day landings
· American Cemetery Overlooking the eastern end of Omaha Beach, the American cemetery holds the bodies of 9,387 soldiers who came from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to liberate Western Europe from the Germans. This immense place of memory and reflection will impress you with its calm and serenity. You can see the graves of some of the 307 unknown soldiers or visit the resting places of the more famous, such as the Niland brothers, the family who inspired the film “Saving Private Ryan” as well as the three Medal of Honor winners, one of whom is General Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
· Utah Beach Utah Beach was the most western landing beach under Operation Overlord. The American Landings on Utah Beach were spearheaded by 8th Regiment, 4th Infantry Division who after landing moved quickly up over the beach to neutralise the German defences. The troops then pushed in land and linked up with American Paratroopers from the 101st Airborne. Utah Beach was the most successful of the Allied Landings with the least amount of casualties on D Day. End of the tour at your hotel around 6pm
DAY 3 – Normandy Landing Beaches Breakfast and check out 09 am – meet your English speaking driver guide in the lobby of your hotel departure for full day visit of the Normandy Landing Beaches area. Departure with your luggages You will enjoy a visit of Gold , Juno & Sword Beaches -- North area of the Normandy Landing Beaches
· Longues sur Mer Longues Sur Mer -located on top of a 200-feet-high cliff, this site offers a magnificent view over the English Channel, toward both Gold and Omaha beaches. This battery (built in 1943-44) consisted in four 6-inch guns sheltered in bunkers, covering a range of 12 miles both east and west. So it was declared a strategic target for the massive pre-D-day air bombardment, which resulted mostly incapable of destroying the fortifications. Even though the bomb craters have now been filled in, this coastal battery is the only one in France that has kept its big guns since 1944. The German battery was successfully attacked on the second day and captured by the British Devonshire Regiment.
Lunch at leisure, your guide will suggest you the best place to have lunch depending on your taste and requirements.
Arromanches Arromanches - Charming beach community and quiet fishing village before the war, things rapidly changed when the Germans started building many bunkers and defenses, due to its strategic location at the end of the cliff. A couple of miles away from Gold beach, it was spared of destruction and rapidly taken in order to start the construction of the Mulberry harbor. First time in history, this most incredible feat of engineering was first inspired by Churchill with the vital task of replacing the enemy-held ports of Cherbourg and Le Havre in order to resupply our troops. Everything was constructed ahead of time in England, all different parts were towed across the Channel (Phoenix caissons, floating docks and pontoon bridges) … and put together in about 10 days! Stop for a visit of ARROMANCHES 360° Located on the Arromanches clifftops, the Arromanches 360 Circular Theater dominates the remnants of one of the two artificial Mulberry harbours set up by the Allies. On 8th June 1944, two days after the liberation of Arromanches, the first Phoenix blockships were sunk. They formed a dike that sheltered the ships from the swell when they unloaded their cargoes. Some "whale" floating roadways and some platforms following the movements of the tide completed the deployment. On 14th June, some ships started to unload their cargo. In 100 days, "Port Winston" permitted to land 400 000 soldiers, 4 million tons of equipment and 500 000 vehicles. It remained active until 1st December 1944. A few dozen "Phoenix" blockships are still visible today and continue to keep the waters of Arromanches smooth.
Juno Beach Western part of the assault on Juno Beach, three sectors were given to different regiments to attack : Canadian Scottish / Royal Winnipeg Rifles / Regina Rifles. The troops landed on either side of the Seulles river and the small fishing village of Courseulles was liberated in the afternoon. Numerous monuments are to be found here, including a Churchill Petard tank(especially engineered for D-day) and one of the so-called “amphibious” D-D tanks,and also a large Cross of Lorraine that marks the place where General de Gaullecame back to France in June 1944.
End of the tour at Caen train station TRAIN SCHEDULE (schedule will be confirmed 3 month in advance Departure from Caen train station at 5.57pm- Arrival at Paris St Lazare train station at 7.45pm
Discuss this plan and costing with your Destinations' Travel Adviser in detail.
