Advice Please - Normandy Tour, June 6th, 2019

Self ^ | 8 Nov 2018 | PeteePie

[crager]

I was there this past April and there is so much to see. It is amazing to say the least.

I only had one day (tour)and it clearly wasn’t enough time. We only had so much time at each stop, which was not enough time to take it all in.

We went to Pointe du Hoc, the American Cemetery, and Omaha Beach all of which are a must see. They gave me (us) flowers to place on any grave. I placed mine for an Unknown Soldier. We ate lunch at the Omaha Golf Club, which gave us an opportunity to go through the first villages liberated. There was no time to go through any of the museums.

Anyways, depending on how much time you have, you’ll need to prioritize. If you stay in the town of Bayeux or Caen you would have more options.

[WASCWatch]

Google planning your trip to England and France. Lots of good info and advice on how to due it yourself.

[RooRoobird20]

Don’t miss Hon Fleur, a beautiful little town. When we stayed there, we were in a hotel on the main town square, within 100 ft from the entrance to the town’s beautiful Catholic Church. Mr RooRoo and I spent a Saturday sipping wine in the hotel garden and literally watched “Four Weddings and a Funeral” —in real life! All on the same day. It’s a very busy parish.

[kaila]

I was just there 2 months ago. If you want to travel to Normandy without a tour guide then you have to rent a car. The distances are too large and no bus transportation.
I would recommend going to Bayeux to see the tapestry. The hotel I stayed at was Le Lion D’or which was good for the price.
There are a lot of tour companies that go to the battlefields. I used Overlord Tour Co. They did a really great job.I would recommend advance reservations, especially the time period you are talking about.
We stayed in Bayeux, and toured from there because we did not want to drive. You can easily take a train from Paris.

[RooRoobird20]

And as the others have said, go to the various war memorials and cemetaries. They are very deeply moving.

[jughandle]

Bookmarked! For...one of these days, I hope.

[kaila]

If you go to Mont St Michel, bring some Deet. The mosquitos and bugs are fierce.

[Lakewood]

We went several years ago. Spent three days in Paris then seven at this place: https://www.chateaudecourtomer.com/ It was an amazing place to stay and do day trips from. About two hours to Normandy, two hours to Mont Saint Michel, two hours to Deauville and Honfluer.

Chateau Courtomer is in the small town of Courtomer, near Seas. There was one “French” restaurant in town and the food was magnificant.

Many small towns around to explore and live the history.

Let me know if you want any specific info and I’ll be happy to respond.

[hardspunned]

D-Day, Normandy Landing Beaches: Battlefield Guide (Major and Mrs Holt’s Battlefield Guides) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1848845707/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FHo5BbNN13QAW

Buy this book. Rent a car with GPS if you don’t speak French. I took the train from Paris to Caen and rented there. Double the number of days you plan on spending. I’ve done tours too and there is no comparison with going where YOU want and spending the time you want there. Have a good trip.

[choctaw man]

5 Avenue de l’Opéra, 75001 Paris, France...

http://www.francetourisme.fr/agences-france-tourisme.php?langue=en&agence=louvre#louvre

We used the above agency for both Normandy beaches tour and Fountainebleau tour. I highly recommend this agency.

[Robert A Cook PE]

My daughter and I had a wonderful, self-guided tour across northern France in August 2015 - but started from Paris this time, not London. Coming from London, I’d go either all the way to Mont St Michel on the west side of the Normandy Peninsula, or head south and east towards Belgium and then head west.

All of these battlefields are accompanied by nearby museums, most are very low cost.

We were driving - starting each day from a US-style hotel near the museum, then finishing each after noon late when the sites closed and driving to the next hotel. Bring a EU GPS or EU-GOS compatible phone!

After a few days in Paris, we drove west to Mont St Michel. Then across the Peninsula to Normandy then north France (Crecy and Agincourt in one afternoon), Belgium (WWI battlefields (Somme, Ypres, Passendaele, and cemetaries (two days), and then Waterloo south of Brussels the next day), then the Battle of the Bulge museums, and then back to Paris through Verdun.

1346: 669 anniversary of the English victory at Crecy
1415: 600 anniversary of the English victory at Agincourt
1433: 582 anniversary of the English siege of Mont St Michel
1815: 200 anniversary of the English victory at Waterloo
1914: 101 anniversary of the first German invasion through the Ardennes-Belgium woods.
1915: 100 anniversary of the French-Germany defeat/stalemate at Verdun
1916: 99 anniversary of the English stalemate at the Somme
1917: 98 anniversary of the English stalemate of the 3rd Battle of Ypres/Passandaele
1940: 75 anniversary of the second German invasion through the Ardennes-Belgium woods and passes
1940: 75 anniversary at the English retreat over the Dunkirk beaches and museums
1944: 71 anniversary of the American-English victory of Normandy invasion and its battles across France to Germany
1944: 71 anniversary of the third German invasion through the Ardennes-Belgium woods and passes
1945: 70 anniversary of the American victory in the Battle of the Bulge

Compared to many, we spent little time at Normandy itself, but were impressed with the hedgerows and fields behind the beaches, the Airborne assault museum, the beaches themselves, and the Pelican Bridge displays. Since we came from Mont St Michel, we entered the beaches “from the German side” - which was different from many impressions.

Sobering to see so many invasion routes taking the same roads, the same villages and towns, crossing the same bridges and fords as in years past.