Gale_Boyd

My dad is in great shape and wants to take my sister and I back to the beaches in Normandy and give us a little 'take" on his WWII time in Europe. Though he is in great shape..still works everyday, i am not sure he can walk for 4-8 hrs. day and was wondering how to fashion this trip? Do we fly into Paris and take a train to Normandy? Do I arrange a few bus tours and just stay in that area or travel to Versaille? Paris? Just not sure on how to get the biggest bang for his buck.
We would be going in fall of this year ..probably sept or oct. I went to AAA and they gave me some information on a River cruise but that looks pretty expensive. Also, is getting to Auschwitz from there a day trip that could be done ?

As you see, I am at a loss on how to do this "right " for him I have been to Europe before and am trying to concentrate on areas that are relevant to his time spent there many years ago.

StCirq

Boy...so many confusing tidbits here.

First of all, why is this tagged Germany? Are you planning to tour Germany, or are you headed to Normandy in France?

How much time do you have for this trip?

Are you willing to rent a car?

What sort of river cruise was AAA recommending - and WHY?

Getting to Auschwitz from WHERE? Paris? Normandy?

What do you mean "travel to Versailles?" From where? Why? Not as part of a Normandy DD trip, I presume?

Where ARE the areas that are relevant to the time he spent there many years ago?

Before anyone can reasonably give you any suggestions, I think you need to re-order your thoughts and explain what you're looking for. This post is just too garbled and all over the place to make sense of at present. There are plenty of folks here who can help you plan an itinerary, but you need to start with a lot more clarity than you've give us here.

Michael

Get a map of Europe and start marking the places that interest your father. That might clarify things a bit.

jkbritt

I would rent a car and go where he wants to. That way, you can spend all the time he wishes at sites. A lot of his friends died there, so be patienct with him and listen.

HappyTrvlr

We took my father's U.S. Army's infantry unit's book, like a year book, that he was given at the end of the war.It included photos, complete descriptions and a log of their journey, fighting from Normandy across France, Belgium and into Germany. We made our plans from this book. We took one tour arranged by our Beaune hotel to the D Day beaches, American Cemetery, etc and also spent time touring them on our own. All of the WWII historic routes are very well marked. Also, do not miss the British and Canadian beaches. A stop at the museum in Caen is a MUST.
There are maps available of the WWII battles and routes , Michelin I think.If your father doesn't have one of those books, google his regiment, unit anything he can tell you and you may find a lot of informtion online, perhaps even an alumni group of others he fought with.
We rented a car in Paris and drove to Normandy, an easy drive.
In Paris,make sure you go to the Military Museum at The Invalides, near where Napoleon is entombed.There is a WWII section that is very interesting..from a French perspective.
You are giving your father and yourselves a wonderful memory.

BigRuss

Umm . . . your geography is off.

Normandy is in France (as StCirq noted) and the best thing to do is fly to Paris, rent a car and drive around the beaches whilst taking lodging in a hotel or B&B in Bayeux or Arromanches. The US forces (he was US, not Canada, right?) landed at Omaha and Utah beaches, which are the westernmost of the five beaches that the allies landed on. The beaches are far apart, but easy to drive to, including the various sites in and around the beaches. He should visit the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach.

And it's easy to wander a short stretch, pop in the car and drive to another area of interest, repeat. We did that sort of thing for the day and had to because my wife had the stamina of a pensioner due to parasitic infestation (she was 6.5 months pregnant).

Versailles and Paris have nothing to do with the Normandy beaches and neither is convenient to them. Go to Paris for a few days and visit Versailles by train for one of them.

I have no idea what river cruise AAA put you onto. There are multiple rivers in Europe, many of which are cruise-able.

As for Auschwitz, it's not in France, not in Germany, and by no means a daytrip from anywhere in Western Europe. It is 70 miles or so west of Krakow, Poland (which is about 800 miles from Paris, or the same distance as Dallas from Chicago), and was liberated by the Soviets, not by Americans. If you're looking for a concentration camp liberated by Americans or Brits, those are only on the Western side of the Iron Curtain -- Germany and Austria. Any that are in former Warsaw Pact countries were liberated by the Soviets.

pauljagman

Instead of Auschwitz perhaps you could visit Dachau near Munich. It was liberated by the US Rainbow Division. My father was in a combat engr. group and helped free some of the prisnors. It was quite upsetting for him and his unit. I guess I'm not quite sure why you would want to go there if your father didn't participate in it's liberation. It's a rather depressing place to visit IMO and still quite a ways away from Paris.

I would guess your dad is in his late 80s or early 90s so your trip may be more than overwhelming for him-both physically and emotionally.

There are a lot of River Cruise companies that do Paris to Normandy focusing on the beaches. Check out Globus, Uniworld, Viking, or AMA. It might sound expensive to go on but remember your food, lodging and transporation are included. Usually these cruises cater towards the older travelers.

Good luck on your plans. I hope your father makes it. And thank him for his service.