Need help planning Normandy trip in June with my son!
 

I'll be in Paris for the month of June. My 25 yr old son will be joining us and his bucket list is a tour of Normandy, as much WWII info as possible. I'd like to overnight if it means seeing more. I'd appreciate all suggestions of tour companies, hotels, etc.

take the train to Bayeux via Caen or rent a car and drive - Bayeus is the perfect base and yes do an overnight as Bayeux itself has some *** sites (Queen Matilhda's Teapestry documenting the 1066 Norman Invasion of England - a long long tapestry in a local museum and a famous and exquiste cathedral plus is a nice regional city with lots of hotels and mini-bus tours that pick yous up at your hotel and take you to the top J-Jour (D-Day) sites.

If into biking I've biked the several miles from Bayeux to the coast and around - a much more intimate way to approach it and not be beholden to the schedule of a tour.

If you want to make a long weekend of it take a train from Bayeux to Pontorson-Mont-Saint-Michel - stay at one of the plethora of motels on the mainland or in the few expensive ones right on the island and see this 8th Wonder of the World and then take a train back to Paris (bus from Mont-Saint-Michel to Rennes to hop TGV trains blowing nearly 200 mph back to Paris.

This all would be a great driving tour too and your son may love to get behind the wheel in France if you don't!

For info on trains www.voyages-sncf.com has schedules and fares (not that much even for full fare) and for general info on French trains: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - check the latter free online European Planning & Rail Guide for snippets on Normandy and the Debarquement Beaches too.

You can stay in Bayeux and take a day-tour, or even two, from there.

Check out Over Lord Tour (www.overlordtour.com) or D Day Historian Tours (www.ddayhistorian.com).

There are several mini-bus tours licensed by the local Tourist Office (Syndicat d'Iniative or S.I.) and they book them right on site - no need to book ahead they told me when I was researching and article I wrote once about the D-Day area - so just pop into the Bayeux S I in the town center and book a tour or pre-arrange one - from looking at them they all seem like peas in pods - taking you to the same few main sites like the Colville-sur-Mer American military cemetery overlooking one of the main bloody beachheads and abit up and down the cost.

If there were decent public transporation in the area I'd say to use it but there TMK is just really limited service.

Overnight in Bayeux. It is a wonderful town and close to all the major sights.

Looks like D Day historian tours is booked so am awaiting word from over lord Robert
I'd like to get something arranged before going instead of "winging it" since we'll be there during such a busy time and definitely want to stay in Bayeux after reading up.
Anyone have other tour company names, I'd appreciate it!

Yes we too love staying in Bauyeux! Wonderful base. And I love being on Mont St. Michel overnight. Mid day not so much.

Agree about limited public trans at least IME. Although I spent a lovely day waiting at the train station near MSM chatting with some American college students also stranded. (Holiday, or strike, can't recall.)

I am itching to get to Honfleurs and there are other WWII sites along the coast; have a great trip!! I still have some 16 year old Calvados from last trip.

We'll be doing mont at Michel (which I have already booked hotel) on a separate trip due to time constraints with my son, he will only be able to do the Normandy Beach area.

you and your son might enjoy staying in a beautiful chateau just 3 kms north of central Bayeux .... Chateau de Sully... the grounds are park-like and the entire property is fenced. The restaurant is first class also. It's on D-6 one of the connecting highways to two of the D-Day beaches (Omaha and and further NW, Utah) and the main US cemetery on the bluff overlookinf Omaha beach. There is also a little-known small WWII military museum in Bayeux, slightly west of town.

LJ

www.chateau-de-sully.com/en/

At LEAST an overnight, PLEASE!! A very nice economical accommodation is the Hotel Bayeux. It is 5 minutes from the tapestry and 5 minutes from the Cathedral. Squeaky clean, car park next door, easy to access getting out of the city to the main roads.

Anyone have other tour company names, I'd appreciate it!>

Google the Bayeux Synidcat d'Iniative - they used to at least have a comprehensive list of such tours and by being listed you know they have been vetted out.

If on a day trip you could maybe do quicker with similar tours from Caen - thru which you must pass by train to get to Bayeux - often having to change trains there. Again the Caen S.I. should have all the details.

P, even through my I dyslexia spotted that one

"syndicat d'initiative bayeux"

:-)

see what I mean

I used Normandy Sightseeing Tours for a half day WWII highlights tour, leaving from Bayeux.
http://www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.com/

They were fantastic.

We stayed two nights in St.Aubin-Sur-Mer at the Hotel St-Aubin.
It is right on Juno Beach.

Two nights, and a car, will give you a full day to explore the area and avoid the herds of tourists.

Taking a tour will condemn your 25 year old son to seeing Normandy at the pace of the slowest walker and the slowest talker.

Mark

The tour I took really wasn't like that at all. First, it wasn't full of people who could barely walk, if that's what you are thinking. But we didn't really walk that many places, anyway, and in lots of areas, you were just taken to a point and then given a half hour free time or something like that, such as the American cemetery, after an introductory talk. IN others, the guide did explain things and we walked around some areas to a point (like those bunkers), but it wasn't walking for long distances, because you have to drive around to different points.

Not sure what you mean about the slowest talker.

We did a tour with Stuart Robertson several years ago. He was with another company then but has his own company now, Normandy Battle Tours:http://www.normandybattletours.com/your-guide/

Can honestly say this was one of the best things we have ever done, on all of our trips. Stuart has since written a book, and is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world about WWII history. He is from England by birth but has been in Normandy for many years and has devoted his life to its history. Highly recommend him. I know that many WWII/D-day vets have used him and he knows and is close with many veterans who were there. He does all the sites you would imagine and even took us to some off the beaten path places. Enjoy the trip.

How much did the tour cost? In general how much do they cost?

I don't usually refer to things as "must see" but this museum in Caen is outstanding. They also run tours to the beaches. You can purchase combi-tickets. Excellent bookstore, decent café:

http://normandy.memorial-caen.com

Since your son is very interested in WW2, I highly recommend visiting the Memorial Museum in Caen as part of your Normandy visit: http://normandy.memorial-caen.com/

Although not exclusively focused on WW2, the Memorial Museum is easily done in half a day (or a couple of hours) and has one of the best WW2/D-Day exhibits anywhere IMO. You can book and take a D-Day tour directly from the museum. You'll see different package tours available on the museum website. I've never taken a tour so I can't recommend one, unfortunately.

Normandy is a beautiful region and a nice change of pace from Paris. Enjoy your trip!

Diane

A third for the Peace Museum in Caen. Since your son is 25, I suspect he could do much of the research himself, since he knows what interests him. If it is to have the dialogue, a tour is obviously required. If it is to just see the sights, much of it can be researched ahead of time and then viewed.

I'd suggest he read the Ambrose book Band of Brothers if he is American, as it follows Easy Company of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Since there are so many aspects of D-day, your son's interests should drive the tour. For example, the Band of Brothers has nothing to do with Omaha beach, they dropped in behind Utah, then moved south and east from there.

Yes - rent a car in Caen after taking the train there for a few days - hit the Peace Memorial Museum on the way out of Caen - like I did - as it gives you a great orientation to the lay of the land here - a huge relief map shows you everything - great orientation but on the outskirts of Caen so hard to get to I think those buses must run there - hard to get to sans car.

You all are great!
Thank you for all the inside info!
I'm trying to make this SO memorable for him, I just wish he had more time (don't we all!).
I will check out Normandy Battle Tours....we will book a private tour so no problem with issues with a group.
Right now I've contacted Overlord tours and Bayeux Shuttle that are available and awaiting Dale Booth.
Anyone have experience with them?
We'll arrive Bayeux the day before if I can find a hotel room, we want to be in town ( as nice as Chateu Sully looks, perhaps not this time).
Thanks everyone! More info always appreciated!!

"looks like D Day historian tours is booked so am awaiting word from over lord Robert
I'd like to get something arranged before going instead of "winging it" since we'll be there during such a busy time and definitely want to stay in Bayeux after reading up."

if stuck, get a copy of "major and mrs. holt's guide to the..."

i've seen it on sale in places like the bayeux tapestry gift shop. a lot of tour guides base their commentary on material filched from this guidebook.

we spent 7 nights in normandy like this:

two nights in les andelys (giverny, prehistoric monolith hunt)
1 night in honfleur (laundry, explore les andelys, honfleur)
1 night near m s michel stopping in at bayeux tapestry on the way, then touring the mont with dinner there)
3 n in bayeux. (you can arrange to meet son at bayeux train station per his schedule): 1st day juno centre at juno beach near bayeux
2nd day guided tour of british sector near cannes, in pm guided tour did more canadian sites
3rd day using major/mrs holt guide (our bnb lent us a copy) - a laundry, then we drove out to pointe du hoc, omaha beach, and some other places not normally visited by guided tours but mentioned in guidebook)
last a.m explored a bit of bayeux, then drove back to paris

We had a wonder day around Bayeux with Overlord (Alain Chesnel) in 2004. He was very good to adapt to the interest of our group (me, my husband and my parents).

ljm - If you are still looking for a hotel, try the Hotel Churchill or the Villa Lara. They are both well located in town. The Tapestry and the Cathedral are a short walk away and many of the D-Day tours leave very nearby the hotels.

oops forgot to mention on third day we toured museum in arromanches

http://www.musee-arromanches.fr/accueil/?lang=uk

our guided tour of british sector incl admission to pegasus bridge museum which features detail on the (british) airborne drops the night before the beach assaults.

http://www.memorial-pegasus.org/mmp/...ement/?lang=uk

if you have time to get up as far as utah beach you will be close to the american airborne landing area and museums.

the d day area is huge; have you son try hard to find two full days min.

And have your son think of other 25 year olds who landed on the beach, few of whom survivied and now lay in the Colville/s/Mer military cemetery - I did this about that age and thanked the likes of those who died for their sacrifice, knowing that in different times it could have been me!

A sobering site from the cemetery - seeing the beaches far below - visualizing that many now laying here where shot down from vantage points like this.

How about the friend of ours who returned with us on a trip==he was 18 when he landed at Omaha.

I will add that we spent 3 days in Bayeux doing our own touring of the beaches using the Michelin Green Guide to Normandy. We went up to St.Mere Eglise for a start. Do not miss Arromanches--an engineering marvel to float an entire harbor across the English Channel. We had seen Pegasus Bridge on our way to Bayeux.
I felt we had a wonderful tour of the major beaches=and the cemetery of course without a guide. and did some other things like eating mussels at the quayside. Don't neglect the Tapestry and be sure to eat at Le Petite Bistro in Bayeux.