I am interested in making a trip that includes Normandy (at least Utah and Omaha beaches but must include Utah as that is where my Dad came ashore during the invasion). Given that I have never been to Europe, it doesn't make sense to make the trip only to go to Normandy so I'd like to include a few days in either London or Paris or both.

I know that I can book a trip to Paris, take the train to Bayeux and pick up a tour there. But it seems like a lot of moving pieces to someone like me who hasn't traveled to France before and I just see too much room for things like arriving late and missing the tour, language barriers, etc. I am also having trouble finding specific tours that include Utah Beach. I am willing to spend a night in Bayeux but would like to keep the total trip to 7-9 days and would really prefer the entire thing to be guided.

I wish I could include a budget number but I can only say at this point that I'd like to keep it reasonable. Not 5 star, but decent, clean hotels. I would think maybe $3500 - $7500 or thereabouts?

Can anyone recommend any specific vacations or tours that fit these needs?

Larry

"I just see too much room for things like arriving late and missing the tour, language barriers, etc. I am also having trouble finding specific tours that include Utah Beach. I am willing to spend a night in Bayeux but would like to keep the total trip to 7-9 days and would really prefer the entire thing to be guided."

Well -- you probably are not going to find a 5 to 7 day tour (plus travel days) that includes what you want. Logistically Normandy is easier from Paris, and it would be VERY easy to do on your own. Honest. Fly in to Paris spend 3, 4 or 5 nights there (depending on the total length of the trip). Then take the train to Normandy and stay two nights and take local D-Day tours (or you could hire a driver guide for a day and go EXACTLY where you want and stay for as long as you'd like at each site). Then return to CDG the evening before your and stay at an airport hotel the last night before flying home

Traveling in France is very easy and there will be no language barrier with anyone in the hospitality industry.

ps: My dad was in the Battle of the Bulge (didn't land in Normandy until D-Day +6) and I hired a local WWII expert guide who drove me around for an entire day through SE Belgium and many Bulge sites/memorials - just about every area village has memorials to specific units. And even to the village and exact farm when he as a platoon leader was hunkered down under assault for 3 days (the guide is the one who pin pointed the exact location when I provided Dad's unit information) - this was one of the most moving days of my life. Something that never would have happened if I had been on a tour.

Agree with janisj. Cost will depend a lot on time of your travel. July and August will be especially costly due to airfare costs. September and June would be less expensive although you may have missed your window for less expensive airfares for June. Hard to predict airfare costs though past COVID. October should be less expensive still but with more rain, and Normandy gets a fair amount of rain anyway.

See London next time, when you can do it justice.
This website is helpful in orienting yourself to the trains of Paris: https://parisbytrain.com/
It's run by a volunteer, not a travel business.
I strongly advocate taking a full day guided tour of the Normandy beaches, not for the transportation but for the expertise of the guide. Moving around without a context can give a shallow appreciation of the action. And it's worthwhile finding a tour that includes some attention to the British and Canadian beaches. Those can include the mulberry floating harbour and even the tank battles near Caen that made the invasion a permanent success.
A little extra time in Caen will allow a short visit to the castle/fortress of William the Conqueror.

Thank you. Can you give me an idea of how much such a guide would cost? And also, where I might find some good ones?

I don't know what it would cost in France (SE Belgium isn't much on the 'tourist trail' and I found my fabulous guide historian by chance -- actually by way of talking to a Belgian ex-pat bartender in the bar of the Grand Californian hotel at Disneyland Loooooong story. It really was Kismet.)

But there are many more guides in Normandy - two places I'd start would be these two sites:

https://normandyguides.com
https://www.toursbylocals.com/Norman...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

janisj and others have pointed you in the right direction.

When we did Normandy last May, we used Magali Desquesne. She will do a full day American sector tour for 350 euros if you provide the vehicle and do the driving, or 700 euros if she provides the vehicle and a driver. Link I think that is probably pretty typical. You can spend less doing one of the group tours, but then you are stuck with their itinerary, whereas a good private guide will tailor their itinerary (to some degree) based on what interests you. If you know the specific trail of a specific unit, most of them will be happy to devote time to seeing those sites.

I would probably spend some time in Paris before heading to Normandy (and get over your jet lag there), then at least spend the night before your departure flight in Paris or at one of the airport hotels. There is a lot to see in Paris, but you should also probably spend a day on Bayeux itself; the cathedral and the Bayeux tapestry are definitely worth the time if you are going to be staying in town. It would be a real shame to spend time in Bayeux and not see those two sites. Bayeux will also be cheaper than Paris (unless, perhaps, you are there around June 6). You will have no problem with language barriers in Normandy, and less than you might think in Paris. Do a little more investigation, and then come back with some more concrete ideas and you will get plenty of help from this board on refining your plans.

A tour of the Normandy military sites takes 1-2 days maximum but of course there are some cities there that deserve extra time albeit not for military reasons.

We hired a guide to drive us around the Amiens area and a few days later we went to Lille and used the samw guide. A guide will go to what you are interested in.

We did a tour with Overlord about 6 years ago which was quite good. 16 people per tour and they do have a tour with an emphasis on the Utah and Omaha beaches. Cost than was less than $100 but probably a bit more now.

One could easily spend more than two days given all the sites of the D-Day invasion. I did not go to Utah Beach. My favorite sites were: Museum of the Atlantic Wall in Ouistreham, Arromanches, the American Cemetery near St Laurent sur Mer, Couloir de la mort, and Pointe du Hoc. There are dozens upon dozens of sites and museums. The amount of interpretation available is staggering.

I suggest that the OP contact tour companies that do private tours. That is the best way to go. A private guide will increase your appreciation tenfold. You can do this, Larry. A quick search on Google brings up Normandy Sightseeing Tours and Tours by Locals. Unforgettable Normandy has a full day Airborne tour that focuses on Utah Beach. There are many others. These companies will customize a tour based on your interest.

https://www.ddaybattletours.com/private-tour/

https://www.normandy-tour-guide.com/

http://www.executived-daytours.com/

A private tour operator: https://american-dday-tours.com

Here is a well-known private guide. If she can't help you,maybe she can suggest someone who can: https://www.dday4you.com/


There is a tour company that does only Utah and Omaha from Paris as a 2-day trip:

https://www.adrian-roads.com/tours/p...e-in-normandy/

Of course, you could easily spend all your time in Normandy. There is so much to see, but it is spread out and a car makes the best use of your time.

My wife and I escorted friends on a trip to France in 2016 for their anniversary. We included a follow the footsteps type tour from Overlord Tours. https://www.overlordtour.com/product/private-tour-8/ They picked us up at our hotel in Port en Bessin (eastern end of Omaha) and we followed the father of our friend who was a 2nd Btn Ranger who landed at Pointe du Hoc. They went in depth on the entire battle of the Pointe, then we went west to Utah beach as well with several stops along the way.

As for the entire trip to be guided, you're not likely going to find someone who specializes in both Paris and Normandy, and provides the transportation too.