Wrong year to visit Normandy?
 

I am in the early planning stages of a group trip to France in late May-early June and had wanted to spend May 29-June 3 in Normandy, visiting D-Day sites, Bayeux, Honfleur, etc. However, I am beginning to realize that, this being the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, it might be difficult and expensive.

I had tentatively planned for our group to stay at the Ferme de la Ranconniere but when I e-mailed them about the above dates, they replied that only their most expensive rooms (junior suites) were still available. Am I going to find the same problem everywhere?

I am beginning to envision high hotel and restaurant prices and roads clogged with traffic. I could perhaps postpone the Normandy part of our trip to June 13-17 but am not sure that would make much difference.

Can anyone share experience in visiting the Normandy area during an anniversary period, perhaps 10 years ago for the 50th?

Can't answer your question Betty, but friends of mine just returned from a Paris, Normandy trip. They stayed at a 16th century inn called L'Absinthe in Honfleur & raved about it-both room (suite) & food.

That is only one area that wil be crowded. Honfleur is not








Don't let that interfere. You may get to see things others like us will not see in an ordinary year.

I'd love to be able to attend some of the ceremonies at the D-Day sites. It may be the last time a celebration of this type is held in France. Here's a link to a site that lists what must be a tentative schedule of events:
http://www.normandywebguide.com/june_2004.htm

I'd brave the crowds, but I wonder how controversial the U.S.'s participation would be this year, and if President Bush attends and speaks, I know I'd be madly scrambling for my remote control to change channels, as I do at home whenever I hear his voice.

Betty, I Go along with Mary_Fran. What a special time! You'll be embraced.
There are so many B&B's (watch the road signs) you'll find shelter better than you expect.

Mary Fran, you might learn something if you listened and not flipped the channel. Of course you must prefer listening to the 9 little stooges running to become the designated DEM loser in the 2004 elections.

I would absolutely love it if we could witness some of the ceremonies marking this anniversary. I am concerned, though, that many thousands of others also wish to do so. I fear that we could find ourselves in long lines at D-Day sites and at museums or stuck on some of those narrow roads in traffic and thus wind up seeing nothing. One British tour site I looked at claimed that many hotels were already full. (Of course, they were trying to sell their pre-booked rooms and tours.) Although the major ceremonies will be taking place on the weekend of the 5th-6th I am sure many visitors will arrive a few days before then and stay for a few days after. And they will be wanting to see all the same sites we will.

I have found a place that seems to have availability for our dates and at very reasonable prices, almost too good to be true. Has anyone ever stayed at the Chateau du Bosq, just north of Bayeux? The website makes it look lovely.

I have absolutely no qualms about how we will be received. I am sure we will be treated with generosity and respect as long as we do the same for our hosts. This anniversary is to pay respect to those who sacrificed themselves - Americans, Brits, Canadians, and French - to liberate France and defeat the Nazis. I am sure that it matters not one whit to those who remember that sacrifice who our current commander-in-chief may be.

So, can we please drop the politics and get back to my travel question? Thanks to those who have offered help and suggestions. But I would really like to hear from someone who has been there around June 6 and can tell me what it was like.

Beanbag, did we lose some of your post?

Betty: Check out the Château de la Bellefontaine in Bayeux if you haven't already. It's not expensive, and it's a lovely place with beautiful grounds within wasy driving of the D-Day beaches. It wasn't expensive at all when we stayed there 3 years ago - maybe 70€ for a huge double room. I hope the 60th reunion doesn't mean that you can't find a room or that places are prohibitively expensive - I think it would be especially wonderful to be there for this reunion. I don't think restaurants will up their prices, though - in fact, something tells me they can't, though I'm not sure what.

Looks like some of Beanbags' post got lost somewhere along the way.

I agree with St. Cirq. Chateau Bellefontaine is very nice.

Lion d'Or restaurant in Bayeux is elegant though a little pricey. "Le Bistro de Paris" is more moderate in price.

Normandy is unforgettable. Consider reading Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day", now in paperback this winter. Here is an excerpt from my 2002 travel journal:

"Omaha Beach - The American Cemetery

On May 15, we visited the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. The Cemetery sits on a bluff above the beach. Ocean waves lap on to the sandy shore. The pristine beach is empty except for a few strollers. There is no sign of the fierce military action that took place. The grassy hill that slopes up a half-mile to the cemetery slightly resembles a scene out of Nantucket.

There are 9,387 Americans buried here. Three Medal of Honor winners are among them. There is a shrine to 1,377 of the missing. The French people deeded the grounds in perpetuity to America. The entire area is meticulously gardened. The crosses are in precise alignment. Each cross bears the person?s name, military unit and State.

The crosses face west toward the United States. Names are inscribed on the side of the cross that actually faces west. As we stood in the Cemetery, French Mirage jets flew over and saluted the cemetery.

When we were about to leave I heard chimes ringing the hour. They softly play ?My Country ?Tis of Thee?.

This is an unforgettable place....."


Good luck.

Anthony Spinelli

we spent five days in Normandy this past August (trip report is posted). Stayed at Lion D'Or and it was charming. our tour guide also runs a B/B and said that his property had been booked for June 2004 for over 18 months. I read Ambrose, 'the longest day', etc and then rented the movie again when we got back. Since my dad and uncles were in WW2 it was especially meaningful to me and our teenagers will never forget it. They went running on Omaha at sunrise one morning, out to the water's edge and ran back to the bluffs - took video to try to capture the expanse - truly an unforgettable experience. I could have spent hours at the American Cemetary but we only had 3! Go very early and you'll almost have the place to yourself - walk over to the overlook of the beach as its been kept as it was in 1944. The carillion is haunting.

I would just do it. you'll figure out a way. I was there for the 55th, over Memorial Day - it really wasn't that bad. I even got to stay with Colonel Chilcott, which let me tell you was a big deal! (especially to WWII types...)

We, too, are planning a western France Trip this summer, which includes a few nights in Normandie. My gut feeling is to just go for it, and realize that we will probably run in to some crowds, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing...there may be some very sentimental people there with lots of stories to share.

Yes, that's right Dumbas, where there's a will to rig an election, there's always a way.

Sorry I can't answer your question Betty but that post was so nasty I had to respond. Have a great trip.

I eagerly looked for information related to my last post only to find the irrelevant and equally nasty political post above. Let's move on people... now back to travelling...anyone else have experience in the Normandie area who might be able to predict the crowds this summer during a time of the 60th anniversary?

Wren: As others have pointed out, this is probably the last major anniversary where there are actually going to be veterans/survivors there - the numbers have obviously dwindled. I don't know whether that translates to huge crowds or less than usual crowds, but the fact is on any decade's anniversary, there is a lot more kafuffle than in other years, so I would expect a significant number of people. My advice is to book ahead.