Hi everyone,
We're planning a three day trip to the D Day beaches after having been in the Paris area for 7 days. Any suggestions on what towns/villages would be a good place to lodge? We are a family of five (3 kids ages 13, 10, 7) so we will have to do airbnb. But I'd love to know any areas that you think are nice for families to stay. Also, how would you pace seeing the beaches with kids?
Many thanks!
Are you American, Canadian or British? We had a great AirBnB lined up in Bény-sur-Mer which is near Juno Beach and the Canadian cemetery, but COVID ruined that plan.
On a previous trip to Normandy we found Arromanches to be the best for kids as it has an old-timey seaside amusement park, and a 360 degree film on the invasion. This is on the British Gold Beach.
Assuming you're American, my only suggestion is that you end a day at the US cemetery for the lowering the flag ceremony.
Do you plan to have a rental car in Normandy, or will you be using public transportation? Without a car I'd choose Bayeux. First, it has several worthwhile sights (the tapestry, the cathedral, a good Invasion Museum, the British Cemetery, the historic center). Second, it's the origin point for most of the D-Day tours. Unless one of you is a WWII historian, I really recommend either hiring a guide for at least one day or taking one of the small-group tours. Just driving around in your own car will not be nearly as informative, nor will it be efficient. Beyond that one day with a professional guide, there are places you can navigate to and see by yourselves: the American Cemetery and visitor center, the Airborne Museum in St-Mere-Eglise, the Bayeux sights previously mentioned, etc. You might also want to spend a bit of time at non-D-Day spots. The small coastal town of Honfleur is cute but very popular. The larger town/city of Rouen was beautifully restored/rebuilt after massive wartime destruction. Its historic(-looking) area is gorgeous. Honfleur is accessible from Bayeux by taking a train to Caen and a bus from there. Rouen is linked to Bayeux by rail., changing in Caen.
It's perhaps worth mentioning that Caen is a major port city that was nearly flattened during the war. There's little historic architecture remaining. It does have the very large Peace Museum, which requires a bus or taxi ride from the train station if you don't arrive by car. I liked it a lot, but its scope is broad, covering the lead-up period to the war and the post-war (Cold War) period in addition to the war itself. It's quite possible to spend the full day there, it isn't cheap, and it can be quite crowded. Quite a lot of folks find the Peace Museum overwhelmingly large. Many prefer one (or more) of the smaller D-Day-related museums. For general purposes, the Bayeux Museum may be best. I also found the new museum in Falaise very interesting. It focuses on the civilian experience during the war, including Resistance activities.
Thanks everyone. We are American though we live in the UK so we would be interested in the British sites as well. And yes we will have our own car as we are driving over from the UK.
Do they have tours that are geared toward families?
Many thanks.
My opinion: the 3 main American sites: Utah and Omaha Beaches (not particularly close) and Pointe du Hoc in between are enough battlegrounds, especially for children. These 3 are a full day. Note that picnicking in the Omaha Beach parking lot is not permitted and you will be reprimanded.
The commonwealth beaches are in a flat area with lots of modern sprawl around them so less affecting and require great effort to reimagine 1944. Utah Beach remains in pristine condition.
On a previous trip to Normandy we found Arromanches to be the best small town to visit with a 360 degree film on the invasion and sunken ships in the harbor which the Allies used to assist in the landing...also
enjoyed Pointe du Hoc and of course a prayer at the American Cemetary...you need a car to navigate all the sights.
We stayed in Bayeux and thought it was perfect for exploring all the Normandy beaches.
We had a car and stayed in a cottage near Arromanches for 4 or 5 nights. That location worked well for us.
I would suggest that you check out Dale Booth of Dale Booth Tours. He does an excellent tour and can include both American and British sites. We’ve taken tours with him and we’re particularly impressed at how well he did with younger tour members. His style is engaging and energetic and can maximize the time you have. He is a local D-Day guide for Rick Steves Tours and has met many WWII veterans so that his stories are endless.
We were a mixed group of Americans and Brits and a few years ago had a very good tour with Overland Tours lasting one and a half days. Most of the tour organisers seem to get food reviews, with guides who are enthusiastic and knowlegeable. A museum not often mentioned is the Canadian museum at Courseulles sur Mer. It is one which we visited on another occasion and wished we had more time. We recall being impressed by the information about the poor state of the Canadian economy and the small size of its economy in the 1930s, yet the country made a great contribution to the Allied war effort.
Every country is most interested in its own contribution. From a visit to the very impressive American cemetery and memorial outside Florence, we learnt that the Brazilian army was also involved.
Yes, Bob, the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer is awesome. As a Canadian, I loved seeing how the French still fly Canadian flags in the town, and lovingly tend the cemetery in Bény-sur-Mer. Most Americans don't know that on D-Day, we took one beach while the US took two, even though we had only one-fourteenth the population. Also, Canadians went further inland than anyone else on D-day.
We are going to be using Bayeux as our home base as it is not just good for the D-day sites but also for learning about the events of 1066.
In September 2019, we took a small-group tour of British and Canadian D-Day sites with Overlord Tours. We went to Juno, Gold and Sword Beaches, as well as Pegasus Bridge and the nearby Commonwealth cemetery. I found the differences between the Commonwealth cemetery and the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer to be especially interesting. If your kids are interested in World War 2, this tour should be fine for them.
Young people will benefit from the knowledge and context provided by a good guided tour. What remains of the invasion today do not tell their stories to the casual visitor, except of course for the war cemeteries. It won't be cheap, and it won't be "family-oriented", but I guess that most guides would enjoy answering the youngsters' questions. This particularly applies to the Commonwealth's experiences, where the Canadians were deeply engaged in critical tank battles behind the beaches. The farm fields today give little hint of that action but it was a critical battle in guaranteeing the permanence of the invasion. Caen is an alternative as a place to stay, offering a bigger choice of hotels and services, an easy commute to the beaches and tours, and the ancient fortress palace of William the Conqueror for the kids to ogle.
Ohhhh.....Normandy. My husband swears I must have lived a past life there. I’ve dragged him and my daughter there three or four times now beginning when she was twelve. She’s 23 now.
Balancing your kids interests with the historical must see sights is very keen of you to be thinking of. They might not appreciate be dragged through “ancient” history as much as you. Giving them some time for the beach is a formula for a happy family. Our last time to the area in 2018 was a two day beach vacation from our vacation having exhausted most of the historic must see sights on previous visits. It was blissfully relaxing to nestle into our special place on Omaha beach, listen to the waves and contemplate life.
Our special place is called La Sapiniere in Vierville Sur Mer, a family run hotel collection of beach cottages on Omaha Beach. Although not an Airbnb, let me make my case. La Sapiniere caters to many European guests that are there to enjoy the beach more than the extraordinary location on Omaha. Many cottages are set up for families with a main floor and an upstairs loft with extra beds, perfect for accommodating families while offering separation. They offer outdoor games for including pétanque, ping pong, badminton, etc. The beach is at your disposal. Breakfast is delicious, served in the restaurant and included in the price. The restaurant serves delicious lunch and dinner in a casual atmosphere with the menu scribbled on a blackboard based on what’s fresh. It features a big open beamed ceiling with a fire roaring away, perfect to cozy up to after a day at the beach. The atmosphere is convivial. You’ll meet other guests as well as locals who flock here for the great food and reasonable prices. What I really like is it lends itself to giving yourself a break from the kids. It’s a small compound where you can feel safe letting the kids go back to the room or enjoy the outdoor games while you have a chance to have a drink around the fire with other adults. The family also runs a cidery just up the hill behind making both alcoholic and non alcoholic cider from their orchard. They give tours and tastings. I really like the quiet of Vierville Sur Mer. Big enough to have a small market but no trinket shops in sight and easy access to all the sights including Bayeaux, Arromanches, WW2 sights and Mont St. Michelle.
Happy travels!
Thank you everyone!
Our kids enjoyed visiting Arromanches-les-Bains with its Mulberry Harbour. We did a day trip through Normandy back in 2014 when they were teenagers. They also liked the big gun installations at Longues-sur-Mer. We then drove further west to the American Cemetery before going down on Omaha Beach where the Les Braves monument is located. We then went on over to Mont Saint-Michel and spent two nights. If you stay in the D Day beaches area MSM would be a great day trip. Have fun!
Normandy is great and the people are wonderful.
Yes, visit all the D Day beaches where allied troops landed. Also, highly recommend Bayeux for its beautiful cathedral and the Bayeux Tapestry that tells the story of the Norman conquest of England. The Tapestry is alive with color even though it is 900 years old.
You’ve gotten a lot of great suggestions. I’d like to add a vote for Pegasus Bridge. You’ll be able to easily find a YouTube video for the kids to watch in advance explaining what happened there. The small museum on site is not so expansive that kids are overwhelmed. The outside exhibits give a chance for them to move around at their own pace. Though no longer in use and not at its original site you can walk across the actual bridge.
When are you planning to go? We were there late November 2019, which is off season and many, many shops and restaurants were closed for the season.
We (family of 4) stayed in Bayeux for 3 nights. I would recommend it. We started our sightseeing at the 360 Cinema at Arromanches for an excellent overview of D Day. They have a great gift shop, too. The weather was cold, windy and rainy, but thankfully we had a rental car and could go at our own pace. We stopped at Longues sur Mere, then drove to St Mere Eglise and went to the airborn museum. Then on to Utah Beach. This is when we discovered that EVERY restaurant in the area was closed for the season. We happened upon a tiny bakery and had a picnic in the car. The museum at Utah Beach is excellent. It’s built in a German bunker.
Next day we went to Pointe du Hoc, and Omaha Beach. Again, all the shops and restaurants were closed for the season. It was deserted. We went back to Bayeux for a late lunch (at McDonalds because we were starving and everything else was closed from 2-8pm)
If you are history buffs (as we are) you will need at least two full days of touring. We did not take a tour, because from what I read, the stops are very short at each place (less than 1.5 hour). My husband and son can spend hours in war museums! If going off season, bring a lunch/snacks with you on touring days.
Everything that travel4fun said. Arrmanches 360, Longues-sur-mer, Saint-Mère-Église are all good stops. Going on your own with your own transport is highly recommended. As is learning your history before your trip so you can appreciate the area with foreknowledge and without having to learn everything from someone else as you go.
We based in Bayeux for two nights -- on a side trip from Paris -- we did one night at MSM, two in Bayeux and then two in Honfleur with a side trip to Etretat. Posts on each of those here with snapshots to help plan your own touring: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/normandy/
Bayeux would be excellent as a base especially off season as at least there will be restaurants open and the Bayeux Tapestry it a 'don't miss' -- it is one of those rare sights that lived up to its billing. We stayed at the Churchill Hotel which has walls filled with WWII memorabilia and photos and is across a parking lot from the Tapestry and an easy walk to the Cathedral. We were there when it was not very busy one late October and so once we moved along the Tapestry with the audio tape which goes much too fast, we circled back to the beginning and did it slowly to really see everything.
We had a car but booked an Overlord Tour anyway since we didn't want to do the homework necessary to plan our own tour. It was excellent. With a larger family hiring someone to accompany you in your car might be an option or you could easily do it on your own with a little planning. the sites all had large parking lots.
Personnally, with kids i would choose a base in one village/small town that would have a beach, so at the end of a day of touring, they can relax .You do not say when you are coming. If in the summer, then i would opt for Arromanches (although not central) nothing is really far in that area.
Bayeux is nice, but no beach, so less fun for tired kids that a beach town in my opinion.
I would include the Bayeux Tapestry (embroidery) for sure, esp if you live in England, that is amazing.
Omaha : AMerican Cemetery and Pointe du Hoc (kids love the old bunkers and craters) are not to be missed. You can stop to take sand from the OMaha Beach (i have guided there many times, and people liked the idea of taking some sand home as a memory of the soldiers' sacrifice)
Longues sur Mer is also impressive.
The Arromanches 360
Also in Utah Ste Mere Eglise (look up to the church tower) and La Madeleine site.
