Frail 93yo Vet wants to Visit D-Day Beaches on 6 JUN 2015.

Ray,

Given your friend's age and physical limitations, using a rental car will probably be essential in order to limit the amount of walking he has to do. Visiting on 6 June this year could be problematic as at this late date, hotels may be hard to find in that area. The beaches will be very crowded on the anniversary date, parking may be limited and you may have to do some walking (that will certainly be the case if you're visiting the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach).

Driving from Normandy to Bastogne would probably be easier for your friend, rather than climbing on and off numerous trains. Renting a car in France and dropping in Belgium will likely come with a hefty drop-off charge.

These are just a few initial thoughts. I'd have to look at this in more detail. Hopefully the others will have some good suggestions. I can appreciate that you want to take the trip this year, as there may not be time to plan for next year.

Could you provide a bit more information about your plans - where are you flying from, how long will you be in Europe, etc.

I would also think that the organizers of the June 6th events will have special seating arranged for any veterans. It would be worth contacting them beforehand. Maybe his old unit can recommend a contact?

I guess I would echo Karen's advice, provided that he did land at the beaches as part of the invasion, there usually is some special allowances or arrangements that can be made. I would start with any contacts within his old unit, the American Legion or VFW he may belong to, or even the US Embassy in France to make contact with groups that are organizing events. Of course there were many more events last year both in Normandy and Bastogne, being the 70th anniversary, but there is some commemoration each year. At the very least, there may be a local group that would help with a private tour.

Ray,

Would you be willing to do us a favor: after his visit, would you please come back and tell us about it? Especially his impressions and feelings? Also, which branch of the service was he in?

-- Mike

I want to confirm that your plan is to travel with your friend, rather than just helping him with research.

Best thing to do is rent a car! It gives you so much freedom and flexibility. All the DDay sights are easy to get to by car and the roads are not that busy. We did this last June and it was so worth it.

I think It's wonderful of you to take your friend on this trip. My Dad landed at Omaha Beach during the Invasion and I wish I could have taken him on a trip like this before he passed away.

My thoughts were also to contact as many places/organizations as you can for guidance.

My only possibly helpful 2 cents is to return car to France after your time in Belgium to avoid the extremely high out of country fee. You don't have to return it to the same location, just anywhere that's convenient for you but in France.

Ray,

Thanks for the update, that helps. A fall trip should work well, and that will give you more time to plan and get the arrangements in place.

For the Normandy part of the trip, I'd suggest staying in Bayeux. It's a wonderful smaller town, and somewhat central to the main sites. You might also consider taking one of the excellent local tours, as the guides are exceptional and they really honour the veterans. They know the area well, and will be able to get you to the main sites in the shortest time possible, and that should minimize the amount of walking required. The tours aren't cheap, but well worth the cost, IMO. It would be a good idea to book the tour well in advance! As I recall, the Churchill Hotel has parking available. There's also an excellent WW-II Museum in Bayeux, as well as the famous Tapestry that describes a much earlier battle.

Depending on how much time you have available, with a car you could also take a drive to the gun batteries at Longues sur Mer (just a short distance from Bayeux) or perhaps visit the British sites at Pegasus Bridge on the Orne River. There's also an excellent museum there, and the original bridge is now at the museum (a newer and larger one has replaced it). It's incredible to see how close Major Howard's gliders landed to the bridge. A remarkable feat of night flying!

I haven't checked on the driving times, but you could do a loop from Bayeux to Bastogne and then back to CDG. As someone else mentioned, there's often a huge fee for renting a car in one country and dropping-off in another. I haven't visited Bastogne (yet) but have researched the trip. Visiting that area by car will most likely be much easier.

Another thought... You might want to look into renting or borrowing a wheel chair here and taking it with you. Or possibly renting one when you get to France (don't know how to do it though - sorry). France is not wheel chair friendly but there will be places it would come in useful. Museums, the American Cemetery come to mind. I wish you and your friend all good things on your trip.