I am interested in a river cruise that would include tours to Normandy to visit the beaches where the allied troops landed in WWII.
Any river cruise experiences, either good or not so good is welcomed.
We are not high maintenance travelers. We are interested in history and good tour guides.
Thank you.
Look for French river cruises by Avalon, Viking, Scenic, or Uniworld that include D Day beach excursions.
AMA also offers a cruise to Normandy.
Also Grand Circle cruises. Theirs is a smaller ship so it docks in front of the Eiffel Tower and in the harbor of Honfleur. Look for cruises that sail the Seine, the D Day beaches is a bus excursion from where the ship is docked at the mouth of the Seine.
The only river near the beaches is the Orne, and I don't know of any cruise on that. So you're looking at an excursion which means hours on a bus and a short time on the beaches. Much better to take a cruise and end up in Paris and then go to Caen or Bayeux and take a tour you've arranged on your own. Spend an extra night or two. It's worth it.
If you want a detailed or far-ranging look at D-Day specifically, you may find a bus tour, returning for the ship lunch you already paid for, to be inadequate. An independent stay in Bayeux or Caen may serve you better. Private guides for this can be expensive, so start looking for small group tours (NOT from Paris) well in advance.
an excursion which means hours on a bus and a short time on the beaches
The question is about visiting the invasion beaches from a river cruise, specifically a Seine River cruise, not from Paris, which would be hours on a bus. Expeditions to the invasion beach from the Seine River are relatively close, do not take hours of travel time, and they allow visiting the beaches during most of the day.
Expeditions to the invasion beach from the Seine River are relatively
close, do not take hours of travel time
I seriously doubt that. Assuming the cruise docks in or around Le Havre, that is 1-1/2 hours each way by car to Bayeux (somewhat central between the five beaches). I'm guessing the bus goes a little slower than I can drive, but regardless that is three hours round trip!
PharmerPhil, there are Seine river cruises that port in Honfleur; just a bit over an hour from Bayeux. Not a great distance for a cruise excursion. Due to their large size, it's the ocean cruises ships that dock in Le Havre.
CJean, absolutely right. Plus Honfleur is a gorgeous little delight on its own right.
