Normandy Tours

amy,

Are you planning to stay in Normandy for a few days and take one of the local tours, or take a day tour from Paris? Also, which part of June will you be there? It will be busy around the 6th and some of the tour companies suspend operations then so that their guides can attend the ceremonies.

We rented a car and drove to Normandy using Rick's France book as our guide. It's easy to explore on your own.

We used Overlords last year and were pleased. I do recommend you use a guide or small group tour. Yes, you can see everything on your own, but a guide will provide a lot of detail and backstory that make the sites come to life. Here are some of the guides who were recommended to us:
Jules Vernon with militarymightd-daytours.com
Sean Claxton with normandyinsight.com (tours require your own vehicle)http://www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.com/d-day-tours.html
http://www.bayeuxshuttle.com/
http://www.ddaybattletours.com/
http://www.normandy-dday-tours.com/
http://www.pegasusbattlefieldtours.com/?gclid=CMKa68G0y8wCFYZefgodTrYMJw
http://www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.com/nst.html
John Flaherty, [email protected]
Dale Booth, www.daleboothnormandytours.com
Gary Weight, [email protected]
Bertrand Saudrais, [email protected]
Edward & Sharon Cox at CdB Tours, www.normandy-battlefields.com
Alan Bryson , www.firstnormandybattlefieldtours.com
Christophe Rault, [email protected]
Mathias Leclerc, [email protected]
Eva Ruttger, [email protected]
Rene Huard, [email protected]

We land the June 2nd and leave the 30th. We are open to staying around Normandy to make it a multiple day exscursion. Our youngest is really into WWII and we want to do our best that he is able to see as much as he can.

Thank you,
Amy

Depending how large your family is, you might do better if you book a private tour with a guide. We booked with Sylvain Kast of D-Day Experience Tours. He will customize any tour for you depending what you want to see or do, or you can just pick one that's listed on his website. If you are a group of 4 or more, the cost would be pretty comparable per person vs. being stuck on a larger group tour which you can't customize. Sylvain was a great guide.

amy,

Thanks for the additional information.

As your youngest is "really into WWII", I'd suggest staying in Bayeux for at least three nights, as that will provide two full days to look around. If you want more time, add a few nights. There's an excellent WWII Museum in Bayeux and that will take some time to go through. There's also another Museum in Caen, which is easily accessible by train from Bayeux. There's also the famous Tapestry in Bayeux which describes a much earlier battle and that's certainly worth a few hours.

In addition to the extensive list of guides provided by Sherrie, you could also consider......

• http://www.ddayhistorian.com/ (Paul Woodage - Paul is an exceptional guide and often used as a consultant by History Channel and others, and the cost of his tours is commensurate with that).
• http://www.visitdday.com/ (Chris Emery - if you'll have a car during your time in Normandy, Chris would also be an excellent choice - he's a retired Royal Marine Commando and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan - I'm sure he'd be able to regale your youngest with many interesting stories).

I'd highly recommend using a guide, as that will not only be the most efficient way to get to many sites in the shortest time, but will also provide a more interesting and memorable look at the most significant historic sites. While it's also possible to roam around on your own, keep in mind that the historic locations are located along a 50 mile front and extend some distance inland. The guides know the area well, can get between locations in the shortest time possible and make the history "come alive" using "then & now" pictures, etc. Many veterans have toured with the Normandy tour firms, so the guides have heard some interesting details that aren't listed in the history books. IMHO, the tours are absolutely worth the cost.

If your youngest has watched The Longest Day, be sure that the gun batteries at Longues sur Mer are included in your tour, as the Command Bunker was used in the filming of the movie (they're only a few minutes outside Bayeux). It is possible to go inside, but I'd suggest packing along a flashlight as it's a bit dark inside even during the day time. If he also wants to explore the Canadian and British sites (such as Pegasus Bridge), you might consider booking a custom tour that covers the sites that are of most interest to you.

Amy,
I can also recommend Sylvain Kast with high praise. Amazing guide, he goes out of his way to personalize your tour and he's a wealth of information. We have a family member who served at Normandy immediately after the invasion. Sylvain researched his unit and located the monument that was erected in honor of them. Our day with Sylvain was the highlight of our visit to France and worth every penny we spent to engage his services. http://www.d-day-experience-tours.com/

I vote with those who favour a tour, more than worth the cost for enhancing your knowledge and experience. I used Caen as a base, close enough to Bayeux but with a bigger choice of accommodations and services. Its "peace" museum gets positive reviews and runs its own tour to the invasion beaches. Caen's centre also is the location of William the Conqueror's fortress castle, certainly worth a visit.