Hello! My husband and I will be arriving in a Paris next July and are planning a day or two there and then on to Normandy specifically to give tribute and adequate time to the history of the region before commuting to Southampton to board a cruise to Norway. We prefer private guides and would love any and all recommendations. Further—if you have tips for the transit to Southampton that would be great.
Posted by
Midway, UT
3264 posts
Regarding getting from Normandy to Southampton: consider taking the Brittany Ferry from Ouistreham (the port of Caen) over to Portsmouth and then a short taxi or Uber ride from there to your port of departure. We did it in reverse a couple of years ago and I can't imagine a more pleasant way to make the crossing. We sprang for one of their cabins and so were able to grab a nap during the 6 hour trip. The boats are quite nice - some very nice food options with plenty of room to wander around and stretch your legs.
Many here recommend booking a small group tour with Overlord Tours and we heartily agree. They have a number of day tours that focus on specific interests that you can choose from. Ours was their "Band of Brothers" tour and it was outstanding. The guide was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and engaging, and we covered more ground in our well-paced day than I could have over several days of independent driving. Can't recommend them highly enough. The size of our particular group was about 8 people as I recall.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful response and information—it’s exactly what I was hoping to learn. Your experience with the ferry sounds just up our alley, and I’ll check out Overlord Tours. Many thanks!
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1659 posts
I just took the ferry the other direction last month—from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. I had a great experience and it covered one of my nights instead of a hotel. I will say they have been notoriously unreliable, so you either should be flexible or have a plan B (my plan B was a ticket on the Eurostar, which I didn't need to use, and for which I got a refund).
Posted by
Somewhere out there
227 posts
There are other choices than Overlord. My favorite in the past few years has been Gold Beach Tours. Bear in mind that Private Tours can be rewarding but at a really high cost. The historians prepare scrupulously for your special experience. Most of all know what you want to see. Read the “Longest Day” or “Sand and Steel” both of which are detailed views of the Normandie campaign
Posted by
Franklin, TN, USA
1093 posts
Dale Booth…..excellent…..but book now as he stays very busy!
Posted by
Freedonia
19552 posts
I agree with the recommendation for Overlord Tours.
They can also arrange a private customized tour if that is more to your liking.
Posted by
7 posts
We visited Normandy in April of 2026, and took two D-day related tours. The first was the 101st Airborne Airborne sector (Tour 5) with Overlord tours. Overlord wanted to ensure that we understood this day was focused inland, not on the beaches. We found it very moving, for me the highlight was the small village church converted to infirmary with the shell casing in the floor that served both sides. We thought our tour guide was good, and kept bumping into a few other tour groups mostly from Overlord, throughout the day. We chose that particular tour because the next day we were joining a more formal Normandy/Brittany tour, which included visiting the beaches and American cemetery. Our tour guide for that tour —as well as a walking tour of Bayeux, was Marie Saint-Lo. Marie was excellent, extremely professional and sincere and with a last name like that clearly from the area! The name of her tour company was Normandy by Marie, I assume she is google-able. French tour guides need to be licensed and knowledgeable and she was very proud to represent her area and history.