We plan to be in Honfleur from June 2 to 4, 2014. We would like to book a day tour of the Normandy beaches, cemetery's and museums. Does anyone have any suggestions for reputable tour operators or travel agents. From Honfleur, we also plan to travel to Bruges for a couple of days before returning to London, and would need advice on the best way to travel to those places.
Posted by
Slidell, LA
570 posts
Not sure I can help with the Bruges part of your trip except to advise that you take the TGV train from Paris. Also, check on a train north from Rouen. Last year we took the TGV from Rouen to Avignon and Rouen is a short drive from Honfleur.
As for Normandy, you either intentionally or inadvertently picked the busiest time of the year to visit the D-Day beaches, within a few days of the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I would imagine that most of the tour guides have already been booked for months, but if you look in the Normandy section of RS France guide book you may find someone and get lucky. I was there in 2004 and again last fall and one of the differences I noted was the entry to Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery there, just west of Bayeux. There is quite a history lesson crammed into a small museum and well worth the time to see everything, and it is free. You can leave there and walk down to and on Omaha Beach before climbing back to the cemetery and see the memorial. While climbing up the hill imagine our soldiers doing that while being shot at by the Germans. As for the rest of the sites there it is helpful to have a guide.
Enjoy Honfleur, one of my favorite towns, and if you have the time and haven't already been there Monet's home, garden and lily pond are only about 45 minutes away. There are many of his paintings on the wall of the house that have never seen the inside of a museum. If I can help further send me a private message.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
barrett,
As the previous reply mentioned, that's NOT going to be the best time of year to visit the D-Day beaches, as the 70th anniversary events will be taking place at that time. I know from speaking with a couple of the guides, that they usually suspend tours during that time of year, as they also want to attend the ceremonies (which also gives them a good opportunity to speak with veterans). You'll likely have to get to Bayeux to connect with tours, as that's where many of them depart from.
You didn't say if you'll have a rental car or travelling via public transport? You can easily visit the Museums in Bayeux and Caen on your own, so a guide wouldn't be needed for that. When in Bayeux I'd also recommend visiting the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which describes a much earlier battle.
A few of the guides that you can contact are:
- http://www.dboothnormandytours.com/
- http://www.ddayhistorian.com/
- http://www.overlordtour.com/
- http://www.ddaybattletours.com/ellwood-von-seibold.html
There are others, but that will give you a place to start.
Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Basic question: How are you planning on getting to Honfleur?
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
388 posts
Both Ken and Jim's advice is good.