I am planning to be in France late April through May and am very flexible in planning. We want to spend quite a bit of time in Normandy visiting all the WWII sites. I wonder what this area is like over VE Day. Is it crazy busy and super expensive? Or is it worth it to be there over this time? I realize it depends on what is important to you while traveling, but I thought I'd see if people have experience being in this area during this time. We can plan to visit the area and be done before May 8, or plan to be there specifically for the VE Day festivities. Thanks
Posted by
Normandie
302 posts
Typically, no, it's not super busy on VE Day. That's more of an asterisk on the calendar, it seems, as by then the fighting had moved farther east. It's noted, and there are streets and places named for it in various towns, but as a practical matter, it doesn't seem to generate much heat or attention. Far more celebrated are liberation dates for various areas, which vary, of course, depending when a particular town was liberated. In some cases, special observances are scheduled for special visitors regardless of the date, such as a D-Day veteran visiting, though that's winding down as they all die.
Perhaps, in 2025, on the 80th anniversary of VE Day there will be more of a stir. But probably not in 2024. So, I don't think you should plan on observing "the VE Day festivities" in a visit this year. You probably won't find one.