D-Day Beaches - Canadian Focus Tours

We took a Battlebus tour that focused on the Canadian presence in D-Day. They did an excellent job. We did two of their American tours the first year and then liked it so much that we came back for the British and Canadian tours.

Cait, I've also taken the BattleBus Canadian experience tour, and it provided an excellent overview of the Canadian contribution to the Landings. Some of the details were a bit difficult, and the visit to the Abbaye d'Ardenne was particularly memorable. I found the story of Bretteville L'Orgueilleuse and the tactics of the Regina Rifles to be especiallly interesting! One point to note is that BattleBus is no longer operating under that name, however the same people now run www.ddayhistorian.com and offer a Canadian Juno tour. The full-day tours will be expensive for one or two people, but if there's a group of six or more, the price becomes more manageable. You could also have a look at www.daleboothnormandytours.com as they also offer a full-day Canadian tour, and the price appears to be about the same. Both Dale and Paul are outstanding Guides, and I'm sure you'd find either of the tours very interesting, and would learn a lot about the Canadian experiences during the Landings. You could also have a look at www.overlordtour.com as they offer a Canadian / British combination tour. I'd suggest contacting the tour companies and pre-booking WELL before your trip to determine if there are any others considering that tour, as that will keep your costs at a manageable level. Happy travels!

We took a Battlebus tour last fall of the English (mostly) and Canadian sites in which Dale Booth was the guide. He was superb. I'd recommend contacting him by email and seeing what you can arrange.

Cait, One of my only regrets from my trip to Europe last year was not making it to Juno Beach and the Juno Beach Memorial. We did a tour of the Beaches with the Memorial du Caen, but they mostly focused on American tourists and didn't go out to Juno Beach. During a moment at the American cemetery I spoke with our guide and she had such high praise for the Juno Beach Memorial and its staff. It won't be missed on my next trip. You also might be able to get a guided tour with the Juno Beach Memorial. Either way, enjoy your time there. We stayed in Bayeux and were delighted by the Canadian flags that were alongside the British, French and American in the streets. Normandy and the Beaches was a highlight of the trip for me.

MD, "You also might be able to get a guided tour with the Juno Beach Memorial." At least one of the tours I mentioned (Dale Booth Normandy tours) offers an optional visit to the Juno Beach Centre. That was part of the Canadian BattleBus tour that I took, and was interesting (although not all of the displays inside were related to the landings).

With a little research you should be able to put together your own tour. The Canadian sector was fairly compact. We did the Juno Beach Center last summer and were quite impressed. The Canadian cemetery is only 10 min. away, a very moving experience. I was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, to see notes and tributes from Canadian school children still being left on the graves. We spent hours reading the names and inscriptions. If you do nothing else go there all the rest you can read about, the cemetery must be experienced.

My family is also planning a trip this June to France and would like to see US as well as a Canadian focus in Normandy. Is it advisable to join a tour if we're only there for a day? Where should we focus our time once we arrive in the area? Thanks, Sherrie

@ Sherrie, With only one day in Normandy, it's going to be challenging to see many of the D-Day sites, especially both U.S. and Canadian sites. Keep in mind that the front is spread across a distance of about 50 miles, and extends some distance inland. Getting to the main sites in a timely manner is the biggest issue. A tour would be the most efficient way of covering a few of the main sights. You might check Overlord Tours as they have some half-day versions. One important question though - WHEN in June will you be in Normandy? As you might imagine, that area becomes VERY busy a few days before and after June 6th. Hotels may be hard to find and tours may be fully booked. Some tour operators suspend operations for a few days, so that the Guides can also attend the ceremonies. Cheers!

Thanks to everyone who answered - I will look into these options!