Family-Friendly tours of Normandy D-Day

Posted by Matt (West Lafayette, IN) on 01/02/10 04:26 PM

My family will be living in France this winter and we wanted to tour the D-Day beaches when my Parents came over to visit us (Mid-February). I'm thinking a private tour might be the best way to go.

We have 4 adults (all fit/mobile) and two children (3 yrs & 5 months).

We obviously need something family-friendly and probably private (to accommodate the needs of our young ones). I expect we would have one full day for a tour (spend the night before & after in Normandy so we have a full day...)

I see people recommend the Battlebus tours. Are there other recommendations I should check out? (We will probably rent a minivan so a ride-along guide might also be possible if we can find the room in our car...)

Posted by Ed

Pensacola

01/02/10 05:24 PM

9110 posts

Battlebus is okay, but comes into its own for folks who arrive by public transportation and have no way to get to the beaches etc.

Since you'll have your vehicle, you can do it on your own if you wish. The money will buy lunch for the whole crowd. Here's how:

Go to the American Cemetary (just above Omaha beach). In the main memorial area there are a couple of big displays; one depicts the amphibious operation, the other the european campaign. Then go down to the beach itself to imagine what the guys were up against. There are a few remnants of coastal fortifications in the general area. Last, visit one of the several museums in the area (Bayeux is probably the best) to see what the equipment looked like. That's about it unless you want to go all the way up to St Mere Eglise or something.

Others will chime in for what they think the best sites are.

Don't miss the Bayeux tapestry while you're in the area.

Posted by Kent

US Pacific Northwest

01/02/10 05:39 PM

10344 posts

"We have 4 adults (all fit/mobile) and two children (3 yrs & 5 months). I see people recommend the Battlebus tours."

Battlebus is not an option for you, because their minimum age is 12.

Here are some other "D-Day beach" tours recommended by Rick, other than Battlebus:
www.victorytours.com (from Bayeux only)
www.memorial-caen.fr (from Caen only)
www.ddaybattletours.com
www.overlordtour.com (based in Bayeux)

The two most common choices for accommodations are Bayeux and Caen.

Posted by Rachel

Edmonds, WA, USA

01/02/10 06:18 PM

88 posts

I used Victory Tours, and I think it would be very family-friendly. I was just on a group tour, but he was very laid-back and adjusted his pace and plan whenever necessary. He extended stops that people had extra interest in and stopped some extra places that he though some people would be particularly interested in. He has half-day and full-day tours, but I would definitely go with the full-day tours, especially with children.

Posted by Carroll

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

01/03/10 02:35 PM

2778 posts

Stuart Robertson, who used to work for Battlebus, does custom tours now. He is a really nice guy and knows his stuff. (He did a tour for us when he was with Battlebus and we have stayed in touch with him.) He really loves and honors the guys that fought in Normandy. He also has a B&B with his wife. PM me if you can't find his web site.