Group Tour of Normandy from Bayeux

Hi Laurie,
My daughter and I took the train from Paris to Bayeux last March. We spent the night at Hotel Reine Mathilde then walked not even a 1/4 mile to the pick up spot for Overlord Tours-- Overlord. We did the half day but there were three other minivans for the full day folks. Our half day tour was great--great company, great tour guide (Sean). I think that the full dyays run 8-6pm. Bayeux is great, btw. If you have time, visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Bayeux Tapestry. Everything in the central town area is within walking distance.

http://www.ddayhistorian.com/
Formerly Battle Bus. We took the all day tour and loved it. Very knowledgeable tour guides. Excellent tours. You should make your reservations ASAP the fill fast.

It's probably too late, but try Dale Booth tours. He used to be with Battlebus back in the day. The other two groups mentioned have consistently had good recommendations. Are you catching the ferry from Cheebourg?

We too will be staying at Hotel Reine Mathilde. Our ferry will leave from Ouistreham at 2300. I don't know what time the earliest train will take us from Paris to Bayeux. I will have to check when we get there, we will have 4 nights in Paris to figure out the trains. Maybe we could actually get a half day tour one day or a full tour the second day. If the tour ends at 6pm that would leave us 4 hrs to get to the ferry. I hope that will be possible. I don't know how to get to the ferry yet.

Laurie, There are several good D-Day tour firms that operate in the Bayeux area, and I believe most offer both group and private tours. Some have already been mentioned, but here's a list: > www.ddayhistorian.com (Paul Woodage) > www.daleboothnormandytours.com (Dale Booth) > www.overlordtour.com (also offers half day tours) > www.ddaybattletours.com/elldi.php (Ellwood von Seibold) I'd suggest contacting them and pre-booking WELL in advance, keeping in mind that late May is only about a week before the 69th anniversary events. Pre-booking accommodations well in advance would also be prudent. Happy travels!

Thank you all for a wealth of information. It is very intimidating when we have never traveled to Europe before. I don't know what I would do without these forums and computer contacts. Thank you so very much

Laurie, As this is your first trip to Europe, it would be a really good idea to read Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip (if you haven't already). It provides a LOT of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. The country or city-specific Guidebooks have great information on sightseeing, transportation, hotels, restaurants, etc. Don't forget to pack the Moneybelts! Cheers!

Thank you Ken, you motivated me to finally read it. I actually purchased the book but still have not read it because I am so overwhelmed with booking hotels and figuring out our itinerary. I have a pile of books but I will put that one ontop. This is our bucket list trip. My husband has beat cancer 3 times now and we decided we better go while we have our health so this is a massive endeavor for us. We start with a 28 night transatlantic cruise to many ports then on land for another month. It is quite overwhelming for us.

Laurie, I can fully appreciate your reasons for travel. I sustained a serious leg injury a few years ago, which took almost six months to recover from. It became abundantly clear to me at that time that if there was anything I wanted to do, I'd better do it while I was able to, as one adverse event can change the picture entirely. After the Orthopaedic Surgeon told me that I was "recovered", I took off to Europe for two months to celebrate! To add to my previous post, some of the D-Day tours aren't cheap but (IMHO) they're well worth the cost. I find that the tours are MUCH more interesting, I learn far more about the history and that makes for a "richer" travel experience. In addition, they provide the transportation so there's a pragmatic reason for going with the tours. I've travelled with the first two I mentioned, and they're both outstanding Guides! While on the tours, I learned a few things that AREN'T in the history books, as both Guides have taken WW-II veterans on tours and they've related some interesting facts. Be sure to try some Calvados when in Normandy. I received a bottle for Christmas, and have been enjoying it immensely. Cheers!

We did the R.S. Heart of France Tour in June of 2012 with our 17 year old son and had Dale Booth for the entire day. There may be guides equal to him but I find it hard to imagine there are any that would be any better. The passion and knowledge he brought to the tour was immeasurable.

Ken's recommendations are all highly rated on Tripadvisor. I toured with Overlord and was quite pleased, but I'm sure the others are also very good.