We are planning to visit the D-Day beaches in Normandy the weekend following the D-Day 70th anniversary. Any thoughts on whether the area will be overly crowded the weekend of 6/14 & 15? Thanks.
Mary , just a guess , but I think the area will be quite busy all through the summer of 2014 . I have never allowed the issue of visitor density to dissuade me from visiting any location and I have never been sorry about my choices . You visit when you can ,not relative to the level of congestion. Some places are always busy ,it's just the nature of it . Having said all this , If you book your hotels and car rental ( if you are planning one ) well in advance , and this is the time that works for you , you should go . If you can go , say , later in the summer or early fall that would certainly be somewhat less hectic . Whenever you go , visitng Normandy ( which is stunningly beautiful ) and the WWII sites ( and the impact they will have on you ) is something that will change you forever.
I was there in 2004 about two months after the 60th anniversary. There were still lots of crowds, but all the towns had special displays to commemorate the anniversary. It was very festive--and yet very moving. I say go for it--but book your rooms very early just in case.