Optional Add-On
After taking the train from Paris to Caen, the capital of Lower Normandy and a target for heavy bombings during the war, you will meet your guide and driver at the Caen train station. During this 50-min drive, your guide will provide an overview and contextualization for the tour and lay out the background for the invasion.
The first stop of our Normandy day trip from Paris will be at the far end of the American sector: the Pointe du Hoc. This steep cliff, sitting 30 meters (100 feet) above the sea, was a strategic location on the German defensive Atlantic wall. It was a point of attack for the 2nd Ranger Battalion and the site of an intense two-day battle. The rough terrain, marked with shell holes and the remains of the machine gun battery, will take you back to the day of the battle and set the tone for your excursion.
After a break for lunch, you will proceed to Omaha Beach. Situated at Colleville-sur-Mer, Omaha Beach serves as the location of the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. At this moving site, you will learn about the important involvement of the American contingency in the invasion. You will also have time to independently visit the cemetery and pay homage to any particular graves or walk to the expansive beach down below.
Driving eastward, you will finally reach Arromanches, the location of the invaluable artificial port. At this site, you will learn about the careful preparations for Operation Overload and how this artificial port was installed and used to offload vehicles and supplies in the days following the invasion. Time permitting, you may also visit a German cemetery. A sombre resting place, which provides a unique context for seeing the perspective of the individual German soldier.
At the end of the tour, you will have visited the various commemorative sites along this now peaceful stretch of French coastline, powerful reminders of the courage and sacrifice that was needed to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. Your guide and driver will drop you off at the Bayeux Train Station, where you will take the train back to Paris.
Start Time
Sep 26 8:00AM CEST
to
End Time
Sep 26 7:00PM CEST
Context Travel