Full day excursion to the D-Day Beaches in Normandy
We depart at 7.30am from your hotel/accommodation in Paris. Our drive takes us past Rouen, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake; Caen, city of William the Conqueror and the Peace Memorial; Bayeux, where the great tapestry depicting the Norman invasion of England in 1066 is kept …
Our first visit is the “Pointe du Hoc”: captured by the American Rangers of Colonel Rudder, it was a key feature of the German defensive fortifications. After this, we make our way to the American Cemetery, located in Colleville-sur-Mer, above Omaha Beach, made famous in the movie Saving Private Ryan. It contains 9,385 graves, Walls of the Missing, a memorial, a chapel. We also stop for a photo on Omaha Beach.
In the afternoon, we continue with a stop at the little seaside town of Arromanches. There, you can see the remnants of the “Mulberry Harbour”, the artificial port that was built to unload men and equipment after D-Day. The visit of the museum is a moving experience.
Please note: total duration: 12 hours (depending on traffic); lunch in a local restaurant and admission fee to the museum in Arromanches are not included.
Full day excursion to Rouen
Easily accessible from Paris, by road or by train, the historic centre of Rouen has a lot to offer for curious travelers. Badly hit by bombings during WW2, as it was a point of military strategic importance, the city is reborn from its ashes thanks to an ambitious program of urban renewal that still goes on today. Did you realize that one can find about 2000 half-timbered houses in Rouen? The visit really takes you back in time!
We spend a couple of hours on a walking tour, wandering in the narrow streets to discover the highlights of the city as we evoque its rich history. We see the “Gros Horloge” clock, the Palace of Justice, the square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by the English in 1431, St Maclou church, streets with antiquarians … We visit Notre Dame, rebuilt after the fire of 1200, one of the most impressive Gothic cathedrals in France, with its stunning facade painted by Claude Monet. There is time for lunch and for shopping.
Total duration: about 8 hours
Why a guide?
I will show you the highlights
I bring the sites to life, often telling the stories that are not in the guide books or audio tours. With your own knowledgeable and entertaining guide, you can ask questions and find out more about what interests you.
To save your precious time, I have preferential access to most sites.