Normandy Battlefields Day Trip

For our last day in France we ventured out early to the Normandy battlefields.

This involved an alarm at 5am, cab at 6am and train at 7am! Our B&B owner left us a breakfast to go in the fridge so we were able to make our way to the train without worry. I love regional trains and the two hour trip was really enjoyable and relaxing. I have linked to information on each area as you move through the post.

Our train –

We were met at Caen by a guide from the Memorial de Caen museum and with four other people, we would be driven around the beaches of Normandy and we were also given a guided tour of the museum with lunch.

The Memorial de Caen museum –

Our tour van –

First stop, Arromanches –

The Longues-Sur-Mer German Gun Battery –

American Cemetery at Colleville Sur Mer –

Omaha Beach –

Ponte du Hoc –

It was a long day but something we would both never forget and as you can see, we covered A LOT of ground. The museum was really well done – the displays were clear and it was easy to navigate through the complex. The beaches themselves? I could not believe how large the area was. The cliffs that troops had to climb, the hellish terrain – it was breathtaking and shocking at the same time. Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the area.

Driving through the small towns in the countryside was fantastic. While we were driving through these areas, our guide was telling us about how these areas were affected at the time – it was heartbreaking but at the same time, we felt so fortunate to be there to see it. It was very bittersweet.

Being only part of a small group was a bonus. We were in a small van and we could hop on and off as we wanted. This was a major factor in us doing this tour and also, we enjoyed being able to organize it from home. If you can only spend one day in this area, we fully recommend Link Paris. They did everything for us so we just had to arrive at the train. It really is not recommended to visit this area in one day, but we are grateful that we were able to do it. We didn’t get back to La Villa until nearly 10pm but it was worth every moment.