Should You Take a D Day Tour in Normandy France?
I highly recommend taking a D-Day tour in Normandy! My husband has always been fascinated by airplanes and WWII because his own father was in the Air Force and was a pilot during WWII.
When we were planning our trip to France my husband’s one and only request was that we visit Normandy and see the D-Day sites.
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Should you take a D Day Tour in Normandy or go on your own?
We opted to take a D Day tour in Normandy, France and I think that it was the perfect decision.
Yes, you could see all the beaches and sites on your own, but we selected an all day tour of the D Day sites and I am glad that we did.
We did not select a private tour but you will find that those are available. We went on a small group tour. There were only my husband and I and two other people.
Here are some reasons that I think that it is worth it to take a D-Day tour.
- In our case, my husband and I have different levels of interest in this topic. With a tour he was able to ask all of his in-depth questions and I was able to understand the big picture of what happened here
- You won’t have to navigate yourself. Some of the locations are spread out in the region. Not only that most of the tour companies will pick you up from a convenient location in Bayeux.
- The beaches are now just beaches. It is great to have someone explain all the events that occured there.
- Many of the guides, including ours, are very passionate about the history of this area. Many of them have personally met some of the men who fought in the D-Day battles here will be able to share many of their personal stories.
- They can help bring this time in history alive in your mind.
- A tour will be efficient and make the best use of your time.
Recommended Battle Tour Companies
There are many tours to choose from in Normandy! We selected D-Day Battle Tours with guide Ellwood Rene Von Siebold.
Ellwood was extremely knowledgeable, he is a war historian and even participates in re-enactments that are held locally. In addition he is passionate about imparting his knowledge.
He was able to give us the big picture while also providing those little anecdotes that make the big picture come alive. Although, my WW II knowledge is minimal, but the tour was interesting for both my husband and I and the others on our tour.
We selected the basic all day D-Day Battle tour.
In addition to the one that we choose, here are some other amazing D-Day Battle Tours that you might want to look into.
Normandy American D-Day Full Day Tour From Bayeux: This is a very highly rated tour. You will travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned van for this all day (approximately 9 hour) tour with an expert guide visiting all the key landing and drop-off sites.
Omaha and Band of Brothers Full Day Tour: This group tour is perfect for all World War II history buffs, but especially those who have read the book or seen the band of brothers mini-series.
Private Guided American D-Day Tour From Bayeux: If you are looking for a private guided tour then this is a perfect one to try. You can bring your own group of up to 8 people or go by yourself. This is perfect for those with personal ties or a strong interest in WWII. You can be picked up from any hotel or guesthouse in or near Bayeux.
D-Day Omaha Beach Morning or Afternoon Group Tour from Bayeux: If your time in the area is limited this would be a great option to at least see Omaha Beach, Pointe Du Hoc, and the evocative American Cemetary.
Do be aware that many of the above tours are not appropriate for children. If you are traveling with children
You might also be interested in learning about some of the other things to do in Bayeux. We also found that Bayeux has some great restaurants as well as some wonderful hotels and unique places to stay.
Some of the Key American D-Day Sites that You Will See on a Tour
Town of St. Mere Eglise
The small town of St. Mere Eglise which was the epicenter for the paratroopers on D-Day and where the Airborne Museum is now located.
It was the first town liberated by the paratroopers. You will want to see the church on whose roof the famous John Steele landed. As well as the square in front of the church.
There are also many monuments throughout the town that have been erected in honor of the liberators.
The zero milestone is opposite the town hall and symbolises the starting point of the path to freedom.
Airborne Museum
You cannot miss the Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise.
The museum is very well done and is a great place to start a tour as it will give you an understanding of D-Day from the invasion preparations in England, through to the battles for liberation.
It was very helpful for me to actually see some of the aircraft that were used as well as the parachutes and packs.
Utah Beach
Although there is a nice museum at Utah Beach I still think that you will find a tour guide will help you visualize everything that happened on that fateful June 6th.
Utah Beach was the nickname for one of the stretches of beach on which the Americans were to land.
This was one of five sectors that were to be conquered by the Allied forces. Utah beach was taken with minimal casualties compared to many of the other sectors.
Pointe Du Hoc
Pointe Du Hoc is one of the most fascinating of the D-day sites because you can still see the bomb craters all over the ground as well as some of the bombed out fortifications that the Germans had used.
Can you imagine scaling this 100 foot rock face with gun and mortar fire all around you?
It was vital for the forces to take over Pointe Du Hoc because the German guns from here could cover both Utah Beach and Omaha Beach.
The Rangers were selected for this task that many considered a suicide mission.
Omaha Beach
Omaha beach was the code name for the stretch of beach that ended up being one of the most difficult and deadly sectors of D-Day.
Many men were shot or drowned before they ever managed to set foot on shore.
Again we were glad to be on a tour because there was very little here in the way of explanation.
The American Cemetery
The American Cemetery is a simply stunning burial ground with row after row after row of perfectly spaced crosses and stars of David…I found myself weeping.
It is graceful, poignant, peaceful and sad.
Truly one of the most affecting places I’ve ever visited.
There are other beaches and other nearby museums but the above are some of the most common D-Day site that you will see on a tour from Bayeux.
Final thoughts
In Normandy you still see American flags flying alongside the French flag.
They still remember all those young men who lost their lives. They know first hand the sacrifice that gave them their freedom. They saw the cost or have heard stories from their parents and grandparents describing the cost.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Karen
Learn more about our entire 2 week itinerary in France here.
