Notes

Tour options

The British Sector Our first stop is the area where the British 6th (Airborne) Division landed on D-Day. We visit Pegasus Bridge, Gondre Café and Ranville War Cemetery where many of the paratroopers are buried. We then travel along the beaches – Sword, Juno and Gold – to Arromanches, the home of Mulberry Harbour. After Arromanches we visit the German Gun Battery at Longues sur Mer. We will end the day in Bayeux where we can visit the Bayeux War Cemetery. Arromanches Invasion Museum Includes a sound and light display of the landings, animated models and videos re-creating the British construction of the Mulberry B Port, an artificial port that was critical to the invasion’s success. The museum itself overlooks the original anchorage of the landing site. D-Day Circle Vision Cinema,

Arromanches. This presentation shows visitors a 15-minute film projected on a 360-degree circular screen, re-creating the experience of landing in Normandy during the invasion. Merville Battery A large German gun site captured by the British and now a fine museum with bunkers and bomb craters. The battery was constructed to fire shells directly onto Sword Beach and was heroically disarmed by the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Terence Otway, DSO in the early hours of 6th June 1944.

The American Sector Visiting the huge U.S. Cemetery at Omaha Beach and Ste. Mère Eglise, where the paratroopers dropped in the middle of the burning town. We will also see the landing area at Utah Beach before returning to the hotel. Inland Battles Explore the events after 6th June, as the Allies moved inland. We look at the battles for Caen and the final outcome of the campaign. We start with a visit to Jerusalem Cemetery, then move on, via Tilly-sur- Seulles to Villers Bocage.

Our next stop is in the ‘Scottish Corridor’, where we study ‘Operation Epsom’ and the battle for Hill 112 – against the young, fanatical soldiers of the Hitler Jugend Division. Finally we move on to Falaise, St Lambert and Montormel. Here we walk the ‘Corridor of Death’, the only escape route for two German armies as the Normandy campaign came to an end.

Our last stop is at the Polish Memorial ‘Maczuga’ from where the ‘Falaise Pocket’ can be viewed. The Eastern Flank Today is spent on and around the Eastern Flank – the scene of probably some of the most important fighting in modern European history. Spend the morning at Merville Battery. This afternoon we visit the Grand Bunker museum before stopping for lunch in Ouistreham.

We then follow the route and story of ‘Operation Goodwood’ finishing on the Bourgebus Ridge. Bayeux & Omaha This morning we include a visit to Bayeux cemetery, followed by free time in Bayeux. We’ll break for lunch in Port en Bessin before spending the afternoon around the Omaha Beach area. We’ll visit the American cemetery, Omaha beach itself and finally Pointe de Hoc.

The Western Flank Today we’ll look at the Western Flank, with visits to Utah Beach, the German Batteries at Crisbecq and Azeville. After lunch, we move on to the museum at Ste Mère Église and we visit the US Airborne sites at La Fiere (the Iron Mike memorial), Chef du Pont Carentan and finally visiting the German Cemetery at la Cambe.

Extend your stay

You may wish to combine a visit to the Battlefields of Normandy with other aspects of the curriculum or events in history. Add a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the 1066 Norman Invasion of England or take a ride on L’Petit Train around the city centre.

Visit Rouen and its magnificent Cathedral, the subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet as well as the sight of the burning of Joan of Arc in 1431.

Add 1 or 2 nights in Paris, a city with so much to see and do, the choices are endless. Visit the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Musée d’Orsay or simply take a relaxing cruise on the Seine.