This superb 4-day small-group tour takes you to the Normandy landing beaches in France as well as tracking down the events of the D-Day invasion by Allied forces in World War II.
Accompanied by a guide with expert knowledge of the battlefields and landing beaches, you'll gain fascinating insight into the history of D-Day and the liberation of France. With a maximum number of 16 people per group, you are sure to have a personable and memorable experience.
Highlights
- Dinner included
- Breakfast included
- Personalized service for small groups
- Immerse yourself in the past, the time of a historical circuit
- Multi-day trip
The D-Day tour begins with your Eurostar train journey from London to Lille, where you'll meet your guide aboard your air-conditioned minivan for the D-Day Landing Beaches. The first stop will be Dunkirk, famous for Operation 'Dynamo', code name for the British port evacuation and one of the most famous events in British military history. En route you can see the Le Paradis Massacre site, where the Norfolk was executed by the SS and the barn at Esquelbecq, where the Warwicks met a similar fate. Continue to your overnight accommodation in the picturesque Normandy port of Dieppe.
On the second day, the tour begins by visiting sites related to the Dieppe landings in 1942, which involved British, Canadian and American units. Your guide will tell you the story of Operation 'Jubilee', which aims to capture and hold a port set up to assess Germany's response. The tour then continues to No. 3 and No. 4 Commando landing sites at Blue and Green Beach, where the Canadian regiments suffered great casualties. After a rewarding day, you are transferred to Bayeux and your overnight accommodation.
The third day of the tour initially covers the British and Canadian landing and drop off areas. Visit the Gold, Juno and Sword beaches, each of which tells a story from the epic of 1944. You will see the artificial harbor at Arromanches, Pegasus Bridge, Café Gondrée (the first house to be liberated), Merville Battery overlooking Sword Beach and many other places of interest including the division and memorial unit where you can pay your respects.
The last day will focus on the American commitment, visiting Utah, Omaha Beach and Coleville Cemetery, burial place of nearly 10.000 soldiers. Stop at St. Mere Church, where famous paratrooper John Steeple was taken from the church steeple, and where the Iron Mike US Airborne Forces Memorial is housed.
Detailed calendar
Starting point:
Station International Kings Cross Saint-Pancras
Departure time:
Departure from Eurostar: 08:27
Departure of the visit for Lille: 11:00 a.m.
Return details:
Return to the starting point around 19:30 p.m. (depending on train availability)
