Beaches of Normandy 10 Day Tour

A special combination of remembering the most heroic American moments of the D-Day landings and the discovery of a lesser-known period of World War II, the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

It is designed for people who want to combine culture and military history on their vacation in Normandy. This trip has a special focus on the American landing sectors and the breakout from Normandy with our journey ending at the medieval abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. On the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, you will have a chance to see one-of-a-kind remnants of Hitler’s infamous Atlantic Wall. During the tour, our Passengers will learn how the locals coped daily with five years of Nazi occupation on these British Crown Dependencies. You will be surprised on how many levels American history and culture is linked to that of the Islands. The Islands’ natural beauty and the gastronomic delights will contribute to making this tour an unforgettable journey.

DAY 1 - 5

Passengers are greeted at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and transferred by coach to Normandy. After a welcome dinner to get to know your fellow travelers, we spend the next few days exploring the iconic locations of the Normandy Landings. We will concentrate on the American landing beaches Utah Beach and Omaha Beach and we will visit the Normandy American Cemetery to honor the sacrifice of those servicemen who paid the ultimate price for freedom. We will follow the breakout of General Patton’s Third Army from Normandy to Brittany via driving through the city of Avranches and crossing the Pontaubault bridge that was left intact despite the attacks by the retreating German forces. The first leg of the tour culminates in a visit to the world-famous island abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. We will then prepare for the day after when we sail to the Channel Islands, the only British territory under German occupation during WWII.

DAY 6-10

On the second leg of the tour, we will travel from France to the British Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and Jersey. The group will stay and experience the unique local British and French-Norman culture in the two islands’ capitals of St. Peter Port and St. Helier. The German Occupation Museum and our local guides will tell how the locals endured the five long years of Nazi rule. We will visit vast underground military tunnels, coastal batteries and other fortifications of the Atlantic Wall featured only on these islands. Many of them were built by the foreign prisoners held captive under inhumane conditions in the work and concentration camps on the Islands. We will also witness astonishing medieval strongholds further fortified by the Germans, such as the 800 years old Mont Orgueil Castle. We conclude our journey with a farewell dinner. The next day, our Passengers are brought to Jersey Airport to catch their flights.

Full page details here: Beaches of Normandy Tour® | Channel Islands Tour