11-day HIGHLIGHTS OF NORMANDY

Passengers are greeted at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and transferred by coach to Rouen, the capital of Normandy. The first afternoon will be spent discovering the significance of the city, visiting Rollo the Viking's tomb and the site of Joan of Arc's burning at the stake. The next day is spent in Giverny, in the garden of Claude Monet, the father of Impressionism. Then in the afternoon, we visit Rommel's former headquarters in picturesque La Roche-Guyon. In the following days, we will explore the landing beaches of Dieppe, where Operation Jubilee, also known as the Dieppe Raid, the disastrous Allied amphibious attack, took place. Further time in the region will be spent to see the breathtaking white cliffs of Étretat and the jewel-like town of Honfleur, as well as to learn more about the famous Norman apple brandy, Calvados.

Having already spent the previous night in Caen, we will focus on the American landing beaches Utah and Omaha, as well as several profound sites where we pay our respects to the heroes who changed history. We also visit the British and Canadian landing beaches, where our fellow Commonwealth troops fought to secure a foothold in Europe. We will explore the vast logistical Allied efforts represented by the remnants of the artificial Mulberry harbors. Then, 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 famous Pontaubault bridge. These days culminate in a visit to the world-famous abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel.

In the remaining days, we visit the city of Falaise where the Allied armies raced to encircle the remaining German forces in Normandy. As a part of this segment, we will travel to Vimoutiers to face one of the few remaining Tiger tanks to understand why the Allies feared this German heavy tank. Beyond that, we can gain insight into the life and reign of William the Conqueror and taste the famous Camembert cheese alike. In addition, for a deeper insight into 20th century military history, we will visit the Caen Memorial Museum. Our Passengers will have the chance to see the main sights of Caen, such as William the Conqueror’s tomb or the partially renovated churches that show the damage suffered by the city during WWII. We conclude our tour with a farewell dinner. The next day, our Passengers are brought to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for their return flights.