D-Day Landings in Normandy

Local departure by coach, then to Caen in Normandy for a three-night stay.

We start at Pegasus Bridge, the scene of the first actions of D-Day, where Airborne troops stormed the position from gliders and held on until the linkup with ground forces from Sword Beach was made. We see where the gliders landed, take a visit to the Pegasus Bridge Museum and see the Gondrée Café – arguably the first house liberated on D-Day. In Ranville we see the Airborne graves and after lunch, proceed on to the British landing beaches, starting at Sword Beach. At Juno Beach we visit the Juno Beach Centre which explains the story of the Canadian role in the Battle of Normandy, and at Gold Beach, see where some of the heaviest casualties were suffered by British troops storming the tough defences at Asnelles. We end the day at Arromanches where the Mulberry Harbour was constructed, much of which is still visible out to sea.

The story of ‘Bloody Omaha’ and the terrible American sacrifice here on D-Day has been immortalised in the film Saving Private Ryan. Uncover the real story with a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery, the Overlord Museum and Omaha Beach where the landings took place, seeing the memorial to the 29th Division. After lunch in St. Mère Église, we take a look at the story of the US Airborne forces at the Richard Winters Leadership Memorial. Dick Winters commanded Easy Company of 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the ‘Band of Brothers’. At Utah Beach, we follow the story of the successful landings and visit the Utah Beach Museum. We then end the day at the German Cemetery at La Cambe, where German Tank Ace Michael Wittmann is buried.

Return home.

Local departure by coach, then to Caen in Normandy for a four-night stay.

We start at Pegasus Bridge, the scene of the first actions of D-Day, where Airborne troops stormed the position from gliders and held on until the linkup with ground forces from Sword Beach was made. We see where the gliders landed, take a visit to the Pegasus Bridge Museum and see the Gondrée Café – arguably the first house liberated on D-Day. In Ranville we see the Airborne graves and after lunch, proceed on to the British landing beaches, starting at Sword Beach. At Juno Beach we visit the Juno Beach Centre which explains the story of the Canadian role in the Battle of Normandy, and at Gold Beach, see where some of the heaviest casualties were suffered by British troops storming the tough defences at Asnelles. We end the day at Arromanches where the Mulberry Harbour was constructed, much of which is still visible out to sea.

The story of ‘Bloody Omaha’ and the terrible American sacrifice here on D-Day has been immortalised in the film Saving Private Ryan. Uncover the real story with a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery, the Overlord Museum and Omaha Beach where the landings took place, seeing the memorial to the 29th Division. After lunch in St. Mère Église, we then take a look at the story of the US Airborne forces at the Richard Winters Leadership Memorial. Dick Winters commanded Easy Company of 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the ‘Band of Brothers’. At Utah Beach we follow the story of the successful landings and visit the Utah Beach Museum. We then end the day at the German Cemetery at La Cambe, where German Tank Ace Michael Wittmann is buried.

We start our look at the fighting beyond D-Day in the bocage countryside south of Bayeux. We examine the bloody battles for Tilly-sur-Seulles and the tough fighting at Fontenay-le-Pesnel. Driving through the so-called ‘Scottish Corridor’ over the River Odon, we visit Hill 112 with its Churchill Tank Memorial. Lunch in Falaise, followed by a visit to the Falaise Pocket and a short walk along the ‘Corridor of Death’, used by the Germans to make their retreat in August 1944. On Mont Ormel we visit the Polish Memorial to their ferocious battle and end the day by seeing a very rare original Tiger I tank at Vimoutiers.

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