D-Day Beaches - Road Trip

[S10GTA]

As you were so helpful last year for a quick jaunt up to North Wales, thought I'd ask for your help again.

Really want to visit the D Day beaches for 2 night early September. Plan so far would be to get the morning ferry from Poole to Cherbourg (gets in around 1500) then drive somewhere, stay for the night, spend the next day visiting the beaches, stay another night, spend the morning at another "attraction" then drive back to Cherbourg the following day for a departure around 1800.

Apart from that, I'm open to suggestions.

Where should I stay, what should I visit, are they any good roads to take etc?

Let me have your knowledge! Thanks! (budget - as little as possible)

Edited by S10GTA on Tuesday 26th April 17:23

[anonymous-user]

Loads and loads to see so it's hard to single out any particular bits but my list usually includes:
The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.
Pont du Hoc (where the Germans had heavy defences....now lots of craters plus the odd derelict building)
St Mere Eglise (where the 101st Airborne landed, notable as a paratrooper got hung up on the church spire where a mannequin of him still hangs to this day...really good museum here)
Pegasus Bridge (good museum plus where it all "began" on the night of June 5/6)
Merville Battery (German gun battery captured almost intact)
Arromanche (where the Allies built a temporary harbour, chunks of which are still visible at low tide. Good 360 cinema here)
There's lots more......

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 26th April 17:45

[magooagain]

My dad popped in to Pegasus bridge on that fateful day. Survived and lived on to create a wonderfull family.
Wherever you visit enjoy it realizing how lucky we are. Hats of to the French for thier memorials.

[Etretat]

We stayed here
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/le-grand-hard.en-g...

Very friendly owner speaks good English. Reasonably priced. Safe car parking. Good restaurant. Would go there again
try to make time to go to Mont St Michel

[CrutyRammers]

Crossflow Kid said:

Loads and loads to see so it's hard to single out any particular bits but my list usually includes:
The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.
Pont du Hoc (where the Germans had heavy defences....now lots of craters plus the odd derelict building)
St Mere Eglise (where the 101st Airborne landed, notable as a paratrooper got hung up on the church spire where a mannequin of him still hangs to this day...really good museum here)
Pegasus Bridge (good museum plus where it all "began" on the night of June 5/6)
Merville Battery (German gun battery captured almost intact)
Arromanche (where the Allies built a temporary harbour, chunks of which are still visible at low tide. Good 360 cinema here)
There's lots more......

Edited by Crossflow Kid on Tuesday 26th April 17:45

^^^^ that.
Point du Hoc is amazingly atmospheric. Arromanches also.

[NormalWisdom]

Crossflow Kid said:

Loads and loads to see so it's hard to single out any particular bits but my list usually includes:
The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.
Pont du Hoc (where the Germans had heavy defences....now lots of craters plus the odd derelict building)
St Mere Eglise (where the 101st Airborne landed, notable as a paratrooper got hung up on the church spire where a mannequin of him still hangs to this day...really good museum here)
Pegasus Bridge (good museum plus where it all "began" on the night of June 5/6)
Merville Battery (German gun battery captured almost intact)
Arromanche (where the Allies built a temporary harbour, chunks of which are still visible at low tide. Good 360 cinema here)
There's lots more......

Edited by Crossflow Kid on Tuesday 26th April 17:45

Can't disagree with any of this - Mrs Wisdom's family are from Bayeux (her uncle had a cameo in the Longest Day playing himself as the Fire Chief). We have just come back from a week there for a birthday celebration and every time I go I love it. With regards a place to stay, we rented a gite this time as 8 of us went over, we stayed HERE which is about a mile outside Arromanches.

Bayeux and Caen are also worth a visit - If you want to go hotel then I have also stayed at La Ranconniere many times, it is very good and the restaurant is superb.

[DMN]

We stayed at Port en Bessin a few years back, which marked the join between Commonwealth and US forces. It also saw some of the heaviest fighting. Made a great base to get to Cean, Arromanches, Bayuex etc. The Port also played the role of Ouistreham in the Longest Day.

The local Cider is something else.

[Dog Star]

We go there all the time - there's tons to see.
We stay here....

http://www.normandybeach.co.uk/

Which is petrolhead heaven.

Tripadvisor....

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g580133...

[bad company]

Beware of the museums closing for 2 hour lunch breaks.

[Old Merc]

There is so many places to stop and it will take up a lot of time,so plan your trip.
We have done it twice,in different directions.Can I surgest from Cherbourg take the N13 to Osmanville,then get on the D514 AND STAY ON IT.Its a lovely coast road that takes you all the way past everything to Merville and beyond.
Stop off at Omaha Beach,American Cemetery at Colleville.We then stayed here http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/booking/rates.shtml?...
Then bypass Arromanches on the D514 and park up at the D Day 360 circular cinema.The car park is right on the cliff overlooking Arromanches.(parking in the town is a nightmare).You can get this shuttle train down into the town,museum,mulberry harbour etc.
Then stay on the D514 coast road past all the D Day beaches.The D514 goes over Pegasus Bridge,lunch in the famous Cafe Gondree,Pegasus Memorial Museum. D514 to Merville Batteries,we then stayed on this road and ended in Honfleur.

[Dog Star]

[quote=Old MercThen bypass Arromanches on the D514 and park up at the D Day 360 circular cinema.The car park is right on the cliff overlooking Arromanches.(parking in the town is a nightmare).You can get this shuttle train down into the town,museum,mulberry harbour etc.
[/quote]

There won't be parking or access issues in September.

[Old Merc]

Dog Star said:

[quote=Old MercThen bypass Arromanches on the D514 and park up at the D Day 360 circular cinema.The car park is right on the cliff overlooking Arromanches.(parking in the town is a nightmare).You can get this shuttle train down into the town,museum,mulberry harbour etc.

There won't be parking or access issues in September.

But its still a great way to do it.Visit the 360,panoramic photos of the harbour,fun train trip down to Arromanches etc.

[anonymous-user]

bad company said:

Beware of the museums closing for 2 hour lunch breaks.

Am I due a whoosh parrot? Never known any of the larger Normandy attractions close for lunch.

[Dog Star]

Crossflow Kid said:

bad company said:

Beware of the museums closing for 2 hour lunch breaks.

Am I due a whoosh parrot? Never known any of the larger Normandy attractions close for lunch.

Me neither - I go there visiting several times a year.

[bad company]

Dog Star said:

Crossflow Kid said:

bad company said:

Beware of the museums closing for 2 hour lunch breaks.

Am I due a whoosh parrot? Never known any of the larger Normandy attractions close for lunch.

Me neither - I go there visiting several times a year.

Happened on my last visit albeit 6-7 years ago. A quick Google tells me that the Bayeux museum MAHB closes from 12:30 - 2pm daily in winter.

[audidoody]

I recommend four nights. You'll never do it justice in two days. You'll need a day for St Mere Eglise, Omaha and Utah, Pointe du Hoc, and American cemetery, a day for Pegasus Bridge and Merville Battery, a day for Juno (Courselles) and Sword (Arromanches) - plus a day in Bayeux for the D-Day museum and tapestry.

Also worth considering a professional tour in a mini bus (they pick you up from your hotel)

[Huntsman]

Etretat said:

We stayed here
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/le-grand-hard.en-g...

Very friendly owner speaks good English. Reasonably priced. Safe car parking. Good restaurant. Would go there again
try to make time to go to Mont St Michel

We've stayed there. very nice.

St Vaast is a nice spot, Hotel Fuscia not expensive. Worth popping into Barfleur and wandering round the light house. If in St Vaast you need to find Monsieur Gosselin's shop.

Le Mont St Michel is a nice day out, touristy and busy. Bit further West is St Malo which is lovely.

We've been to that area a couple of times in the Morris Traveller, we go to St Malo and come home via Cherbourg, its a nice loop, several other nice places to stay along that route I could reccomend.

[Simes205]

My parents live 20minutes from Omaha beach it's their local.
Drive the coastal road from Isigny to Courseilles, you'll find loads of stuff. Since '94 it's all been rather well looked after.
Pointe du Hoc and the recently discovered batterie de Maisy near Grandcamp are good. Colleville is the US cemetery along that coast, the view over the sea is haunting so is swimming at vierville (Omaha).
The Utah beach on the cotentin is not as good.
Arromanches has the floating harbour.
There's loads to do.

Just down from Osmanville is Station 51, an ex gendarme who collects old french automobila and cars. Pop in its quite fun.

Edited by Simes205 on Wednesday 27th April 22:55

[Huntsman]

Is it a little pootle round France or is it a D Dray trip?

[S10GTA]

Thank you for the suggestions. Lots to take in.