Normandy Area - Top Things To See

[Martin43]

Evening all,

I'm taking the better half over to Paris for a long weekend for her birthday but would like to visit the Normandy area to see some of the beaches, cemeteries etc.

We've got about a day and a half and we've booked a hotel in Caen. We've got a hire car and a sat nav so just need help with the 'must see' things.

I've been once a few years ago but would like to go back. The cemeteries, both US and UK are awe inspiring.

Any help would be great.

Many thanks.

[heebeegeetee]

Arromanches would be a must, for the history of the mulberry harbour, the museum and the seafood too.

[Cyder]

Bayeux was lovely when we went there last year.

There's a big market and interesting shops. Wish we'd spent more time there really and visited the tapestry.
It's on my list of places to go back to at some point.

[pk500]

pegusas bridge is a must ! we had a trip out there earlyer this year ! done the tapestry aswell

[MikeGTi]

Pont Du Hoc and the Merville Battery are interesting sites, as is the Normandy American Cemetary and Memorial (as well as the various Commonwealth Cemetaries..

[dave stew]

Avoid eating here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=...

[Prolex-UK]

Try the British war cemetery at Caen opposite the d day museum. Cemetary it all in perspective and museum is good as well

[selwonk]

This is a great museum:

http://www.musee-grand-bunker.com/englishversion.a...

Not WWII related necessarily, but Honfleur is a nice place to stop off.

[anonymous-user]

To add to the war sites already listed I'd say the museum at Mont Ormel covering the 'Falaise Gap' battle is well worth the visit and there's even a Tiger tank parked up just outside Vimoutiers http://goo.gl/maps/qRdD1.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 8th August 21:57

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 8th August 22:01

[nagsheadwarrior]

Omaha Beach,a very poignant place with an excellent museum.

I stopped in Arromanches for a few days last year,lovely place, the French manage to do things just right with the history,nothings overly jazzed up.

[Cyder]

dave stew said:

Avoid eating here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=...

I notice you didn't answer Mandat's question...

Mandat said:

Are you saying that they overcharged you, or that you didn't look at the prices on the menu?

[myvision]

Definitely do Pegasus bridge museum worth the money do the tour he explains everything very well.

[RosscoPCole]

Arromanche is a must. It is amazing what they built in such a short time. Also just outside the town of Arromanche is the 360 cinema. It is a very moving film about D-Day and the 100 days after it.

If you are interested in anything to do with D-Day and the Battle of Normandy I recommend buying Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefild Guide on the subject.

I always visit the Bayeux War Cemetery when in the area. Bayeux has a great market on Saturday morning and the cathedral and tapestry are fascinating.

The American War Cemetery is beyond comprehension size wise. Just visiting the actual landing beaches is also very moving realising what happened where you are standing nearly 70 years ago.

Also recommend Les Vergers de Ducy orchard. Their cider, calvados and apple juice is delicious.

You need to forget the trip to Paris and just spend your holiday in Normandy!

[Old Merc]

We did a classic car tour of the Normandy Beaches starting in Honfleur.
If you take the coast road its a lovely route.D513 to Merville,then D514 over Pegasus Bridge and keep on the D514 all along the coast to Omaha.Mind you there is a lot to see and its best to make it a two day trip

[g3org3y]

Bookmarked. Watched band of Brothers from start to finish a couple of days ago. Have been meaning to do a trip of this nature (but also extend it to Holland, Germany and Austria to include the major locations).

[audidoody]

I would urge you to take two full days at least:

If it's one day in Caen you'll have time (assuming an early start) only to do Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery, Courselles-Sur-Mer (Juno), Arromanches (Sword) and Longues-Sur-Mer (the only German battery still with its guns intact).

The American beaches are much nearer Bayeux and you would need a second day for Omaha, Utah, American Cemetery, and Ste Mere Eglise.

The museums are fantastic. Once you become fully immersed in what happened it becomes a fairly emotional experience.

BoB author Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day, June 6, 1944" is superb reading for a heads-up before you go.

Edited by audidoody on Friday 9th August 15:39

[marcosgt]

Doesn't sound a lot of fun for the other half...

Go and see the Bayeux tapestry (it's not a tapestry ) and Caen is good too (both cathedrals/abbeys are worth a visit if she/you like architecture).

The US Cemetery at Point Du Hoc is worth visiting (it's the one in Saving Private Ryan). I defy anyone not to be overwhelmed by the sheer waste of life (even if it was in a 'just cause'), all those graves of men, often barely out of their teens, mostly killed in a few days... Tragic.

There's a great little harbour town, I'm pretty sure it's Grandcamp Maisy (looks like the right place on Google Streetview), with a couple of great seafood restaurants, between Cherbourg and Bayeux, great spot for lunch or dinner and it used to be very quite when we visited, but it's been many years now.

All the other places listed are worth a visit if she likes tanks and guns and stuff, but not all women do, oddly

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Sunday 11th August 17:01

[furtive]

I want to Omaha beach last Friday. The DeLorean club of Germany were there at the same time