Le Havre - tours to American landing beaches

[Luvmyrotti]

Will be arriving in Le Havre on April 20, 2012. Both tour companies I have checked with are already booked (Overlord and D Day Landing Tours). Does anyone have any other suggestions for good tour operators to see the American landing beaches and cemetary?

[John Bull]

D-Day tours are expensive, but they do book-out early.

 

Consider hiring a car, its a friday so no problem, the driving is easy - mainly fast divided highway and country lanes with virtually no town driving, the navigation is pretty easy, you'll fit in mebbe half-a-dozen places at the most and the information at those places plus a bit of pre-cruise research should do the trick.

 

Head out on the fast N13 past Caen to La Cambe, about 92 miles, 1.75 hrs from your ship. Mebbe stop off at the German cemetery at La Cambe, worth 15 - 30 mins.

 

If you have the time & inclination continue for a further 20 miles/20 mins as far as Ste Mere-Eglise (Airborne, worth an hour) then country lane about 8 miles to the coast at La Madeleine Utah (good museum, worth an hour) then back on the A13 to La Cambe.

 

From La Cambe, the coastal lane back toward Le Havre, calling at Pointe du Hoc (worth 30 mins), American cemetery (overlooks Omaha, at Colleville-sur-Mer, worth 1 to 2 hrs total). You can then return to the fast N13, or stay on the coast road, mebbe taking in the Longueville battery (15 mins), and Arromanches (worth an hour plus).

From here, again you can stay on the slow coast road past the Canadian & British beaches or head back to the fast N13.

 

Pegasus Bridge and adjacent museum (British) are 10 mins off-route north of Caen (worth an hour) if you have the time.

 

Your ship will probably sail quite late, but you won't have time for all these places, so pick & choose and be prepared to adjust. The highway is very fast, the coastal lane is pretty slow.

Keep out of Caen itself, stay on its ring road.

Of course, allow yourself an extra hour for potential hold-ups on the way back. If you've not eaten into that leeway drop into the pretty fishing village of Honfleur, under 30 mins from the ship.

 

Google the places in bold type, see what you think

 

JB :)

[moyaroo]

If necessary go with the above and call it JB Tours. John Bull gives good advice. I would have posted the same idea but without the good driving directions :D

 

This is a fantastic self drive and the beaches and cemetary speak for themselves even after these many years. You can go down into the old bunkers and see what the 18 (or so) year old German soldiers saw. Look up from the beach and wonder how they got up those hills . . .

 

I had an uncle who never made it that far. It was and is truly an incredible place and a most unbelievable moment in history.

[Luvmyrotti]

Thanks for the suggestion of a diy tour. I'm not sure we're that brave. Previously we've always taken ship's tours and this is our first step away to try private tours, so I think we might be more comfortable with a tour and driver who knows their way around. Any other suggestions for reputable tour operators from Le havre?

[John Bull]

Thanks for the suggestion of a diy tour. I'm not sure we're that brave. Previously we've always taken ship's tours and this is our first step away to try private tours, so I think we might be more comfortable with a tour and driver who knows their way around. Any other suggestions for reputable tour operators from Le havre?

 

OK, treat ships' tours the same as cigarettes or chocolate. Gently wean yourself off them, one step at a time. :D

 

Here's some websites - all offer day tours to the D-Day sights from Le Havre for cruisers but I don't know anything else about them.

http://tours.france.com/normandy.php

http://users.breathe.com/martin.reeve/normandybeachboys.html

http://www.wellarrangedtravel.com/port_call_services/France/Shore_Excursions_D-Day-Normandy_fullday.html nb-this one is a booking agency, not a tour operator

http://www.handmaidtours.com/about.htm

 

and some old cc threads

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227175

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=954789

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=110659

 

Or have you looked for a tour-share thro your roll-call? Folk seeking sharers for either a guided tour or a van share?

 

Good huntin'

 

JB :)

ps - off cruising tomorrow. No laptop means sorry, can't answer follow-up q's for a coupla weeks

[Cruisin Kay D]

I can personally recommend http://www.normandy-battlefields.org for tour of American beaches & cemetery. We (12 of us) toured Omaha Beach, American Cemetery, Ponte du Hoc, and St. Mere Eglise from Cherbourg with Sharon & Eddie on May 2, 2009, and they are absolutely delightful and so knowledgable!! I am corresponding with her now about a tour in early May. However I have no knowledge if they come to Le Havre -- write her (normandytour@aol.com).

Also, I noticed on that 2009 tour that the roads and those locations were well-marked and signs easy to read, so if you did it on your own, I think you would get to the places you are interested in without trouble.

[lori450]

We ussed Overlord Tours and i can not rave enough about them! It was the best tour I have ever taken in any location in the world. We saw the beaches, went on them, received detailed information, were taken to Mere Saint Eglise and couldn't have had a better time. We are avid learners and could not have been happier. They picked us up at the ship and brought us back on time.