OverThereTooMuch

I'm planning a trip to Paris & London next summer, and plan on spending 4-5 days near Normandy. I haven't picked the dates yet.

Have any of you visited around the anniversary of D-Day? I'm just wondering if I should specifically try to be there or avoid the area at that time.

My thoughts on possibly avoiding the area at this time is that there would be an excessive amount of people compared to other times of year, higher hotel rates/harder to book due to # of people, etc.

slawecki

found it overall pretty boring. few german pill boxes, and some nice rock formations, but i can find no reason to visit. i would guess there is a good chance of a tourist flood which will make room and restaurant reservations a problem. lot of places in the general area are nice san malo, and dinen or diner come to mind(san michelle)

worldiswide

I think it depends on whether that is your area of interest and if so how much preparation before the trip you have done (and probably what generation you are!). We did a day and a half in Normandy and the beaches and I wish we had longer to visit each and every beach and town . We had read several books, were well versed in the history, and found it amazing to imagine what an operation it was, and how many gave their lives to end the war... There are wonderful small towns, food, the bayuex tapestry, giverny on the way out..

I cant speak for normandy on dday since we didnt visit then, but I have some experiences with Gallipoli and being there on anzac remembrance day. I think visiting on your own is a better experience, than a very scripted remembrance presentation where your ability to move around and see what you want to see may be limited.. OTOH there are fewer and fewer veterans at each remembrance day. so it depends on the experience you want to have or share with others.

Orange County Commuter

I went a few days before D Day. And it was one of the big anniversary numbers (can't remember which one, 60 maybe?) Seems like we were there on June 2 and 3rd???(It's been a while!)

That said it was fine a few days before. Hotels weren't packed, sights weren't packed. I found it one of the most moving experiences of my life. As I looked down that cliff I thought "if someone told me to scale that while folks were shooting at me I would have RUN, but they climbed up those cliffs" I am so glad I went and hope to return.

milepig

We were just at the beaches last month and found the entire experience very meaningful.

I think the clue is that this is one destination for which I'd recommend a good tour guide. You don't get much be staring at the pillboxes without the context. Our guide gave us that.

worldiswide

Glad to hear there are others out there with similar experiences and feelings when they saw the beaches and wanted to learn and understand what happened there There is a difference between travel and vacation

zoe67

If you are going there from the UK, maybe you could take a ferry across the Channel. Brittany Ferries has some great deals, and Portsmouth is only a couple of hours from London. BTW, Portsmouth is also an important D-Day beach, as they embarked from here.

TheManofaThousandPlaces

I visited the Normandy area around this time a few years ago. More than the crowds, I remember the cold. It was surprisingly windy and chilly. Make sure to check the weather before you go.

wizard83

We went with an EF tour group in 2008 in Mid June. Very moving experience. I would recommend Point-du-Hoc, the American Cemetery, and Omaha beach. Also there is a nice musuem at Arromanches where they built a Mulberry Harbor.

We watched part of Saving Private Ryan on the Tour bus before we got to the area so the students had an idea what it was all about. Good Choice.

worldiswide

The longest day by cornelius ryan is also a good book to read before you visit

schley

I totally agree. I just returned from there 2 weeks ago. A guide is highly recommended as you would never know what actually transpired from this "boring" site. I almost take offense to that as my grandfather is still alive and was in the US army and served with honor. I can't imagine going to him and saying, "grandpa the weather was great but really i think it was boring." This isn't a site that should entertain you it is a place that shaped world history and if nothing else going to pay respects in the cemeteries would serve anyone well. If you want to be entertained go to Euro Disney. If you want to be moved and show your respect then go to Normandy.

Sorry but I am passionate about this, and I'm sensitive to someone dismissing what took place there as "boring" to visit.

worldiswide

Very well said. And you don't need to be sorry for anything. It absolutely is a place that has shaped history and I chose the experience to honor and respect those before me who served.

OverThereTooMuch

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I should've come back to clarify. It's not a matter of IF I'm going there, it was more a matter of WHEN.

As far as taking a ferry, I have considered that (and thanks zoe67 for mentioning a specific company). Not sure if I want to spend 4.5 hours (on the express! ) doing that, vs. flying into CDG and taking a train out to the coast. In the end, the amount of time is probably the same, and

I think it's going to come down to whether or not I plan on renting a car in the area to do some other exploring. I don't know how to drive a manual transmission, and apparently my odds of getting an automatic will be significantly improved at CDG (but even there it's not guaranteed). On the other hand, I like the idea of having a nice relaxing ride instead of driving that far. More research to be done...

worldiswide

There is a lot of exploring to do around the area. If don't go on a tour a car is advisable since the townsvare spread out along the coast bwe rented a car from hertz at one of the in town locations and rove from there. If it's the right time of year Giverny is a great stop if not Rouen honfleur deauville. There are also nice places to stay that give you a feeling of living in a country house not hotel like at all