It may be too late to plan a tour for Memorial Day, but it's not too late to set up a memorial tour in honor of the heroes of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, which took place 70 years ago this June 6.
A number of tour operators have answered the call from those who wish to honor loved ones who were there on D-Day, as well as all the heroes who put their lives on the line to make their stand against the Nazi juggernaut on the Normandy Coast on June 6, 1944.
Many of the veterans of that day are still alive, and many other people (including this writer) have parents who were there, and for whom these tours have a very special meaning.
Tauck offers a 13-day Normandy, Brittany, Paris and the Loire Valley tour that includes a visit to Le Memorial de Caen, a peace museum, and also includes visits to the D-Day landing beaches at Normandy and the American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer. Tauck also offers two river cruises that include visits to the Normandy beaches and the American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer. They are the 10-day Rendezvous on the Seine and the 14-day Cruising the Seine plus Versailles, Paris and London
Collette created a tour expressly for the 70th anniversary of D-Day called Memorials of War - Normandy and Paris, which includes visits to the D-Day landmarks such as Pointe du Hoc, Omaha and Utah beaches, Caen Memorial Peach Museum and La Roche-Guyon Castle, the headquarters of German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel during the invasion. The 10-day trip is priced from $2,549 per person, land only.
Abercrombie and Kent's Loire Valley and D-Day 70 Years Later tour will visit Omaha Beach, the American Military Cemetery at Saint Laurent Sur Mer, and the exhibition on Pointe du Hoc recounting the events of D-Day through the eyes of American soldiers, followed by visits to a private manor house that produces cider, a wine tasting at Vouvray wine estate and a visit to Château d'Usee, said to be the source of inspiration of the Sleeping Beauty story. The 11-day package starts at $11,895 per person double occupancy.
Insight Vacations is offering a special commemorative tour with two nights in Normandy and plenty of time to explore the beaches, the Landing Museum at Arromanches and Pointe du Hoc, followed by two nights in Paris and two nights in the Loire Valley, where accommodations are in an 18th century mansion now remodeled into a hotel called the Château de Rochecotte. The program includes an opportunity to experience the wines of the Loire Valley with an expert and explorations of castles in the region. The nine-day Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley is priced from $2,699 per person double occupancy land only.
Cox and Kings' private journey Northern France follows the roads taken by allied forces and visits the American Cemetery, Caen Memorial, and various other points of interest relating to the war, then explores some highlights of France, including the Palace of Versailles and the Mont-Saint-Michel. The seven-day trip is priced from $8,995 per person double occupancy. More details can be found at www.coxandkingsusa.com.
Grand European Travel offers a nine-day tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley that includes a drive along the landing beaches, a visit to the American Military Cemetery of St. Laurent near Omaha Beach, the D-Day Invasion Landings' Museum and time to see highlights of Paris.
Adventures by Disney's eight-day family package for Paris, Versailles and Normandy combines the visit to Omaha Beach and tour of the Normandy American Cemetery with a visit to Claude Monet's home in Giverny, a bike ride on the Deauville boardwalk and a private cooking class. It's priced from $5,889 for adults and $5,609 for kids.
AHI Travel's Normandy: 70th Anniversary of D-Day tour stays in Honfleur, a French harbor town and visits World War II sites such as Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the Caen Peace Memorial. The program is priced from $2,995 per person double occupancy land only. Visit www.ahitravel.com for more.
Bicyclists can enjoy Normandy in their favorite way with VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations' eight-night Bicycling France: Normandy and Brittany program, which visits the beaches, D-Day Museum and American Cemetery, as well as a cider-producing farm and the medieval walled city of Dinan. The package is priced from $2,695 per person double, land only.
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