Normandy Visit base suggestions

Done Pegasus Bridge a few times on motorcycle tours. Good stop off place on the way down to the Loire Valley.
 

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We only just touched Normandy for a few days this summer. Spent a few days at Utah beach campsite. Visited Arromanches, the American cemetery, a German cemetery and a couple of other places. Can’t offer too much advice on where to stay but maybe try a gite. Honfleur is supposed to be nice.
We went to Ypres for the first part of our holiday. Also went to Thiepval, Tyne cot and a few other places. Truly memorable!
 
Hi, Port En Bessin and the (Ibis Hotel) is a great place to stay. The town is similar to a small Whitby, its location is very central to a lot of very interesting WW2 historic sites. You can drive along the coast in an easterly direction towards Arromanches (Stopping off at Longues -Sur-Mar to visit the impressive ( Batterie-de-Longues-sur-Mar), then onto the British sector beaches and finish up at Benouville / Pegasus bridge. If you drive West from Port En Bessin, you will then come to The American sector and Omaha beach. The driving is easy and there is a lot to see.

I would also suggest diving further west and stopping off at Pointe-de-Hoc to see the American battle monument and gun emplacements. After leaving Pointe-de-Hoc you are not that far from La-Cambe and it definitely worth going to the German war cemetery, which is a very sobering experience. (Michael Wittmann the famous Tiger Tank commander is buried at La-Cambe)
 
Class37 said:
Hi, Port En Bessin and the (Ibis Hotel) is a great place to stay. The town is similar to a small Whitby, its location is very central to a lot of very interesting WW2 historic sites. You can drive along the coast in an easterly direction towards Arromanches (Stopping off at Longues -Sur-Mar to visit the impressive ( Batterie-de-Longues-sur-Mar), then onto the British sector beaches and finish up at Benouville / Pegasus bridge. If you drive West from Port En Bessin, you will then come to The American sector and Omaha beach. The driving is easy and there is a lot to see.

I would also suggest diving further west and stopping off at Pointe-de-Hoc to see the American battle monument and gun emplacements. After leaving Pointe-de-Hoc you are not that far from La-Cambe and it definitely worth going to the German war cemetery, which is a very sobering experience. (Michael Wittmann the famous Tiger Tank commander is buried at La-Cambe)
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That sounds interesting. What month were you there? I understand that some places pretty much close down for a lot of the year and we're going to avoid the school holiday periods.
 
Class37 said:
I would also suggest diving further west and stopping off at Pointe-de-Hoc to see the American battle monument and gun emplacements.
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I meant to mention Pointe du Hoc. Apart from the interesting story behind it, I'm told there are parts of the gun emplacements shown in this photo from 2014 that have now been closed off to the public because of visitor erosion.

Pointe du Hoc2.jpg
 
Simon Trew's book about Gold Beach is essential if you want to pay homage to where the Boro Boys landed on D-Day - he documents all the sights and routes the Green Howards took on the day and afterwards.

All the beach exits and inland paths have been preserved by the French so you can literally walk in the footsteps of your forefathers, including 'Lav Pan Villa' and the places Stan Hollis VC personally librated! The book locates the orchard where his second outrageously brave action took place, which is in someone's back garden (!) but the owners were more than welcoming and enthusiastic to let us go and pay respects.
 
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Zanzibobs said:
We only just touched Normandy for a few days this summer. Spent a few days at Utah beach campsite. Visited Arromanches, the American cemetery, a German cemetery and a couple of other places. Can’t offer too much advice on where to stay but maybe try a gite. Honfleur is supposed to be nice.
We went to Ypres for the first part of our holiday. Also went to Thiepval, Tyne cot and a few other places. Truly memorable!
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We were in Ypres in early July and went over to Utah beach later, stayed in an aire for a couple of nights.
 
Derby_Red said:
Simon Trew's book about Gold Beach is essential if you want to pay homage to where the Boro Boys landed on D-Day - he documents all the sights and routes the Green Howards took on the day and afterwards.

All the beach exits and inland paths have been preserved by the French so you can literally walk in the footsteps of your forefathers, including 'Lav Pan Villa' and the places Stan Hollis VC personally librated! The book locates the orchard where his second outrageously brave action took place, which is in someone's back garden (!) but the owners were more than welcoming and enthusiastic to let us go and pay respects.
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'Lav Pan Villa'? I presume known as 'the house with the circular drive' in more polite circles. :giggle:

Found this map of Gold the other day.
normandy-gold-beach-1.jpg
Maps showing all the major operations and significant events can be found here.

achillestheheel.com

A Day at the Beach: Normandy 1944

March 2021 Update: I am pleased to announce that an updated, corrected and more comprehensive look at the battle of Normandy is now online. Find it here. It encompasses the expansion of my research…
achillestheheel.com achillestheheel.com
 
chickenrunner said:
'Lav Pan Villa'? I presume known as 'the house with the circular drive' in more polite circles. :giggle:

Found this map of Gold the other day.
View attachment 64658
Maps showing all the major operations and significant events can be found here.

achillestheheel.com

A Day at the Beach: Normandy 1944

March 2021 Update: I am pleased to announce that an updated, corrected and more comprehensive look at the battle of Normandy is now online. Find it here. It encompasses the expansion of my research…
achillestheheel.com achillestheheel.com
Click to expand...
yeah that's the one :D
 
Would love to visit and see the sites of the landings. Might be a hard sell with my German wife who has no interest at all.

Is Bayeux worth a visit from a scenic point of view? I’d also like to see the tapestry and Williams grave/Cathedral in Caen. Anyone else been to aforementioned?

I guess its going to be a busy year with 80 year anniversaries.
 
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