Mont-Saint-Michel
and D-Day Beaches

A 2-day tour of Mont-Saint-Michel and D-Day Beaches, leaving from Paris

DAY 1: D-DAY BEACHES

MORNING:

• Cross the magnificent Norman countryside – green meadows, cow farms, and rolling hills – on your way to the D-Day beaches.

Once we’ve arrived on the coast, you begin a private visit with your local guide of the following sites:

• Omaha Beach, also known as “Bloody Omaha,” where more than 1000 young American soldiers gave their lives on June 6, 1944. One of the 5 points of attack, the Allied forces faced numerous obstacles that day: rough seas, obstacles on the beach, and German artillery already in place for a counter-attack…

• The American Cemetery with its 9000 tombs, memorial and museum. We will discover more about the D-Day invasion with a short film. Should you wish, you will also have the possibility of attending the flag-lowering ceremony (please inquire beforehand).

AFTERNOON:

In many of the areas on the tour, you will notice that the battlegrounds seem completely normal – beaches, houses, stores, walkways… The hard parts of history have in some sense been erased from view. The rest of the tour will take you through sites which still carry remnants of battle:

• The untamed “Pointe du Hoc” where US rangers scaled 90-foot cliffs on July 6, 1944. Visit a genuine bunker from WWII and the German “pillboxes” scattered along the hillside.

• The village of Sainte Mère Eglise where the paratrooper John Steel got stuck on the church steeple as he was trying to evade enemy lines.

• The wide and expansive Utah beach, the American D-Day beach where General Theodore Roosevelt – the son of the US President – landed with his cane.

• Spend the night on the storied Mont-Saint-Michel in typical Norman style boutique hotel.

What's included?

• Night on the Mont-Saint-Michel in typical Norman style boutique hotel (based on double occupancy, breakfast included).

• Multilingual chauffeur-guide at your service (English-French)

• High-quality air-conditioned vehicle

• Pick-up and drop-off anywhere you want in Paris

• Tastings and samplings

• Entrance fees

What's NOT included?

• Lunch and dinner, tips

• What is not mentioned on the program.

DAY 2: MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

MORNING:

Mont-Saint-Michel dates back to 708 AD when St-Michael the Archangel appeared in a dream to the local bishop, Saint Aubert, and asked him to build a sanctuary in his name. 250 years later, pilgrims began arriving and the first church was built…

• Wake up on the Mont-Saint-Michel and admire the 360° view of the surrounding bay. At high tide the Mont becomes an island, completely cut off from the mainland, and at low tide visitors can discover the sandy bay on foot.

• Our first stop will be touring the medieval portion of Mont-Saint-Michel, including the 15th century castle walls and the 13th century abbey. The Mont has welcomed communities of contemplative monks and religious sisters for almost 1000 years – it is still possible today to join with them in their daily prayers (Liturgy of the Hours) inside the Abbey church.

• Enjoy lunch featuring local specialities such as “salty lamb” (agneau pré salé – the best lamb in the region), oysters and mussels, or Norman crêpes.

AFTERNOON:

• As we wander through the cobblestone streets of the Mont St-Michel, we will sample traditional Norman cider, Pommeau, or Calvados – local spirits derived from apples – and taste traditional Norman cookies les galettes Normandes.

• We will also get to know Emmanuel, a jolly shop owner who loves to crack jokes as he mans his shop on the Grand Rue at the heart of Mont-Saint-Michel. He’ll tell you all about his family’s arrival on the Mount… in 1680!

• At the end of the day we will head back to Paris (and leave extra time due to heavy traffic) where you will spend the night in an elegant boutique hotel.