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- Last Updated on November 3, 2024
This Normandy day trip from Paris covers the major D-Day beaches and related sites. June 6th, 1944, D-Day, is perhaps the single most significant day in World War II history. It marked the beginning of the end for Hitler and his allies. This is the day that allied forces landed in Normandy as part of the largest seaborne invasion in history. There is so much to see in this area, you really need several days to cover it all. Unfortunately, you also need a guide to understand what you’re seeing, so it’s not practical to take more than one day seeing the sites. This itinerary covers the most important sights in one day of organized travel.
Table Of Contents
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Day Trip To Normandy From Paris
Longues-sur-Mer
This is the site of the German gun battery tasked with defending the beaches.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open 24/7.
Address: 39 Rue de la Mer, 14400 Longues-sur-Mer, France
Website: www.bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com/en/
Omaha Beach
This is one of the two beaches stormed by American troops on D-Day.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open 24/7.
Address: Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
American Cemetery
This is the final resting place for nearly 10,000 American Soldiers, most of whom died on D-Day. This is a powerful site to which you should devote at least 45 minutes.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open 9:00am-5:00pm (closes 6:00pm April-September).
Address: Rte du Cimetiere Americain, 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France
Website: www.abmc.gov/normandy
Pointe du Hoc
This was the site where American Rangers scaled the beachside cliffs to reach and eliminate German long guns which could have fired at the D-Day landing sites.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open 9:00am-5:00pm (closes 6:00pm April-September).
Address: Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument, 14450 Cricqueville-en-Bessin, France
Website: www.abmc.gov/Pointe-du-Hoc
Sainte-Mère-Église
This is the town where the 82nd Airborne Division landed on D-Day. It is also the best place to get lunch on this day trip.
Address: Sainte-Mère-Église, France
Airborne Museum
This excellent museum tells the story of D-Day as a whole, with special emphasis on the airborne elements. It is very visual and interesting for all ages. If you’re taking an organized tour, this stop can sometimes be rushed by tour operators, as it is often combined with the lunch stop. If you find this is the case for you, we highly recommend eating a quick to-go lunch (table service in this town can be slow) and spending the majority of your available time in this museum.
Cost and Hours: €10 per adult (ticket included with the recommended guided tour). Open daily 10:00am-6:00pm (longer hours in summer, check website for details).
Address: 14 Rue Eisenhower, 50480 Sainte-Mère-Église, France
Website: www.airborne-museum.org/en/
Utah Beach
This is one of the two beaches stormed by American troops on D-Day.
Cost and Hours: Free. Open 24/7.
Address: Utah Beach, Normandy, France
Getting To Normandy
While you could drive yourself to these sights, there is minimal information when you get there to tell you exactly what is significant about the ground under your feet. You really need a guided tour to get anything out of this experience.
Minivan tour
We recommend this Normandy full-day guided day trip from Paris. We took this tour and loved it. It is highly rated by customers and guidebooks alike, and almost everything on this itinerary is covered by the tour (the only sight sometimes left out is the German gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer). The group is relatively small (no more than 20 people per tour) and we found the guide to be friendly and informative. The tour departs from Bayeux, so you will need to train there from Paris before the start time. Don’t worry – they will delay the start of the tour if the train from Paris is late. The cost is ~$120 per person. It does sell out, so try to book at least 2-4 weeks in advance. This tour operates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from April-October.
Of note, if you are staying in Bayeux, the same company runs a nearly identical tour that does include the German gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer. This version of the tour departs from Bayeux’s Place de Quebec instead of the Bayeux train station. This tour operates daily from April-October.
Practical Info
What To Wear
Most tours and private guides will take you out onto the beaches, so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting sandy. The beaches also tend to be very windy, so bring a jacket. Finally, don’t forget sunglasses to protect your eyes.
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