I ended a recent river cruise trip by checking off a long-time bucket list item: Normandy, France. The original plan was to see the D-Day sights with my dad, but he’s now 81, and his travel days are behind him. So I went solo. It was a really special experience--one I wish I'd gotten to sooner, and that we’d gotten to experience together. If this kind of trip is on your list, I suggest going sooner rather than later. [Seen here: some iconic images from Omaha, St. Mere Eglise, the American cemetery, and the Airborne monument.]
The aforementioned guide, Jon.
I booked a private guide/driver with the goal of seeing all of the beaches across the US, British, and Canadian sectors. Not cheap--but worth every dime. He and I collaborated via email on an itinerary to maximize my day and a half with him. For my first visit to the area, I wanted to cover the D-Day beaches, the US cemetery, the British memorial, St. Mere Eglise, and Pegasus Bridge. And we did.
I could have rented a car and driven and done the historical research myself, or taken a group tour—but having a guide made it all soooooo much easier and less stressful. And I got to see exactly what I wanted to see. Again, worth the cost. I’m using him again next year.
If I knew then what I know now, I would probably drop a beach--either Canadian or British, and probably the former--and pick up either the Overlord or the Airborne museum. That said, I'm glad to have seen what I did. Of the dozen or more museums in the region, my guide said those two were the best—and I'll catch them on a return trip. Which I’m already planning. For April 2026. 😎 [Seen here, things I would NOT skip: in and around St. Mere Eglise, including the church with a ‘parachuter’ dangling from the bell tower, and a memorial honoring Sgt. Richard Winters, a central figure in Band of Brothers.]
Pointe du Hoc was of special importance, as that raid was led by James Earl Rudder--later president of Texas A&M University, my alma mater. This was an impossible mission that incurred maximum casualties—but the mission was accomplished and the strategic point was taken.
Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, and the British cemetery at Bayeux were standout experiences for me. In particular, reading the inscriptions on some of the British headstones just wrecked me. The words from their families are heartbreaking. So much promise, sacrificed for freedom.
Where to stay?
There are several options for a home base in the region. After a fair amount to research, I settled on Bayeux as my home base, and that was the right pick for me. It's a charm-packed town with lots of restaurants and shops, a walkable core, and a couple of big sights, including a famed cathedral. [Seen here, scenes from lovely Bayeux.]
Bonus: the Bayeux Tapestry. In my former life, I taught a fair amount of British history in my early British lit classes--including the period that gave us the tapestry (the Norman Invasion of England and William the Conqueror), I hadn't seen it in person before this trip, and it was a real treat. The thousand-year-old tapestry, the better part of the length of a football field, depicts the political, cultural, and military history of the Norman Invasion in 58 scenes. Truly fascinating.
The museum housing the tapestry is going to be re-done over the next two years, and it will be off-display. Go see it after the museum reopens in 2027.
When you’re ready to explore Normandy, holler at me. I’d be happy to book you an experience that you may treasure for a lifetime. For me, it was one I won’t forget.
