Normandy, the British D-Day Memorial & Rouen

Day 1
Ferry to Calais and on to our hotel in Ouistreham, where we stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 – The British Normandy Memorial & D-Day Landing Beaches
We join our specialist battlefields guide and travel first to the British Normandy Memorial, overlooking Gold Beach. Honouring all those under British command who never came home from Normandy in the summer of 1944, the memorial was inaugurated on 6^th June 2019 (the 75^th anniversary of D-Day) and officially opened on 6^th June 2021 and includes an evocative D-Day Sculpture created by David Williams-Ellis.

Afterwards, we tour some of the infamous D-Day Landing beaches, learning more about the events of 6^th June 1944 when the Allies landed on the coast of Normandy for what was the turning point in the Second World War. Later, we return to Ouistreham where there’s free time to enjoy dinner at a restaurant of your choice.  

Day 3 – Honfleur & Trouville-sur-Mer
Our day starts with a visit to Honfleur, one of the most picturesque fishing ports in France and a favourite haunt for artists. The quaint harbour is lined with narrow, slate-fronted houses while the Old Town boasts narrow cobbled streets and half-timbered buildings with art galleries, boutiques and traditional craft shops.

We continue on to the fashionable seaside resort of Trouville-sur-Mer. This charming town is renowned for its glamorous villas and beautiful beach as well as a casino. It is also home to a vibrant fishing port with a lively fish market and plenty of small cafés and restaurants selling fresh seafood. On our return to Ouistreham, the evening is at leisure to find a restaurant of your choice for dinner.

Day 4
En route back to Calais, we stop in Rouen, the capital of Normandy. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen has many half-timbered houses, an ancient astronomical clock and one of the finest medieval Gothic cathedrals in France. Later, we continue our journey and catch the return ferry home.

Normandy Beaches
Most notable for being the site of the D-Day landings, the beaches of Normandy lie on the sweeping north coast of France. The beaches are as beautiful as they are historically important, with unobstructed sea views and miles of golden sands as well as places that still hold the memory of that infamous battle for us to discover.

British Normandy Memorial
The stunning Normandy British Memorial is dedicated to the 22,442 British troops who fell during the D-Day landings and the stark white pillars hold the names of those soldiers. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Normandy coast, this monument provides visitors with a suitable space for meditation and remembrance.

Enjoy the harbourside scenery and sleepy charms of Honfleur, one of Normandy’s most visited towns. Situated on the Seine estuary, this historic port features incredibly picturesque half-timber buildings that line the waterfront and cobbled streets that create the welcoming atmosphere of a town from another time. Sit and watch the boats quietly bob in the harbour while sipping on a drink at one of the cafés, marvel at the unique wooden Church of Sainte-Catherine, where the ceiling appears like a ship’s hull, or take in some culture at one of the local art galleries. Whatever your speed, Honfleur has something for everyone.

Get inspired in the elegant seaside resort of Trouville-sur-Mer, the stylish heart of Normandy. A popular destination for the glamourous and fashionable crowds since the 19^th century, Trouville-sur-Mer is full of villas, palaces, a boardwalk and even a casino that sit alongside the remnants of its fishing port roots. From the many art galleries to the celebrated fish market, Trouville-sur-Mer is a chic city with something to offer everyone.

The capital of Normandy, Rouen, wears its quiet continental beauty with pride. From the effortlessly pretty, half-timber buildings to the grand, sprawling cathedral with its towering spire, everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes. The city centre also is home to the 14^th-century astronomical clock known as Le Gros Horloge, a marvel of medieval engineering which is still spectacular by today’s standards and has thousands of visitors every year.