Le Havre->D-Day beaches

We are stopping in Le Havre May 22 (Ruby Princess) and I've been unable to find a private tour to the D-Day beaches.

We're debating whether to take the Princess tour or rent a car.

To us, the biggest advantage of the ship tour is having a guide. However, a large bus means lots of time waiting for other people and longer driving time (vs smaller vehicle).

I'm interested in any advice on which alternative to take.

(And I haven't totally given up on the private tour option, but have only received incredibly polite emails saying they're fully booked)

thanks!

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May 22nd is a Thursday.

Renting a car to tour the D-Day landings from Le Havre is very definitely an option and many cruisers have done it. Finding sharers via your RollCall can halve the costs.

The driving is easy and the navigation pretty easy too. Most of the way is fast divided-road, then little country / coastal lanes, no major towns. You might make a wrong turn or two along the lanes but no great harm in that.

First D-Day sights from Le Havre are the British & Canadian sectors which start about 60 miles / 1 hour from Le Havre, then comes Arromanches (Mulberry harbour, museum, 360deg cinema, lots of shops & restaurants), before reaching the major US interest, the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-mer, and Omaha beach, which the cemetery overlooks. That's about 85 miles / 90+ mins from Le Havre - longer if you meander along the coast rather than blitz direct to the American Cemetery. A few miles beyond is Pointe du Hoc. Many other sights too.

Although you won't have a guide, the sights have plenty of literature & signage in English, and English-speaking staff. That plus a bit of pre-cruise study & research will see you through though obviously not as good as a small-group guide.

Although most ships have late sailaways from Le Havre, do check the time that you need to return a car.

Plenty of advice on this board if you choose to tour in a rented car.

A further option is a car + driver. Effectively a taxi. A reasonable option with an English-speaking driver who knows the area and the sights (most do).

Public transport isn't an option.

JB :)

We agree with JB. The OP has already framed the issue quite well regarding the pros and cons. Personally we prefer having the freedom that comes with our own rental car, and driving in that part of France is pretty easy (especially with the help of a GPS). Besides the D-Day beaches and some of the smaller towns in the area we also strongly recommend the "Peace Museum" which is located in Caen. Although we are not big museum people, the Peace Museum is quite amazing and very enlightening for anyone wanting to understand what events led to WWII as well as a good look at what happened in France just before and during the war.

Hank

The driving is very easy and well-marked in this area. With only one day, I would skip the Peace Museum and visit the actual D-Day sites, such as Pont d'Hoc and Omaha Beach, which has a good small museum.

We agree with JB.

 

Hank

Sorry, Hank but on the Caen Peace Museum I'm going to disagree with you :p

And agree with Pam ;)

It's one of those museums where you spend 90 minutes to 2 hours, take a break for a coffee, & dive back in for another hour or two. Yes, interesting & educational & thought-provoking. But majors on the effects of war, the holocaust, etc, and has virtually no direct connection to D-Day. It would perhaps have been better-located in Paris.

On a one-day visit to Normandy folk will want to see where it happened - the beaches & the cliffs, the fields & the villages, the remnants & the artefacts.

And pay their respects for young lives cut short at the impressive American Cemetery, the contrasting dour but equally-immaculate German cemetery at La Cambe (7 miles inland from Pointe du Hoc), or the many scattered smaller but again immaculately-tended cemeteries for British & Commonwealth troops.

JB :)

Ok, I admit defeat on the Peace Museum. :). And we agree, that for most Americans a visit to Omaha Beach, Pont d'Hoc, and the immaculate American Cemetery (used in the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan") should be a priority. I actually shed a few tears at that Cemetery and it is a moving place. Personally, we had no desire to go to the German Cemetery....but I guess perhaps that is from the viewpoint of an American Jew. After all, we should never forget why we have those Cemetery's. And we could go even a bit off topic and say that, after considering the current events, it is amazing how we never seem to learn the lessons of allowing a rogue leader to start expanding their land mass. Mr. Chamberlain is alive and well and might be living in both the EU and USA these days.

Hank

Just a thought, Hank.

In a sort-of parallel to the rank-and-file German troops buried in Normandy, perhaps the most moving tribute that I've seen to the fallen soldiers of an invader was by Attaturk (Turkish leader) about Aussies & New Zealanders who fell in the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign of WW1.:

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

JB :)

PS - just seen that your expertise is needed by Konatyme at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2008395

Have to give a shout-out here to my childhood friend's father, Sergeant Leonard Lomell of Toms River, NJ (my hometown), who was one of the two Rangers who actually found the German guns at Pont d'Hoc, which the Germans had moved inland. His story is a chapter in Tom Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation", and there is a small tribute to him at the museum at Omaha Beach. I spent hours of my childhood in his home, but only when the 50th anniversary of D-Day coverage did I discover his amazing story.

Have to give a shout-out here to my childhood friend's father, Sergeant Leonard Lomell of Toms River, NJ (my hometown), who was one of the two Rangers who actually found the German guns at Pont d'Hoc, which the Germans had moved inland. His story is a chapter in Tom Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation", and there is a small tribute to him at the museum at Omaha Beach. I spent hours of my childhood in his home, but only when the 50th anniversary of D-Day coverage did I discover his amazing story.

Thank you for reminding me of this story in Brokaw's book, The Greatest Generation. I will reread that chapter before I go.

Thank you for reminding me of this story in Brokaw's book, The Greatest Generation. I will reread that chapter before I go.

That is so very nice of you. These truly were exceptional men.

My father, a reconnaissance sergeant for a tank destroyer unit in Patton's army, landed on Utah Beach a few weeks after D-Day, and our visit to Normandy was so meaningful to me.

Have to give a shout-out here to my childhood friend's father, Sergeant Leonard Lomell of Toms River, NJ (my hometown), who was one of the two Rangers who actually found the German guns at Pont d'Hoc, which the Germans had moved inland. His story is a chapter in Tom Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation", and there is a small tribute to him at the museum at Omaha Beach. I spent hours of my childhood in his home, but only when the 50th anniversary of D-Day coverage did I discover his amazing story.

Thank you for telling this story. Standing on top of Pointe du Hoc and looking down at where the Rangers climbed up was one of the most moving experiences of the very moving day we spent visiting the landing beaches and other sites. Theirs was practically a suicide mission.

(photo by turtles06)

 

My father, a reconnaissance sergeant for a tank destroyer unit in Patton's army, landed on Utah Beach a few weeks after D-Day, and our visit to Normandy was so meaningful to me.

I am sure it will be for us, too.

We have discovered that my DH's great-uncle [grandfather's brother] is buried at the American Cemetery. [buried at: Plot I Row 2 Grave 34]

We can not believe that we did not know that. We only found out by mentioning our visit to the D-Day beaches and a relative said "well you should visit your relatives grave site."

I am sure it will be for us, too.

 

We have discovered that my DH's great-uncle [grandfather's brother] is buried at the American Cemetery. [buried at: Plot I Row 2 Grave 34]

 

We can not believe that we did not know that. We only found out by mentioning our visit to the D-Day beaches and a relative said "well you should visit your relatives grave site."

When you walk through the seemingly endless row of crosses and stars, it really brings home how much these men sacrificed for us. I know your visit will be even more meaningful with such a personal connection.

Thank you for telling this story. Standing on top of Pointe du Hoc and looking down at where the Rangers climbed up was one of the most moving experiences of the very moving day we spent visiting the landing beaches and other sites. Theirs was practically a suicide mission.

 

 

(photo by turtles06)

I am so glad that this area was left undisturbed. Standing there you really get a sense of what bravery these men exhibited that day.

I am so glad that this area was left undisturbed. Standing there you really get a sense of what bravery these men exhibited that day.

I am, too. I have read that Omaha Beach is often a sunbathing spot. I understand it is the local beach--but, it just does not seem right somehow.

I am, too. I have read that Omaha Beach is often a sunbathing spot. I understand it is the local beach--but, it just does not seem right somehow.

We visited on a weekday in early May; no one on the beach but us. I walked out to the water's edge and turned back to face the beach. I thought about the underwater obstacles that the Germans had planted and the crossfire from the bunkers, and I could not even imagine what courage it took for the Allies to get out of their landing vessels.

It is an amazing and emotional experience to visit the D-Day sites.

Our port of call stop was at Cherbourg and we were fortunate enough to get Overlord Tours as our guide to do the beaches of Normandy, The American Cemetery and the town of Saint Mere Eglise. The entire day was very moving emotionally. We were torn between going to the Caen Peace Museum or doing the Normandy beaches. We were so glad that we did the tour rather then the museum as our guide had photos of the exact spot where we would be standing which showed what was going on the day of the invasion.

My partner and I spent a holiday near Arromanches last year and the year before. We had taken our own car from UK and find driving very easy, even in a British car. So, I would suggest renting a car. We have been to all the major sites and museums and in the larger ones they have guided tours in English. There is also plenty of signage everywhere.

I wouldn't bother to visit the Caen museum as it will take up too much time. We spent 3 hours there one rainy afternoon and still didn't see everything. If you do have any extra time a visit to Honfleur on your way back would be worthwhile.

If you have time to stop for lunch there are some nice restaurants at Courselles sur Mer, near the Juno Beach museum.

I've been trying to locate a car rental agency in Le Havre that is opened on Sunday (the day we're in port) and have had no luck.

We were planning on disembarking the ship (it's the last stop before Southampton) and driving to Paris.

Any suggestions?

Sharyne

I've been trying to locate a car rental agency in Le Havre that is opened on Sunday (the day we're in port) and have had no luck.

 

We were planning on disembarking the ship (it's the last stop before Southampton) and driving to Paris.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Sharyne

I suggest that you post this question as a separate thread, where more people are likely to see it, since the subject is very different from that of this thread. (Also, if you haven't already done this, do a search on this board, perhaps for "Sunday" or "car rental," and see what turns up.)

Good luck, and have a great trip!

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

What a beautiful sentiment! We visited a large ANZAC cemetery in Australia and the loss of those young lives brought me to tears. My dad was in the RAF and the French Resistance saved his life. He worked with them for six months while awaiting a transport back to Britain, and visiting the many cemeteries in Europe was part of my childhood, looking for the burial sites of his lost comrades.

I am, too. I have read that Omaha Beach is often a sunbathing spot. I understand it is the local beach--but, it just does not seem right somehow.

Our guide went into great detail to explain the tension between the local farmers on whose private land still stand many German bunkers and tourists.

We rented a car for our day in La Havre a few years back. It was an easy drive even though we got lost a few times but the country roads were just beautiful so we didn't mind driving around. It was a moving experience visiting the D-Day beaches, the American Cemetery, and the museum. A memorable day indeed.

Reading this thread and seeing a local history buff's presentation on D Day convinced me to rent a car for our upcoming port stop in Cherbourg. We intend to do the beaches and Cemetary and like knowing that we can take as much time as we want to walk around as much as we want to in this sacred ground.

Not sure if we have enough time to do Arromanches and the museum...a friend keeps saying if we have extra time to do the Bayeaux tapestry instead of the museum.

Any opinions??

Reading this thread and seeing a local history buff's presentation on D Day convinced me to rent a car for our upcoming port stop in Cherbourg. We intend to do the beaches and Cemetary and like knowing that we can take as much time as we want to walk around as much as we want to in this sacred ground.

 

Not sure if we have enough time to do Arromanches and the museum...a friend keeps saying if we have extra time to do the Bayeaux tapestry instead of the museum.

 

Any opinions??

May I ask. Which car rental agency you are using? I understand that there are a few conveniently located in the port are, while others are a bit more difficult to get to. Thank you for any info provided.