Earlier blogs have addressed important considerations in planning a visit to the Normandy battlefields. Here are some suggestions and ideas specifically regarding Normandy.
How to See It There are several options: as part of a group tour with lodging, transportation, and knowledgeable guides provided; hiring a guide who can tailor the visit to your interests, time, and small groups; and self-guided tours with a car rental or lease.
A group tour makes the logistics of the trip simple and provides for knowledgeable guide along the way. However, travel is by bus or van; the tours are generally set and on a tight schedule; and much of the experience of visiting Normandy may be missed. Hiring a guide for yourself and a small party is also possible. The downside is the cost. On the positive side are the personal attention you will receive, being free of having to navigate and drive, and the assistance of an interpreter.
My preference has always been the self-guided tour based on guidebooks and my own reading and map study. However, this requires extensive preparation to include lodging and transportation. (For us, planning the trip is half of the fun.). In addition, challenges in navigation or language may be encountered along the way. On the other hand, you’ve done your homework in studying the campaign, battles, and maps. That gives you greater flexibility in how you spend your time. Embarrassingly, given our many trips to France, we do not speak the language. Yet we have never had any significant problems due to language differences. Also, many of the locals speak English and are willing to aid travelers. Some of our favorite travel memories are of encounters with helpful locals. We remain in contact with friends made during our travels to Normandy.
Maximizing Your Time Pick a central place for lodging that allows for productive day-trips in all directions. Plan your tours in a circular fashion so that you are always seeing something new. Pack a picnic lunch or plan on stopping at a boulangerie-pâtisserie to purchase sandwiches, pizza, drinks, and a wonderful dessert. To maximize time on the battlefields, save the large multi-course meals at a fine local restaurant for dinner.
Lodging For short visits, hotels or B&Bs may be the best choice. For longer stays and for those more comfortable with experiencing local life, book a gîte — a furnished rental house or apartment — that are common in and outside of towns. In our month-long visits, we typically include several gîtes and limit our stays at hotels and B&Bs to no more than one or two nights. The advantages of a gîte include a kitchen to prepare a breakfast, pack a picnic lunch, or on long days, prepare a simple dinner rather than spend several hours dining out. Local markets and even supermarkets generally provide a wider range of fresh food than we can find here in the US. Gîtes often provide laundry facilities (usually a washing machine and clothes rack or line), an important consideration for a long visit. It’s also nice to have a bit more space that a gîte offers, as compared to a hotel room or B&B. No matter which lodging you select, be sure to check on Wi-Fi access and reliability. Some may not have reliable connectivity.
Have a Flexible Itinerary Cool temperatures and rain are common in Normandy. Our trips have “notional fair weather day itineraries” saved largely for the battlefields and notional “bad weather day itineraries” for in-door visits to historic homes and buildings, châteaux, cathedrals, and museums. There is more to experience in Normandy than just WWII and we particularly enjoy its Roman and medieval history, rural lifestyle and scenic beauty, and its cuisine.