Hi All,

I'm planning a trip to Normandy, France this June and was wondering which are the absolute best and worthwhile WW2 related places/museums/battlegrounds to visit. I will only be there for two days so I want to pick the best spots for the itinerary.

I already have Caen, Omaha beach and Villers-Bocage on my list as places (I also need to know the best museums to visit in these areas).

Help would be very much appreciated,

Chas

Bump

Hi Chas.
2 days!,,your going to have to be extremely selective. The whole of the landings area is a museum really. I spent a week there a couple of years ago and theres so much I missed even though everyday was spent visiting sites and museums.
Highlights in no particular order.
Arromanches,,you can see the remains of the Mulberry harbour. In fact, the view from the coast road is spectacular.
The Canadian museum at Juno beach is excellent.
Pegasus Bridge.
Omaha Beach and museum.
You MUST visit the American Cemetary and view Omaha beach from there also.
St Mere Eglise and museum
Merville battery.
Point Du Hoc
More than enough for 2 days there, and thats if you have transport!
Nige

Thanks Nigel,

Your info has helped me a lot. Basically, this is how it is so far, travelling by rental car:

1. Land in Ouistreham. Head west along coast.
2 Stop at Arromanches.
3. Omaha Beach, museums American Cemetery.
4. Go on to Pointe Du Hoc.
5. Head south to St. Lo. (museums, perhaps spend night here)
6. Head east to Villers-Bocage
7. Head north into Caen (museums)
8. North back to Ouistreham, visit Pegasus Bridge.
9. Back to U.K

Hi Chas,

..as Nige says you'll be hard-pressed to do all this in 2 days & you'll need transport...I'd go with all his suggestions plus here are a couple of additional tips for the itinerary

1/ in Ouistreham there is a very good museum right on the coast in view of the ferry terminal - 'Le Grand Bunker'. Perhaps do Pegasus first - its only a few miles the other side of the canal - rather than go west. The airborne museum at the bridge is excellent. That way you can respect the chronology (well, the Brits landed in Normandy first of course ..)
After Arromanches heading west along the coast road you'll come to Longueville - the battery there is well worth visiting - most of the original cannon are still in situ in the bunkers..Omaha and the cemetery is unmissable. Do see the film show at the cemetery - must be one of the most moving experiences I've ever had - I'm not afraid to admit that I was blubbing like a baby by the end !!...
As Nige says there are a couple of decent museums within a stone's throw of the American cemetery, specifically the 'Musee du Debarquement'.

2/ Bayeux cathedral dominates the skyline along this part of the coast - must be worth a detour and another fantastic museum to take in. Also noteworthy for the De Gaulle museum...

3/ Further west another must is the Musee de la batterie de Crisbecq - St. Marcouf which featured in Paul Carell's book - the 210mm cannon here are dummies though ...

4/ Personally I'd forget Caen & the 'Peace museum' unless you are staying longer and/or desperately want to 'walk' Goodwood. Go back to Caen though and overnight here after day one. For day two head south out of Caen on the N158 following the path of the 'Totalize' operation aiming for Falaise & the superb ' Aout 1944' war museum there (36 kms). Although its a bit difficult to take pics -everything is behind glass - there are huge amounts of German kit to view here, including a Pz. IV. En route you'll visit the Canadian military cemetery at Cintheaux - (Wittmann was killed here during Totalize of course) and perhaps the Polish military cemetary at Grainville. From Falaise drive south on the D13 towards Trun, Saint-Lambert & Chambois. By now you're well into the Falaise pocket and there are a host of evocative sites to visit if you're interested in August 1944 and the 'corridor of death' - the end of the German army in Normandy. The war museum on Mont Ormel commemorates where the Poles fought to close the pocket and has stunning views down into the valley. If you've got this far then you have to go on to Vimoutiers and the Tiger E of SS. Pz. Abt 102 which is still in situ on the side of the road..somewhere among my posts on this forum you can see the pics I took...

whatever you decide to do I'm sure you'll have a great trip !!

I'm also heading there in September. I've read online what the temperatures is, can anyone verify the range? What is the best way to get around, taxi, bus or rental car. We are planning 3 days in Normandy then onto Bastogne, then Munich then Berlin. As for the bridges too far, is Arnhem worth seeing? I'm trying to cram alot into 2 weeks.

..Hi

..low to mid 20s temps - nothing too extreme ..but could be wetter & colder. You'll really need a car for getting around in Normandy, although if you're in Caen there are a variety of bus tours available

..and forgot to mention the German cemetery at La Cambe as a 'must-visit' site - it is also close to Omaha..

Hey,

Some links that will help you to plan your trip:

All the pictures I took of all my trips to Normandy, you'll find pictures of most towns, monuments, tanks, etc.
http://web.mac.com/davedepickere/World_War_II,_analyzed!/Normandy/Normandy.html

A list of all museums in Normandy:
http://web.mac.com/davedepickere/World_War_II,_analyzed!/Museums.html

Some tours you can use for visiting Normandy:
http://web.mac.com/davedepickere/World_War_II,_analyzed!/Tours.html

Hope it helps,

Dave

Hillman is not far from Oustreham - reasonably well preserved.


Douvres for the radar site and museum

There are also some great batteries behind Utah - alhtough that is probably too far

Richard

I just came back from france,I have a house in Brittany just over the border from Normandy I have to drive through Caen to get there,i digress a French couple we know highly reccomended the Caen memorial museum unfortunatley i was busy so I still havent visited the beaches or any Museums but my son and i will do a weekend there,just get out of the car and feel the atmosphere its a great place.

Thanks for all the ideas. They are helping in the planning stage.

We are now landing in Cherbourg and heading east along the coast (Ouistreham is as far east as we will get.) So I guess we will see more things but the time we have is now even more restricted.

Chas

If you have only two day, forget Caen Memorial as Neil Said, it's a Peace Memorial not a Battle of Normandy Memorial, i did not like this museum very much.

La Cambe is a must see and is very near the road Cherbourg - Caen and at 15" of la Pointe du Hoc which is now a very great visit than it was before.


I currently live in Caen if you have something to ask i can help ^^