June 6, 2019, marks the 75th Anniversary of D-Day—when Allied forces invaded five beaches along France’s Normandy coast during World War II. To help history lovers relive this monumental event in Normandy, several outfitters have developed itineraries that will take travelers to the most important battle sites, including Omaha Beach, and beyond. Whether you’d like to explore the region by boat, bike, or on foot, there’s something here for every type of traveler.
By boat...
This year, the National WWII Museum is chartering two 10-day cruises that will converge at the official D-Day commemoration event on June 6, which has been attended in the past by Allied heads of state, including Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II. Before the big event, you will visit historical sites throughout Normandy with local guides during the day and will have the chance to attend talks by leading WWII scholars and authors in the evening on board both the Regent Seven Seas Navigator and the Seabourn Ovation.
Because this year may mark the last major anniversary of the Normandy landing that can be experienced with living veterans, the museum has arranged for 11 WWII veterans—including three who landed on the beaches at Normandy 75 years ago—to join the cruises this year.
Book Now: From $9,999 per person, dday75.org
“Les Braves” Omaha Beach memorial in Normandy, commemorating the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944
Photo by Michael R Evans / Shutterstock
By foot...
In honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Classic Journeys is launching a brand-new walking tour of Brittany and Normandy this spring. While the May to October departures don’t include dates that put you in Normandy on June 6 itself, this six-day tour is ideal for those who want to explore D-Day sites with fewer crowds—and also visit Brittany.
After three days exploring Brittany’s Mont Dol region, where you will have the chance to walk across the tidal flats to Mont St.-Michel, it’s on to Normandy. There you’ll spend a day walking along the coast to important battle sites like Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach, as well as the American Cemetery.
Book Now: From $4,995 per person, classicjourneys.com
By bike...
If you’d like to explore Normandy and Brittany on two wheels, Butterfield & Robinson offers a bicycle tour that will take you from the battlefields of Omaha Beach over to the seaside village of Cancale in Brittany during the course of six days.
There is still limited space available for its two June departures, but the tours are offered through September of this year and all include WWII historian-guided visits to Omaha Beach and a flag-lowering ceremony at the American Cemetery regardless of the departure date.
Book Now: From $4,995 per person, butterfield.com
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