World War II

D-Day Memorial Tour

Our 3rd

World War II

Tour

Day 1 – Departure

Today depart your home city for England.

Day 2 – London

Welcome to England! Upon arrival, your tour representative will greet you and assist you with transfer to the hotel. After check in and time to freshen up, meet your Learning Through Travel guide for an orientation tour of the city. London is a city of contrasts - steeped in history and tradition and yet always at the forefront of contemporary fashion and ideas. There are many attractions including such world-renowned places as Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Fleet Street, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Harrods, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. Dinner this evening will be at a typical English pub.

Day 3 – London

After breakfast you begin the tour with a visit to the Imperial War Museum. The museum is home to many important military weapons and vehicles. View the Blitz Experience, a carefully researched reconstruction of an air-raid shelter and a blitzed street in 1940. Appropriate sights, sounds and smells evoke a sensation of being caught in the bombing of London during the Second World War. See the Cabinet War Room, constructed to look as it did in 1940.  As bombs fell on London, Winston Churchill, the Cabinet, Intelligence organization and his staff met below ground in a fortified basement in Whitehall known as The Cabinet War Rooms. This afternoon visit the HMS Belfast cruiser. Launched in March 1938 it served throughout the Second World War, playing a leading part in the destruction of the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst at the Battle of North Cape and the Normandy Landings. After the war, it supported United Nations forces in Korea and remained in service with the Royal Navy until 1965. In 1971 it was saved as a unique and historic reminder of Britain’s naval heritage. Your tour on this complex warship will take you from her Quarterdeck to the top of the Bridge and down through nine decks to her massive Boiler and Engine rooms.

Day 4 – London

This morning visit the Imperial War Museum of Duxford, where you get a feeling of the wartime atmosphere as many of the airplanes are still in operation, and you might see one take off during this visit. There are biplanes, Spitfires, Concorde and Gulf War jets among the 180 historic aircrafts on display. See the “Normandy Experience “including part of PLUTO - the Pipe Line Under the Ocean - and read about the huge planning and preparation behind D-Day. Get an impression of the sights, sounds and experiences of D-Day on a reconstructed Landing Craft and hear the voices of the brave men who took part in this battle. The day ends with a visit to the Tank Museum in Bovington Dorset, which houses the world's largest and finest collection of Armored Fighting Vehicles from unique World War 1 tanks, to the battle tank “Challenger”. It houses a collection of about 300 vehicles from more than 26 countries.

Day 5 – London/Normandy (Bayeux)

Today cross the English Channel by boat from Portsmouth to Normandy. In May 1943 the decision was made by members in Washington to invade Normandy in May of 1944. Because of the semblance of landing craft the invasion was postponed until June. General Dwight Eisenhower chose June 5th, however as the day approached, and troops began to embark for crossing, bad weather threatened which made dangerous landing conditions. After tense debates, Eisenhower and his staff decided on a 24-hour delay, requiring the recall of some ships already at sea. Eventually, on the morning of June 5, Eisenhower, assured of a weather break, announced, “the go ahead". Within hours a fleet of 3,000 landing craft, 2,500 other ships, and 500 naval vessels, escorts and bombardment ships, started to leave English ports. During the night, 822 aircraft carrying parachutists or towing gliders, roared overhead to the Normandy landing zones. They were a fraction of the air armada of 13,000 aircraft that would support D-Day. Enjoy a welcome dinner and orientation tonight. 

Day 6 - SWORD/JUNO/GOLD BEACHES

After breakfast visit Benouville. The bridges over the Caen canal and River Orne were taken by elements of the 6th (Airborne) Division on the night of 5th/6th June 1944. Benouville became the outer defense of the 2nd Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Airborne) and 7th Parachute Regiment, while they waited for the arrival of the 1st Special Service Brigade from the direction of Sword Beach. Counter-attacks by the 21st (Panzer) Division resulted in numerous losses, some of whom are buried in the grounds of the Benouville Churchyard. Most were from 7 Para or other units in the 6th (Airborne) Division. Continue to Juno Beach where you see the Juno Beach Center, a memorial to all the Canadian men and women who served throughout the war. Canada began its contribution to WW II on September 10, 1939 and over a million men and women joined the Canadian Armed Forces. To reach the front, fight with success and come back home, Canadian troops relied on a tight organization and a wide range of services that provided food, shelter, medical care, intelligence and communications. They also relied on ships, aircraft, tanks and weapons needed to face the enemy. See the” Arms and Weapons” describing this organization of Canadian ground, naval and air force, as well as medical services between 1939 and 1945. Continue to Arromanches (GOLD Beach), for a film presentation of “The Price of Freedom”. Lunch in town, with time to visit the D-Day Museum and see the remains of the greatest engineering feat of the invasion: Project Mulberry, the artificial harbor. Overnight stay.

Day 7 - Utah Beach

Following the conference which took place in Casablanca on January 1943, the allies decided to create a new battle front in order to relieve the heavily engaged Russian armies on the eastern front. “Overlord” was to be the operation code name. Until the end of March 1944, General Eisenhower and his military strategists had planned to land on three beaches, Omaha Beach, Juno Beach and Gold Beach but in order to have a stronger hold they also had to land on Sword Beach and Utah Beach. Today you can trace the path of the American paratroopers at the Airborne Museum. Afterwards continue to La Madeline at Utah Beach, also known as “Roosevelt Beach”. You may choose to visit the Landings Museum or enjoy the time at your leisure. The day ends with a visit to Pointe du Hoc, where Colonel Rudder’s 2nd Ranger Battalion faced impossible odds in attacking the heavily defended German battery. 

Day 8 - Omaha Beach/Port-en-Bessin-Bayeux

“Omaha" was the code name for the second beach from the right of the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion. It was the largest of the assault areas, stretching over 6 miles between Port-en-Bessin on the east and the mouth of the Vire River on the west. The western third of the beach was backed by a 10-foot- (3-metre-) high seawall, and the whole beach was overlooked by cliffs 100 feet high. There were five exits from the sand and beach; the best was a paved road in a ravine leading to the village of Vierville-sur-Mer, two were only dirt paths, and two were dirt roads leading to the villages of Colleville-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. The Americans suffered 2,400 casualties at Omaha on June 6, but by the end of the day 34,000 troops had landed. The German 352nd Division lost 20 percent of its strength, with 1,200 casualties, and no reserves coming to continue the fight. Visit Vierville Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer. Proceed and see the town of Port-en-Bessin, stop for lunch and a visit to the D-Day Wrecks Museum. Here you see what divers found off the Normandy coast. This afternoon see the only German battery in the Atlantic Wall which still has its original guns in place; Longues sur Mer and  the 1944 Battle of Normandy Museum. Return to Bayeux for your overnight stay. 

Day 9 – Bayeux/Paris

This morning a short flight takes you to Paris, the “city of lights”. In the afternoon take a city tour to see the Arch de Triumph at the Etoile which commands a magnificent view down the splendid avenue of Champ-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde with its granite Obelisk of Luxor (Egypt), which originally came from the porch of a Temple at Thebes.  See the old market quarter, Les Halles and continue to the student's quarter, the Latin Quarter.  Pass by the beautiful Botanical Gardens and the Mosque.  View the Val de Grace whose plans were carefully drawn by the renowned architect Mansart.  See the Pantheon, the final resting place of many of France's most illustrious figures.  Cardinal Richelieu is buried in the Sorbonne Church.  Proceed past the Luxembourg Gardens with its great palace built for Queen Marie de Medici and the churches of St. Suplice and St. Germain-des-Pres. In the western part of Paris see the most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, at the Champs de Mars. An elevator ride takes you to the top for a wonderful panoramic view of the city. Continue to your hotel for your overnight stay.

Day 10 – Paris

This morning visit the magnificent Louvre, the world’s largest museum. Located on the Right Bank of the Seine River, the museum was once a palace occupied by the Kings of France and sits atop a 13th century fortress.  You are able to see a scale model of the fortress as it stood during the 13th century. During World War I and II many of the museums priceless masterpieces were secretly removed to areas outside of Paris. Enter the museum through a glass pyramid entrance added to the museum in 1981, designed by American architect I.M. Pei. The nucleus of the Louvre collections is a group of Renaissance paintings by Leonardo da Vinci including the famous “Mona Lisa” and two world famous sculptures; “Venus de Milo” and the “Victory of Samathrace. In the afternoon visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame (Our Lady), on the island called Ile de la Cite at the heart of Paris.  Notable for its elegant proportions, it was a model for the French Gothic cathedral’s of the middle Ages. The west front is classic with three richly carved portals, or doorways.  The central doorway depicts the biblical story of the Last Judgment. The north and south areas are decorated with two circular stained-glass windows constructed using a technique called bar tracery, where thin stone bars were used to form a decorative pattern within the window opening and then the glass was inserted into the pattern. Another window, at the west front of the cathedral, is considered a masterpiece of Gothic engineering for its large glass surface area, which is supported by a seemingly delicate web of carved stone.  French Emperor Napoleon and the Empress Josephine were crowned at Notre Dame in 1804. Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure.

Day 11 – Departure

Farewell to your WWII Memorial Tour as transfer to the Airport for your return. Arrive home, your heart and mind filled with many memories.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• International Air New York/London-Paris/New York
  

• 3 nights accommodation in London at 4-star Hotel
  

• 2 nights accommodation in Paris at 4-star Hotel
  

• 4 nights in Normandy at 4-star hotel
  

• All sightseeing and transfers as per program by deluxe air conditioned motor coach
  

• Guide throughout England
  

• English speaking guide in France
  

• 10 breakfast,  6 dinners
  

• Hotel taxes, VAT and service charges
  

• Porterage of 1 piece of luggage
  

     NOT INCLUDED

• U.S. Departure Tax and Airport Security fees.
  

• Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, e-mail, soft drinks, coffee, tea, mineral water, alcoholic beverages, tips to drivers, guides, transfer personnel, travel insurance, etc…
  

    Please note: itinerary

    sequence subject to

     change