D-Day to Surrender in 5-Days!
Thinking of going to France this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings? You’re not alone! The 70th anniversary of D-Day saw approximately 8 million tourists between the months of June and September, so if that’s any indication of this year’s attendance, be prepared for long lines and crowds.
Does this mean you should forget about going to Normandy this year? Absolutely not! Even with most tours sold out and large crowds expected, there are ways to avoid being caught in the horde and fighting for a seat at a restaurant. And there are still plenty of places to stay within an hour’s drive of the sites.
How are you going to escape the masses, you ask? Be your own tour guide! Blaze your own trail! A self-guided tour gives you the flexibility to visit sites on your own schedule, something big tour groups can’t do. Get up early and hit the popular sites, like museums and artillery batteries, before the tour buses arrive. Buy your tickets online before arriving and save more time, and money! Touring the beaches will be busy, but the hardest part about seeing the beaches will be finding a parking spot, not fighting crowds for a view.
If the site you plan to visit is crowded, try another site, or stop for lunch in a small town away from the major tour groups. Remember, most D-Day sites are within a few kilometers of each other. It may require a little more effort in driving, but the benefits far outweigh the efforts.
One last note. The closer your travel dates are to the actual anniversary, June 6, the more commemorative events will be taking place. This means more people and busier roads but it also means a better opportunity to witness reenactments, see amazing static displays of military vehicles and artillery, and meet with historians, actors, and locals that can tell the untold stories of D-Day.
Now that you calmed down and know visiting France this year is not out of the question, here’s something to make your adventure even easier. We’ve created a 5-day itinerary that includes not only popular Normandy sites and select museums, but major battle grounds and finally, the site where Germany signed the initial Instruments of Surrender.
Tip: For those who chose to do a self-guided tour, there are many companies offering audio guides or travel apps for your smart phone that will walk you through each site. Very helpful.
We’ve done the heavy lifting so now all you need is a rental car and the desire to see where modern history was made by thousands of extremely brave and courageous men and women.
From D-Day to Surrender in 5 Days
Day 1 – Ste. Mere Eglise
Your journey begins in Ste. Mere Eglise located in northwestern France. Due to its proximity to Utah and Omaha beaches, this small town played a major role in the D-Day invasion. In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, Ste. Mere Eglise was the site of a pre-invasion paratrooper drop that was met with disaster. A Nazi garrison guarding the town discovered the paratroopers, many were shot and died before they could reach the ground.
However, one paratrooper was pretty lucky. Just above the town center, Pvt. John Steele’s parachute got caught on one of the spires of the Holy Mother church, where he hung for over two hours until the Germans captured him. Today, his effigy hangs on one of the spires of the church.
Ste. Mere Eglise is also home to an excellent WW2 museum, the Airborne Museum, dedicated to the brave paratroopers the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Military buffs will enjoy the static displays of aircraft and armor, as well as the personal gear form both Allied and German troops.
The museum’s hours of operations vary depending on the time of year so be sure to check online before going.
Back in your car for a short 10-minute drive to Saint-Come-du-Mont and one of the best WW2 museums in Normandy. This intersection was the scene of fierce fighting on June 7, 1944 that left a dead crew member of an M3 Stuart tank hanging from the turret. The intersection became known as, “Dead Man’s Corner.”
Today, housed in what was the headquarters of the German paratrooper regiment known as the “Green Devils”, is Dead Man’s Corner Museum containing original artifacts from Allied and German paratroopers. The museum also sells original and replica WW2 artifacts.
Included in your entry ticket to the museum is the C-47 flight simulator or “D-Day Experience.” This is the closest thing you can experience to actually flying into France on D-Day. Well worth the price of admission.
About 15 minutes away from Dead Man’s Corner is Utah Beach. At 0630hrs, June 6, 1944, Utah Beach saw the first Allied troops land. The beach has a monument dedicated to the 21,000 soldiers who landed, along with several defensive casements, tobruks and coastal barriers, many showing signs of bomb impacts. There is a static display of a Sherman tank at the entrance.
Last stop on today’s agenda is the Azeville Battery. This is the first of three German batteries you will visit on this tour. Located approximately 20 minutes from Utah Beach, this battery played a significant role in defending the beachheads during the Allied invasion. One of the first buildings constructed on the Atlantic Wall, the Azeville Battery housed 4-105mm cannons with 250 support personnel. Visitors will be surprised to see that the original camouflage painting on most casement walls still exists! The site also has several meters of tunnels and trenches and numerous bunkers to tour.
Day 2 – Pont du Hoc
Located on a promontory with 100’ tall cliffs facing the English Channel, Pont du Hoc was the scene of the first American Ranger action. From this point, German grenadiers could fire their 155mm cannon and reach both Utah and Omaha beaches. The site today is covered in bomb craters and damaged casements from the early morning air raid and constant naval barrage by the Allies. This is one of Normandy’s best battle sites.
Omaha Beach, “Bloody Omaha,” is next on the agenda. Today there is not much on Omaha Beach that would remind you of the incredible loss of life that took place here in 1944. The scars of war have been removed, homes have been built and life has gone on but not without remembering. “Les Braves” or “The Brave”, a sculpture created by Anilore Ban, dedicated to the 2,400+ casualties from the D-Day landing. The beach is about a 15-minute drive from Pont du Hoc.
Continuing on along the coast, you arrive at Colleville-sur-Mer and one of the most impassioned sites of WW2, the Normandy American Cemetery. Situated on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, is the 172-acre cemetery for American soldiers killed in action during the D-Day invasion. Of the 9,387 soldiers buried here, 307 are unknown. The names of 1,557 that were never found are engraved on the wall in the Garden of the Missing. The Normandy American cemetery is 10-minutes’ drive from Omaha Beach and a “must see” site in Normandy.
Located approximately 25-minutes from Colleville-sur-Mer is the Longues-sur-Mer Battery.
Located between Omaha and Gold Beach, Longues-sur-Mer battery is the most “intact” defensive site along the five D-Day beaches. The four casements still have their original 152mm naval guns installed showing damage from constant barrage from Allied ships. The site is open every day and free to visit.
Last stop for today will be Arromanches-les-Bains, site of the Mulberry Harbors.
If you drive 15 minutes along road D514, you come to Arromanches, the site of the Allied artificial harbors called, “Mulberry Harbors”. These artificial harbors were the key to keeping the Allies supplied during the invasion. Designed and built by the British, these massive structures were towed across the English Channel to support delivering 12,000 tons of supplies each day. The site has a museum, tourist office and cinema that projects the D-Day invasion in 3600.
Day 3 – Merville, France and your last coastal fortification, the Merville Battery.
The Merville Battery was one of the most heavily defended positions on the Atlantic Wall. With 4-6’, steel reinforced concrete casements with 100mm howitzers protected by 20mm anti-aircraft guns, 15 machine gun positions, two barbed wire obstacles 15’ thick by 5’ high and a 100-yard deep mine field. Located east of the Ouistreham harbor, a barrage from this site could easily reach Sword beach. There is a good museum with photographs of the area during and after the invasion, along with many artifacts. Many of the bunkers and casements are open to the public. Also, on site is a fully restored C-47 transport plane, the “SNAFU Special.” The aircraft had a remarkable history from D-Day to the end of the war.
Fifteen minutes from Merville, in the small town of Ranville, France, is the site of one of the first battles of D-Day, the Pegasus Bridge. Early morning June 6th, British glider corps landed near the bridge and were tasked with securing it to keep the passage over the Orne river open. During the assault, Lt. Den Brotheridge was mortally wounded making him the first D-Day casualty. Memorial Pegasus is an excellent museum displaying paratrooper artifacts as well as a good static display of military vehicles and artillery. Best of all, there is the only known surviving Horsa glider on display here.
Your drive continues to the town of Ouistreham, France, located at the harbor entrance and home to the Grand Bunker Museum, one of the most complete and unusual WW2 museums in Normandy. This 55’ structure was originally a fire control tower for the 6 – 152mm artillery pieces stationed to protect the entrance to the Orne river. The story about how this complex was captured is well worth the visit. Hint: it took 4-hours just to get through the door! The bunker is located 10 minutes’ drive from Pegasus Bridge.
Completing your tour for today, and the last site in Normandy, is Courseulles-sur-Mer, Juno Beach. About 30 minutes’ drive from the grand Bunker, is Juno Beach. Assigned to the Canadian forces during the D-Day assault, Juno beach was one of the most heavily defended beaches in the Atlantic Wall. The Canadians faced more than 7,800 troops with bunkers every 1,000 yards containing machine guns, mortars, anti-tank and anti-personnel artillery, along with hundreds of beach obstacles. Today, a few of these beach obstacles and artillery pieces are on display outside a small museum.
That’s all for your tour of Normandy. The two beaches not visited, Gold or Sword beaches, are now mainly seaside villages with beach huts and vacation homes. For those wishing to see all of the D-Day beaches, they are a short drive from Courseulles-sur-Mer and should take little time to visit.
Day 4 – To Bastogne, Belgium
Today you drive from your lodging in Normandy to Bastogne, Belgium on some of the best roads in Europe. French roads are really well maintained and driving is easy with clearly marked directions. Once in Bastogne, settle into your lodging and spend some time exploring this historic small town. There are many wonderful Belgian restaurants, cafes, and pubs serving traditional fare and some pretty good local brew.
Day 5 – Back on tour, Bastogne, Belgium.
In Bastogne, you’ll find one of the best war museums displaying both Allied and Axis artifacts. From a Sherman tank that met with the business end of an enemy artillery round, to a restored Nazi Hetzer Tank Destroyer, the Bastogne War Museum chronicles the days during the Battle of the Bulge from both a military and civilian point of view.
Just outside of Bastogne, about 15-minutes’ drive, is the site made famous by the HBO series, ‘Band of Brothers,’ the Easy Company “Battle of the Bulge” foxholes. Located down a side road that wanders through farmland is the small area known as “Bois Jacques Foxholes” marked with a memorial to the 101st, Easy Company. Of all the places we visited during our WW2 tour, this one was one of the most somber and moving sites. Although they are just foxholes, thinking about the fear, courage, bravery, death and life this site represents was very emotional.
After Bastogne, make a comfortable 1-hour drive to Luxembourg, Luxembourg for a stop at the Luxembourg American Cemetery. Buried here are some 5,073 soldiers, many who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. The city of Luxembourg served as the headquarters for the Third Army under Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. After his death, his wife requested he be buried in the city he helped liberate, Luxembourg. He was buried here with his troops in a very unique manner. General Patton’s grave is at the back of the graves of the other soldiers.
Coming to the final stop on your 5-day World War II tour, Reims, France site of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) and signing of the Instruments of Surrender. Drive 2 hours and 20 minutes back to the city of Reims and you’ll find the building that was used as headquarters for General Eisenhower during the ending months of WW2. The building has been converted into a museum with artifacts depicting war plans, combat resource plans, enemy capture graphs and most importantly, the room where Germany signed the first Instrument of Surrender on May 7, 1945.
That’s it, from D-Day to Surrender in 5 days. All that’s left is to return home, enjoy the memories from the trip and most of all, remember those who came before and their sacrifices.