Discover the sites where the events of 1944
took place leading to one of the defi ning
moments of the Second World War, D-Day.
INCLUDED FEATURES
- Return overnight ferries Rosslare-Cherbourg with cabins on board
- 3 nights dinner, bed & breakfast at 3 star hotel
- Full Day Tour of Landing Beaches
- Visit Pegasus Memorial, Arromanches Landing Museum, Bayeux Memorial Museum & Bayeux Tapestry
- Excursion to Mont St Michel and St Malo
- Visit Caen Memorial
COST
6 Days, 5 Nights
From €625 per person
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SUGGESTED ITINERARY
DAY 1
Pick up from school and transfer to Rosslare for the overnight ferry to Cherbourg.
DAY 2
Arrive at Cherbourg and transfer to hotel.
DAY 3
Meet an expert local guide for a full day tour of the Landing Beaches. First visit the Pegasus Memorial at Ranville, dedicated to the 6th British Airborne Division whose soldiers were the fi rst to touch Norman soil on the night of 5th June 1944. See the original Pegasus Bridge and a replica Horsa Glider. Then drive along the Landing Beaches of Sword, Juno and Gold. Maybe visit the Juno Centre, which relives the Canadian campaign in Normandy during the liberation and discovers the history of pre war Canada and its way of life today. Continue to Arromanches where the remains of the Mulberry Harbour are still visible. Visit the Landings Museum - a permanent exhibition in front of the remains of the artificial port, devoted to the advances of the British after the landings. Another possibility is Arromanches 360 which presents an exceptional 18 minute film on a circular screen. Finally visit Bayeux whose Memorial Museum retraces the steps of the Battle of Normandy from 6th June to 22nd August 1944. See the Military Cemetery then the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry depicting the events of a much earlier campaign - the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
DAY 4
Today’s excursion travels through the now peaceful Normandy countryside to Mont St Michel, which rises dramatically out of the sea approximately 1km from the mainland and is reached by a causeway. A narrow street winds around the mount to the Benedictine Abbey at its summit. Next enter Brittany to explore the walled port city of St Malo. The City rose to prominence in the 16th and 17th Centuries due to the activities of its pirates and adventurers, who amassed a store of riches and established links with the New World. Jacques Cartier, the discoverer of Canada, was born here. Although the walled city was heavily bombarded in 1944, it has been accurately and sympathetically restored. Enjoy a stroll around the magnifi cent ramparts and through the cobbled streets of the old town, or let off steam on one of the lovely beaches. Return to the hotel in time for dinner.
Day 4’s excursion may be substituted with visits to the sites of the American Airborne campaign at St Mere Eglise and Omaha Beach.
DAY 5
Visit Caen’s Memorial - a vast, interactive visitor centre dedicated to peace. The 20th Century is brought to life, from the decline into war, through the dark days of occupation and the Battle of Normandy to the Cold War years that followed the end of World War 2. In addition to the many exhibits there are two powerful video presentations and a section devoted to other failures and triumphs of peace, such as September 11 and the fall of the Berlin Wall. This visit will provide plenty of food for thought and discussion on the journey back to Cherbourg for the overnight ferry.
DAY 6
Transfer from Rosslare back to school.
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