Memorials of World War II 8-Night Escorted Coach Tour London to Paris

Day 1 – London, England

Welcome to London. Discover the city’s rich historical relationship with World War II. This evening, get a taste of contemporary British fare as you meet your fellow travelers for a dinner highlighting London’s culinary renaissance.

Day 2 – London, England

Uncover London’s myriad connections to WWII on an expert-guided tour. Step back in time to September 1940, when the city was at the receiving end of the German ‘Blitz’. London would be reduced to rubble, but not Londoners, who “Kept Calm and Carried On.” View Saint Paul’s Cathedral and take in iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Retrace Sir Winston Churchill’s steps on a walk by the Cenotaph and Downing Street, before returning to your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Day 3 – London – Portsmouth

This morning, journey through the English countryside to Portsmouth. This city played a critical role in the preparation efforts for Operation Overlord. Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery chose Portsmouth for their military headquarters and its dockyards now host The D-Day Story Museum, which you will visit this afternoon before checking into your hotel for a 1-night stay.

Day 4 – Portsmouth – English Channel Crossing – Caen, France

In the early hours of the morning,* board a ferry and cross the English Channel. As you breathe in the salted sea air during your 6-hour sailing, reflect upon the parallel journey nearly 160,000 courageous Allied troops took on June 6th, 1944, as they set out to liberate Europe from the Nazis. Your ferry docks in Ouistreham, which housed one of the largest bunkers of the German ‘Atlantic Wall’ defense system. A coastal drive takes you by Sword Beach (British landing site) to Juno Beach, where Canadian soldiers sacrificed their lives among a deluge of air attacks, naval bombardments, and land offenses. Arrive in Caen in the early evening and settle into your hotel for a momentous 3-night stay.**

Day 5 – Caen – D-Day Landing Sites

This morning, explore the Caen Peace Memorial Museum dedicated to providing a comprehensive history of the D-Day landings and Europe’s post-war transition. Then, set out for Arromanche-les-Bains to view the remains of the Mulberry Harbor, one of the greatest engineering feats of WWII, allowing the Allies to establish strategic bridgeheads on D-Day. Later this afternoon, stop at the German Artillery battery of Longues-sur-Mer, featured in The Longest Day. Then pause at a local farm for a stroll through their apple orchards and a taste of traditional cider.

Day 6 – Caen – D-Day Landing Sites

Today, immerse yourself in the history of Normandy’s beaches – the site of the largest amphibious invasion in history. Pay your respects to the 9,386 servicemen and women who rest at the Normandy American Cemetery. Visit two U.S. landing zones of the invasion of Normandy: Omaha Beach and this afternoon, Utah Beach. Discover Pointe du Hoc, a strategic German battery that claimed the ultimate sacrifice of 135 brave men from the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions and where craters from cataclysmic bombings occupy the landscape to this day. At the Airborne Museum, learn the unique history of paratroopers in Saint-Mère-Église, the first French town liberated from the Nazis. Return to Caen in the early evening.

Day 7 – Caen – Giverny – Paris

Head south to Paris this morning. Your drive through the rich pasturelands of Normandy takes you to the village of Giverny. Here, let the art scene leave its impression on you with a visit to Monet’s countryside home.*** Stroll through the colorful living work of art that is Monet’s garden, where you’ll see the source for the artist’s inspiration, including the setting for his iconic Waterlilies. Then, set off to Paris, the French capital that was under German occupation from 1940 to 1944. In the late afternoon, check into your hotel located in the suburban La Défense business district. As your day comes to a close, make the most of an evening at leisure. Or, enjoy an optional dinner at the dynamic Paradis Latin**** for a champagne-flowing, can-can kicking, music-driven night at the cabaret.

Day 8 – Paris

A local expert leads you on a journey back to the time of German occupation and the puppet government of Vichy. From the Vel d’Hiv, Hôtel de Ville, Les Invalides, Panthéon, and the Luxembourg Gardens to Le Marais, see the sites that tell the story of the liberation of Paris and what life was like under the Nazis. Tonight, bid au revoir to your fellow travelers and to the City of Light while gently floating down the Seine on a dinner cruise.

Day 9 – Paris

Your tour comes to a close today.