Normandy 2Days Trip Landing Beaches e Mont St Michel de Paris

What to know: This is the tour equivalent to a survey history course in college. You will stay nowhere too long, and in some cases one may feel it’s not enough. But from our vantage, it was an excellent two-day tour to learn what we may want to see more (and less) of on another, more targeted trip.

I think it is an extraordinary gift when a guide can set such a positive tone for a trip. Zoltan was phenomenal. For each location, he oriented us to the history and culture. He showed us the highlights, but then we were free to wander areas for a designated time. Time at some locations was fairly brief, but that allowed us to pack in so much. My 15 and 20 year old history enthusiasts appreciated Zoltan's passion for history. We always knew the best places to eat (especially ice cream), where to find the cleanest toilet, and how to make the most of our designated time. I wish we had availability to continue on the three day tour, but so grateful we made. time for the two day tour. I cannot imagine trying to do this in one day. Mont Saint-Michel has been described as DisneyLand - there is much truth to that - but we would brave the crowds for the glorious view from the top of the abbey. Rouen Cathedral was beautiful, as were the Rouen ducks. Honfleur was packed, but we wandered side streets. And the Normandy beaches and tour of the cemetary were a somber reminder of gratitude owed to those who sacrificed so much. Thank you, Zoltan - and Charlie for your mad driving skills.

Great trip. Extremely knowledgeable guide. We have done the 1 Day Normandy/Beaches trip in the past. The 2 Day trip was so much better. Not rushed and you got to see Britany. The city of Saint-Malo was amazing, it ended up being the highlight of the tour.

This itinerary covers it all. Our guide Marie was very knowledgeable and presented a lot of material in an orderly and enjoyable manner. Although there is a lot of road time Marie helped it go by quickly.

This was a really great trip. If you get Florence as your guide, count yourself lucky. She is great. Very knowledgable, very droll sense of humor. Had originally considered doing the single day to Normandy and back version of this trip but glad we didn't. That seems like it would be trying to cram too much in and also you'd miss most of the other things included in the 2 day. Hotel was great, too.

I really enjoyed the trip - our guide Marie was knowledgeable, humorous and friendly, and she made a big effort to include both the English and Spanish speakers with equal time. With a smallish group of only 15 it was easy to manage the timing of a very tight itinerary - so we didn't lose anytime waiting for latecomers or trying to keep everyone herded together. The sight-seeing elements were incredible - from picturesque St Malo to stunning St Michel, the quaint port of Honfleur and the jaw-dropping history of Rouen. I really enjoyed Marie's insight into their historical contexts as well. Some members of our group didn't stay with her and drifted off to do their own thing (dining and shopping) - each to their own, but I feel they really missed out on a deeper layer of understanding of the locations we visited. So my recommendation would be to stick with the guide rather than taking extra free time on your own. The experience of the Omaha Beach memorial and American cemetery was incredibly moving and sobering - I will never forget it. But a note that if you are wanting lots of in-depth info on WW2 history and details on D-Day, then I would suggest rather do it on your own (self-drive) or choosing a solely war-focused tour, as the packed itinerary did not allow for enough time to visit the museums at the American cemetery and Avromanche, which would have been nice. But if you want a broad overview, an opportunity to pay respects and the moving experience of the cemetery and beach itself, you will be fine. If you are looking to experience the beauty of the Normandy countryside and coastline, some sight-seeing and a bit of history, this tour is a great way to do it, without the hassle of sorting out your own transport. I found the bus comfortable and the drive easy, the overnight stay was in a decent hotel with a pleasant dinner and breakfast, and the communication around the logistics was good. My only criticism was that the additional payment of a single supplement was not well disclosed - it was hidden quite far down a list of "additional info" when it should have been mentioned upfront upon booking, to give a true reflection of the price.

We were disappointed with the overall trip. The mini bus was incredibly small and uncomfortable. We found the guide very difficult to understand and they followed no script- it was very disjointed. One person in the group had fallen behind and the guide did not do a head count and almost left that person behind. At the meeting point it was disorganized- difficult which tour was which. Then, guide did not have enough headsets and eventually the microphone battery died. Hotel was nice - meals were good. The tour stops were good but did not always match the itinerary

Excellent tour guide always responded to our needs and queries with kindness. We value your professionalism.

Leila is an excellent guide! Incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, helpful…. Everything you could want in a tour guide. The itinerary was a little packed - if we went again, we would plan more rest ahead of the trip to prepare for the schedule. But everything was well organized and interesting. We’re so glad we booked this tour!

My husband and I were on the two-day trip to the D-Day sites and Mont Saint-Michel (April 9-10) — and it was wonderful! Our guide, Leila, was knowledgeable and professional. She knew her history, and it was impressive to hear her explain everything in English and Spanish, and even visit with some of the guests in Italian. (She helped me improve my French, too!) She also had great recommendations for lunch stops and took time to chat personally with all of the guests. We knew there wouldn’t be a lot of time at a couple of the stops, but some of the additional sites (Rouen, Honfleur, and Saint-Malo) were lovely! We ate delicious food (galettes) at Les Marmottes in Honfleur, and enjoyed the walk around the walls of Saint-Malo. The American cemetery was very sobering, and even though the visit to Omaha Beach was short, it was long enough to appreciate the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers. The visit to Mont Saint-Michel was incredible. Leila took us up all the stairs and walked us through the main rooms of the abbey. Then, we had some time to explore on our own. We arrived in the early afternoon and left around 4 p.m. (We arrived back in Paris around 9 p.m.) The views, the history, and the beauty of the abbey made it the trip of a lifetime! All in all, I highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves history and wants to see a unique part of France outside of Paris. The countryside is beautiful, and the people are kind. Many thanks again to Leila for her expertise in guiding our trip!