This tour visits the rugged Normandy coastline and some of the more poignant reminders of the D-Day landings. Our first two nights are spent in the historic town of Honfleur with its beautiful harbour bursting with bars and restaurants. For day three we turn the clock back to World War I as we head inland to Arras and the Somme.

Day 1. Friday April 18. Calais to Honfleur (approx.190 miles).
After an early morning ferry we hug the old coast road to Boulogne and then towards Montreuil - a well-known old walled town where Victor Hugo gained his inspiration for "Les Miserables". From here we head to Le Crotoy, an old fishing village at the mouth of the River Somme where Jules Verne wrote "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and the impressionist painter Toulouse Lautrec was a frequent visitor. From here to the Pont du Normandie which crosses, high and wide, over the estuary of the River Seine. Our hotel is a five-minute walk from the historic centre and harbour and you are free to eat out in one of the numerous restaurants in and around the harbour.

Day 2. Saturday April 19. Honfleur & return (approx. 140 miles).
We leave Honfleur and follow the coast until we reach Café Gondree where we stop for a break. Café Gondree was the first house to be liberated after the D-Day landings and stands at the site of the old Pegasus Bridge. From here we make our way along the coast visiting some more historic D-Day sites including the American cemetery on the cliff top overlooking Omaha Beach. Those of you who have seen "Saving Private Ryan" may well recognise this as the closing shots where filmed here. From Omaha Beach we return to Honfleur, where once again you'll be free to eat out.

Day 3. Sunday April 20. Honfleur to Arras (approx. 180 miles).
This morning we'll first make a visit to Etretat on the stunning Alabaster coast before cutting cross-country to the Somme and some of the best preserved trenches from WWI. We'll visit Thiepval, a memorial to over 73,000 men who have no known grave. Cutting through this sombre but interesting region. We arrive in Arras for our final night when you'll be free to eat out in the bars or restaurants in one of the old town squares, a few minutes walk from the hotel.

Day 4. Monday April 21. Arras to Calais (approx. 75 miles).
Once again on back roads we make our way north to Calais. Plenty of time for coffee before catching an early afternoon ferry back to the UK.

Back to tours list >