NEW YORK (AP) — With the 70th anniversary of the D-Day approaching, many travel companies are offering tours that include stops connected to the history of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II. ADVERTISING NEW YORK (AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — With the 70th anniversary of the D-Day approaching, many travel companies are offering tours that include stops connected to the history of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II.
D-Day took place on June 6, 1944, and was a turning point in the Allies’ defeat of the Nazis. President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries are expected to join French President Francois Hollande in marking the anniversary in Normandy.
Many of the tour itineraries include visits to the beaches where Allied troops landed, along with nearby museums, cemeteries and related stops. Some tours include trips around the region, taking in the countryside with wine- and cider-tasting and visits to castles, while others head to Paris. Most of the tours are being offered throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Among the U.S. Tour Operators Association member companies offering D-Day-themed itineraries are Grand European Travel, Collette, AHI Travel and VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacation, which all have trips with prices starting at under $3,000 a person (excluding airfare). Adventures by Disney prices start under $6,000, while Cox & Kings starts at $8,995 and Abercrombie & Kents start at $11,895.
Several river cruise companies offer day trip excursions to Normandy by motor coach from Rouen. Other travel companies offering Normandy tours range from Road Scholar to Classic Journeys, while the National WWII Museum in New Orleans is also sponsoring a D-Day-themed trip to Normandy this fall.
