Normandy Best Day Trips from Bayeux

One of the best things to see and do in Bayeux is undoubtedly to take a trip to Normandy, to learn in detail about the most important events that marked the history of the Normandy landings on D-Day.

On these excursions you will see the different landing sites and also where the bloodiest battles were fought in this confrontation that decided the course of the war. Not only will you see the beaches, but you will also visit sites that saw decisive battles for the recovery of France from Nazi domination.

You will learn how the 29th Infantry Division experienced the Normandy landings as it arrived on Omaha Beach and made its way to the crossroads of Saint Lô, the most important objective of Operation Overlord in its first phase.

Together with your guide, you will discover during the day the roles, objectives, battles and achievements of this division during the military operation. On your tour route, you will learn what the three regiments of the division did until they reached the hedgerow countryside, where the famous bocage battle began.

If you are a lover of World War II movies, you will love this trip to Normandy because it will take you to the beach that was depicted in the film Saving Private Ryan. You will learn the story of Brigadier General Norman "Dutch" Cota and in general each of the battles of this division to achieve its objectives.

Interesting details

• Price: This experience costs approximately 810 euros for groups of up to four people.
• Duration: it will take you around 8 to 9 hours to complete the tour.
• Means of transport: you will travel in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• Advantages of this option: All entrance fees are included. Private transport is provided.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips are not included, nor are food and beverages.

An expert guide will take you to walk in the footsteps of the American troops who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. One of the best excursions from Bayeux, this full-day experience will give you the opportunity to visit the US sectors, including Omaha Beach and St-Mere-Eglise.

You'll also pass battle sites such as Pointe du Hoc and the Utah Beach Museum. You will also enter the Normandy American Cemetery, where you will learn about the history of those who gave their lives to liberate France.

At the end of the tour, you can visit the town of Sainte Mere Eglise, which is famous for the arrival of the 82nd Airborne Division on 6 June 1944 to liberate Paris, and which has been frozen in time ever since.

Interesting details

• Price: to enjoy this experience you will have to pay around 140 euros per person.
• Duration: it will take you around 9 hours to complete the experience.
• Means of transport: the whole tour is completed in a minivan.
• Advantages of this option: Round-trip transfer to and from Bayeux is included. Tour guide included. Comfortable, air-conditioned transport is also included.
• Disadvantages of this option: Not wheelchair friendly. Lunch is not included.

On this private experience in Normandy, you will have the opportunity to customise the itinerary and points of interest to visit. You will learn all the details about the D-Day landings from your guide and visit the battlefields and monuments of the Second World War in this French region.

Along with one of the best tours in Bayeux, this is definitely one of the activities you can't miss if you go to this city. As you can customise the itinerary according to your choice, you can go to British, American or Canadian sites.

Some of the places you can include in your tour are: D-Day beaches, Pointe du Hoc, Cimetiere Americain de Colleville-sur-Mer, Omaha Beach, Overlord Museum, Sainte-Mere-Eglise Church, Batterie Allemande de Longues-Sure-Mer, Remains Mulberry Harbour and Arromanches 360 Circular Cinema, all prominent D-Day sites of interest. You can include as many or as few of these as you like, or suggest other sites.

Details of interest

• Price: you will have to pay around 1,200 euros for groups of up to 8 people.
• Duration: the tour takes between 8 and 10 hours to complete.
• Means of transport: the whole trip is done in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• Advantages of this option: this is a private and personalised experience. You will be accompanied by a professional guide. You will be transferred to and from your hotel or accommodation in Bayeux by private transport.
• Disadvantages of this option: lunch and tips are not included.

Not only did the Americans set foot on Norman soil, but the British did too during D-Day, so on this tour you'll discover the wealth of history stored on the Norman battlefields for half a day. You'll visit key landing sites such as Sword Beach and the Hillman Bunkers at Bayeux.

Your expert guide will take you to the most important French sites related to the Second World War, while telling you all about what happened during this historic period. You will see the exhibits at the Merville Gun Battery and Museum and learn about the D-Day episode at Sword Beach.

Later you will visit the Hillman Bunkers and the Commonwealth Military Cemeteries with a small group of participants. Other sites included in the tour are: Pegasus Bridge and Ranville War Cemetery.

Details of interest

• Price: you will have to pay around 85 euros per person.
• Duration: the whole tour will take approximately 5 hours.
• Means of transport: the tour is completed by minivan.
• Advantages of this option: you will be accompanied by an expert guide. You will be picked up at Bayeux train station or Place de Quebec, according to your request. You will have air-conditioning on board.
• Disadvantages of this option: Gratuities are not included, nor are food and beverages.

Canadian forces also made their way to Normandy to join the French liberation. So on this tour you'll learn about their involvement during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. For approximately eight hours you will see some of the most important Canadian sites of the conflict.

You'll go straight to Juno Beach, where the troops landed on 6 June. You will see the German bunkers on the beaches that have already been excavated. In addition, your guide will tell you about the advance to Abbey d'Ardenne and Caen, just before you visit the Canadian cemetery and Hill 67.

Details of interest

• Price: this experience costs approximately 125 euros per person.
• Duration: it will take you at least 8 hours to complete this experience.
• Means of transport: The entire tour is completed by minivan.
• Advantages of this option: a professional tour guide is included. You are offered transfers to and from your hotel or accommodation in Bayeux. You have air-conditioning on board.
• Disadvantages of this option: this tour is not wheelchair friendly.

You will depart from Bayeux straight to Longues-Sur-Mer, where you will see the Germans' big gun battery, which was considered a threat to Omaha and Gold Beach. Then you'll continue on to Arromanches-Les-Bains to see the remains of Port Winston, one of the artificial harbours built by the Allied force.

From there, your tour guide will take you to Gold Beach, the beach where the British troops landed and quickly made their way to Bayeux. You will see the British Normandy Memorial, a monument dedicated to the British troops and overlooking Gold Beach.

Other sites you can visit during the tour are: Courseulles-Sur-Mer, where Canadian forces arrived by land; Sword Beach, another British beach; Pegasus Bridge and Ranville War Cemetery.

Interesting details

• Price: You'll pay around 710 euros per group of up to four people to enjoy this experience.
• Duration: It will take you around 9 hours to complete the experience.
• Means of transport: you will travel in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• Advantages of this option: you will be offered private transport with all the comforts, including wifi connection on board.
• Disadvantages of this option: Tips and lunch are not included. Museum fees are also not included.

If you want to hear the most shocking stories of the Normandy Landings and what D-Day was like for American soldiers, then this is definitely the plan for you. This is a two-day tour of the American battlefields, accompanied by a former British soldier.

As an ex-soldier, your guide will make you see the battlefields through the eyes of a soldier. In addition, on this tailor-made tour you can ask your guide to show you one or another key site during the Normandy landings.

Interesting details

• Price: you have to pay around 1,475 euros per group of four people.
• Duration: the whole experience takes approximately two days.
• Means of transport: the tour is done by air-conditioned car.
• Advantages of this option: the tour is suitable for children. It is also suitable for wheelchair users. You can take prams and pets are welcome.
• Disadvantages of this option: meals and drinks during the tour are not included. Personal expenses are also not included.

This is a half-day retro sidecar ride, where you will have the opportunity to see and photograph incredible scenery both on land and at sea. As you make your way around the Normandy area, your tour guide will tell you interesting anecdotes and stories about D-Day and how the battle was experienced in this region.

You'll be able to enter museums dedicated to D-Day, while enjoying the adrenaline rush with your retro helmet, gloves and goggles. Gold Beach and Arromanches-les-Bains are some of the sites you will visit.

Your guide will also tell you the story of how the Allies established the artificial harbour of Port Mulberry B and how they liberated Arromanches during the evening of 6 June to put the harbour into service from 14 June. Other sites you will visit during this tour include the Marche Criee at Port-en-Bessin, Batterie Allemande de Longues-Sure-Mer and the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum.

Details of interest

• Price: you will have to pay around 245 euros per person, although the price may vary according to the number of people in the group.
• Duration: it will take you about three and a half hours to complete the experience.
• Means of transport: the whole tour is completed in a sidecar.
• Advantages of this option: It is a private experience, so only your group can participate. People of all ages are welcome to attend. Assistance animals are welcome. It is a wheelchair friendly tour. All sidecar equipment is included.
• Disadvantages of this option: Drinks and meals are not included. Personal expenses during the tour are not included.

This is one of the most fun experiences you'll have in Normandy, especially if you're an adrenaline junkie. You will get into a classic jeep in Bayeux to go straight to the most iconic D-Day sites. The ride will be very special, as on board this classic jeep you will get a clearer perspective of what the Allied and German soldiers went through.

You will visit Arromanches Mullberry Harbour, where the Allies built a deep water harbour. You will also visit Batterie Allemande de Longues-Sure-Mer, where the German battery was maintained and which is now the best preserved area of the Atlantic Wall.

Your guide will tell you the story of the British and French warships that silenced the guns during D-Day. You will then travel to the Cimetiere Americain de Colleville-sur-Mer, and finally to Omaha Beach. At each of these locations you will have the opportunity to learn the stories of that day and of the Norman battle in general.

Details of interest

• Price: this experience costs approximately 545 euros per group of up to three people.
• Duration: it will take you around four hours to complete the experience.
• Means of transport: the whole trip is completed in a classic jeep.
• Advantages of this option: you will be offered private and off-road transport. The tour guide is also included for the entire experience.
• Disadvantages of this option: Food and beverages such as soft drinks are not included. Rain gear is not included.

During this tour you will discover the most beautiful and picturesque sites of the Normandy countryside and seafront. You will also have the opportunity to visit some of the most iconic sites related to the Second World War.

The whole experience will be by electric bike and over half a day, giving you a different perspective of well-known sites such as Omaha Beach or the Normandy American Cemetery. Your tour guide will tell you about the history of D-Day and its impact on the development of the war.

You will visit Colleville-sur-Mer and its related cemetery, where you will find a viewpoint from a German bunker. You will also see incredible scenery to photograph throughout the tour.

Details of interest

• Price: you will have to pay around 130 euros per person.
• Duration: this tour lasts approximately four and a half hours.
• Means of transport: the whole experience will be by electric bicycle.
• Advantages of this option: snacks are provided. The use of the bicycle is included, as well as the helmet. Bottled water is provided.
• Disadvantages of this option: lunch is not included.

You will need to identify the type of excursion you want to do and then make the booking. Before booking, it is important that you ask all the questions about the trip, as well as the conditions you must fulfil to participate in the experience you have already chosen.

One thing to keep in mind when booking this type of trip is the cancellation policy. This is generally free of charge up to 24 hours before the experience. It is also important to confirm departure and price before booking, as these details are subject to change.