VIP NORMANDY AND BRITTANY

During the VIP Normandy and Brittany tour, your personal driver-guide will give you first an introduction to the history of Normandy. You will begin the tour by a private visit of Rouen, the capital of Upper Normandy that has been developing since the Romans. There, you will make a break in a French “patisserie” enjoying one of their delicious pastries. In Rouen, your personal guide will take you for a stroll through the old town where you will discover the House of the Exchequer, the Archbishop Palace, the Renaissance Palace of Justice, the “Grosse Horloge”, Rouen’s most popular monument, a clock from 1527 with its superb belfry topped by a dom. You will stop at the Place du Vieux Marche (Old Market Square) where Joan of Arc was burnt on a stake, before having a private guided visit of the cathedral Notre Dame de Rouen, one of the most beautiful examples of French Gothic. Then, you will continue the tour driving to the lovely, romantic town of Honfleur, its character and ambiance have inspired painters, writers and musicians since centuries. You will enjoy a stroll around the old dock where the fishing fleet unloads fresh fish and shellfish every day, stopping to admire the slate facades of the old houses. After this nice walking tour, we will book lunch for you in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (not included in the price) on the picturesque quayside of the old dock, you will have a closer look at the St Catherine’s church, a rare example in Western Europe constructed entirely of wood with its narrow massive oak belfry covered in chestnut wood. Then, you personal driver-guide will lead you to Bayeux, the first French town to be liberated by the Allies on June 7th 1944, very fortunate not to have been damaged during the World War II. You will visit the beautiful 12C cathedral that still keeps watch over this charming, old fashioned town with its stone and timber framed old houses, nicely restored, its pedestrian precinct through which you will wander before your guide takes you to the Centre Guillaume le Conquerant (William the Conqueror’s Center) to give you a private guided visit of the Tapestry of Bayeux, a jewel of Romanesque (the oldest tapestry in the world 1067 by 203 feet long), that relates in a very realistic account the events of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and that is without doubt one of the most accurate and lively documents to survive from the Middle Ages, providing detailed information of the cloths, ships, arms and general lifestyle of that period. You will spend the night in Bayeux (hotel not included in the price) where, if you need, we could book your dinner in a restaurant or brasserie.

On the second day, you will begin by a private visit of the Pegasus Bridge, one of the most famous bridges in World War II that was captured by Major John Howard. After that, your personal driver-guide will take you to Arromanches to discover with you the remains of the artificial harbor (Mulberry) that played a vital part in the success of the Landings. Then, you will go to the German coastal artillery battery of Longues sur Mer that formed a part of Germany’s Atlantic Wall coastal fortifications. The battery was completed by April 1944 and consisted of four 152 mm navy guns, each protected by a large concrete casemate, a command post, shelters for personnel and ammunition and several defensive machine-gun emplacements. It is now time for your lunch break in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (lunch not included in the price). After this culinary break, your tour will continue with a visit of the American Cemetery of Colleville, that covers 172,5 acres and that contains the graves of 9387 soldiers, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations (visit of the Memorial, the wall of Missing, the Chapel, many special tombs – Medals of Honor etc). Your visit will be followed with a stop at the American Interpretive Center where you will have the opportunity to view remarkable films and documentaries relating the DDAY and Battle of Normandy operations. The next private visit will take place in the famous Omaha Beach that since June 6th 1944 has become the symbol of the sacrifice of American soldiers in WWII. The primary objective of Omaha was to secure a beachhead of some 5 miles between Port en Bessin and the Vire River, linking up with the British landings at Gold Beach and the Americans at Utah Beach. The defenses were unexpectedly strong and inflicted extremely heavy casualties on landing US troops. Small penetrations were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most heavily defended points. By the end of the day, 2 small isolated footholds had been won, which were subsequently exploited against weaker defenses further inland, thus achieving the original D-Day objectives over the following days. The last private guided visit of the day will be the Pointe du Hoc, where the Germans had built 6 casemates to house a battery of 155 mm guns. Situated between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, these guns threatened Allied landings, risking heavy casualties in the landing forces. The US 2nd Ranger Battalion under the command of Colonel James Rudder was given the task of destroying the strongpoint from the sea. Their heroic struggle and final success has entered into history. You will spend the night in Bayeux (hotel not included in the price) where, if you need, we could book your dinner in a restaurant or brasserie.

On the third day, you will discover the “Marvel of the Occident”: the world renowned Mont Saint Michel, some say that it is to the sea what the pyramid of Keops is to the desert, some describe it as an imaginary manor-house, stupefying as a dream palace, others say that is not dry land and yet not the sea. Surrounded by the sea with one of the highest tidal ranges in the world the Mont St. Michel is simply unique. On the Mont St. Michel, the tour will begin with a private guided visit of the Abbey founded by Aubert at the beginning of the 8th Century and that became a major cultural and pilgrimage center during the Middle Ages. You will admire the Romanesque Church, the Gothic “Marvel” with the monk’s Cloisters and Refectory, the Knights Room, the Guest Room, the Undercroft, the Refectory, as well as various chapels. After that, we will book your lunch in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (lunch not included in the price) before making a stroll through the steep-sided narrow streets of the town and its ramparts. Then, your personal driver-guide will take you to Saint Malo, built with the same grey stone as the Mont St Michel and that was originally in the Middle Ages a fortified island at the mouth of the Rame River. You will enjoy a visit of the superb citadelle, stroll with you through the old streets within the walls of the lively and very characterful town before leaving you at your hotel for the night. You will spend the night in Saint Malo (hotel not included in the price) where, if you need, we could book your dinner in a restaurant or brasserie.

On the fourth day, your personal driver-guide will drive to Cancale, a picturesque fishing village, the “Oyster capital of Brittany”, where along a pleasant coastal path you will walk to Pointe du Grouin that views across the bay towards Mont Saint Michel. After Cancale, you will visit the nice city Dinard, you will follow the enjoyable footpath passing through a surprising statue of Alfred Hitchcock that leads to “Pointe du Moulinet” from where you will have a marvelous view and where we will book your lunch in a very nice, typical French restaurant or brasserie (lunch not included in the price) After lunch, you will continue the day at Dinan: a magical, mystical walled medieval town with its imposing ramparts and castle. You will stroll through the cobble streets of the old town, climb up the “tour de l’horloge” for an amazing view over the city and surroundings, walk along the ramparts of the city and have a look at the Governor’s house and the castle. Then, your personal driver-guide will drive you back to your hotel in Paris. This tour due to the VIP treatment that we provide will leave you without doubt outstanding memories of these 4 days in Normandy and Brittany.