49.28° N · 0.70° W · D-Day Beaches
Two days by car from Bayeux, one sector a day. The first heads west, through the American beaches, to the flag lowering at Colleville. The second heads east, through Gold and the port of Arromanches, to the Mémorial de Caen.
Step by step
About two hours. Start with the church on the square and continue to the paratroopers' museum.
An hour and a half in the museum, built on the beach, and a while on the sand. Have lunch in the area.
Three quarters of an hour along the west trail, the only one open while the works last. Park where the staff direct you.
Half an hour beside the sculpture Les Braves, with the whole beach in front of you.
Between one hour and an hour and a half. In summer the flag is lowered at around 17:00; from October to March, around 16:00, so bring this stop forward by an hour.
Three quarters of an hour among the casemates and the command post on the cliff.
Two hours: the D-Day museum and a walk along the beach facing the remains of the Mulberry harbour. Have lunch in the village.
The coast road continues through Courseulles and Ouistreham. Stop wherever you like to see the sea.
Twenty minutes. The museum is closed for works until 2027; the bridge and the Café Gondrée can be seen from outside.
Until closing, at 19:00 from April to September. If you go in winter, leave the Mémorial for another morning.
One sector a day, with the afternoon of the first reserved for the American cemetery.
Who it's for
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Tips
That way you don't unpack your suitcase and each day you head off in a different direction.
In high season, get it on its website: the ticket office stops selling an hour and a quarter before closing.
During the flag lowering people stand still until the bugle call ends.
Pointe du Hoc and Longues work better than any museum: you can touch the craters and walk into the casemates.
Questions
Only by seeing little. If you have one day, choose the American sector, from Pointe du Hoc to the cemetery, and leave the rest.
The cemeteries, Pointe du Hoc, Longues and the beaches are free. Museums range from €10 at Utah Beach to €20.80 at the Mémorial de Caen per adult; the Explore Normandy Pass reduces some.
Yes, but with short days and museums that close earlier. Bring the cemetery forward, as it closes at 17:00, and leave the Mémorial de Caen for another day.
Replace the first day with a guided minibus tour from Bayeux (April to October) and the second with a train to Caen for the Mémorial.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/france/normandy/d-day-beaches/things-to-do/d-day-route-in-two-days
