Normandy ~ France

In Transit

Depart for Paris, France.

Paris, France | Honfleur

Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Proceed through immigration to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing customs, AHI FlexAir passengers traveling on flights that qualify for the group arrival transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased seats on the group transfer should exit the baggage claim area and proceed to the Arrivals Hall, where an AHI Travel representative will meet you.

Transfer to Mercure Honfleur Hotel. Please note, if you arrive before check-in time, your room may not be immediately available.

Tonight, at the hotel, get acquainted with your fellow travelers at a Welcome Reception, and then share a Welcome Dinner together at one of Honfleur’s outstanding restaurants.

Honfleur

Get to know your home base, the quintessential French port town that has captivated artists for centuries, including Claude Monet, Gustave Courbet and native son Eugène Boudin. Soak up the maritime ambience of its picture-perfect, 17th-century Vieux Bassin, or old harbor, located where the Seine River meets the English Channel. From the 16th to 18th centuries, Honfleur became an important trading seaport and a launching point for exploration. In 1608, French explorer Samuel de Champlain departed from Honfleur on an expedition to the New World and founded the colony that became Quebec City. Stroll through the colorful harbor and along the narrow side streets to see Honfleur’s landmarks. The wooden Church of Sainte-Cathérine, crafted by 15th-century shipbuilders, is a special stand-out with ceilings over its two naves that resemble upturned hulls.

Relax over a group lunch.

Free Time: Explore on your own this afternoon in Honfleur. Indulging in Normandy’s delectable culinary treats should be high on your to-do list! The region has an enduring tradition of producing specialty cheeses that are among France’s best with the rich milk of the Normande cows. Sample its four world-class cheeses, Camembert de Normandie, Livarot, Neufchâtel and Pont-l’Evêque, which are all AOC-certified for origin and production methods. Pair them with some fresh crusty bread and a glass of the crisp, local apple cider!

Arromanches | Omaha Beach | Normandy American Cemetery | Pointe du Hoc

Enrichment: D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. During an insightful talk, discover the pivotal role that Normandy and its citizens played during this crucial period of the Allied war effort.

Discovery: D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
Activity level: Active 
Journey to the coast to begin your D-Day explorations. See Arromanches, site of one of the offshore mulberry harbors, and visit the museum. A feat of engineering, these artificial, floating harbors were a clever solution to the problem of how to funnel enormous resources into France to wage war against Hitler. Components, including hollow concrete blocks and floating steel roadways, were constructed in England and towed across the English Channel. Within days of Arromanches’ liberation, construction teams created a breakwater with the concrete blocks and sunken ship hulls and began assembling the pier roadways. When completed, these harbors could move 7,000 tons of vehicles and supplies per day from transport ships onto the shore.

Break for lunch at a restaurant in Arromanches.

Then, as you walk along Omaha Beach and see the memorials, contemplate the extraordinary bravery of the Allied landing forces, who advanced under devastating fire across the heavily fortified shoreline to overcome German troops.

In Colleville-sur-Mer, pay a poignant visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, set on a beautiful bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, which contains 9,385 graves of Americans who died in the invasion and subsequent battles, as well as a serene memorial garden honoring those missing in action.

Finally, visit Pointe du Hoc, where U.S. Rangers courageously scaled 100-foot cliffs to destroy German artillery emplacements that posed a threat to troops landing on Omaha and Utah beaches. With your guide, learn more about this treacherous mission and go inside the German defensive emplacement.

Château du Bec | Le Havre

Visit lovely Château du Bec, a 10th-century castle, where you’ll meet one of the owners and stroll through the grounds. Learn about regional cooking traditions from the chef, who’ll prepare a special lunch inspired by the recipe books of Claude Monet. Afterward, journey to the Musée Malraux of Modern Art, or MuMa, in Le Havre. In MuMa’s bright, airy galleries, view one of France’s largest collections of impressionist paintings, featuring works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Pissarro, Boudin and other masters.

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

Caen | Bayeux

 

 

Honfleur

Depart for home city

After breakfast, bid farewell to your fellow travelers. Depart for the airport in Paris and head home.