Tour Normandy

May 21 - 26, 2025

Schedules and sites visited are subject to availability

Price per Person

Tour costs will be available as soon as all vendor contracts are completed.  As of October 1, your hosts are working with tour agencies to complete contracts with hotels and coaches as soon as possible.  Registration will be available as soon as contracts are in place.  See below for what is included and what is not included.

About the Tour

In Normandy, we will have the opportunity to experience the history and culture of the area where our early Poingdestre ancestors lived when Jersey was still part of the Duchy of Normandy.  The tour begins with a ferry ride from Jersey to Saint-Malo, Brittany on May 21st.

Forty miles across the Channel from Jersey is Saint-Malo, Brittany, located on the coast near the Normandy border.  After a one-night stay in this walled city, we visit the magnificent Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. The well recognized island is also home to a medieval village, museums, restaurants and shops.  After leaving Mont-Saint-Michel, we travel a short distance to the city of Avranches to visit the Scriptorial d'Avranches, a museum housing a collection of 200 illustrated manuscripts which were created by the monks of Mont-Saint-Michel.  We stay overnight in Avranches.

The next day our bus takes us to Coutances to visit the Gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame de Coutances, constructed in the 13th century.  Until the reign of Henry VIII, the Channel Islands were part of the dioceses of Coutances.  Then we travel through the pretty Norman countryside to Bayeux, our base for the next two nights.  Here we visit the museum of the Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 A.D., from the winner's point of view of course.  

On our second day in Bayeux, we take the full day to pay tribute to the events surrounding D-Day, June 6, 1944.  We will see Omaha Beach and remember the sacrifices made at this very spot.  At Sainte Mère Église, the first town liberated in WWII, we will see the church where its postwar stained glass windows honor the paratroopers.  We will also visit the Airborne Museum with its roof built to resemble a parachute.  We will also stop at Pointe-du-Hoc, the 100-foot cliff scaled by the American Rangers on the morning of June 6.  Solemnly, we will visit the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.  Overall, this is an emotional day.

The next day we will bid farewell to Bayeux as our bus takes us to the city of Caen, where the remains of William the Conqueror are buried in the L'Abbaye-aux-Hommes.  Leaving Caen, we drive toward our final destination in time to arrive for our guided walking tour of the capital city of Normandy, Rouen.  We will explore its pedestrian city center, medieval cathedral (made famous by the painter Monet), see the Gros Horloge (astronomical clock dated to 1389) and learn about the sites related to the Norman dukes and Jeanne d'Arc.  Then it's to our hotel and our final dinner together.

In the morning we wake early, have a quick breakfast, and then our bus departs the hotel to take us to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris for flights home or for you to make your own way to other destinations.  

Tour Guides in Normandy

• We will have step-on or private tour guides at Mont-Saint-Michel, our visit to D-Day sites, the Abbey in Caen, and the walking tour in Rouen.
• The Bayeux Tapestry has audio-guided tours.
• Jamie, Michele, and Rosie will guide us throughout the tour.

What's Included in the Tour Package

• Ferry from Jersey to Saint-Malo, Brittany, France
• One night lodging in Saint-Malo
• One night lodging in Avranches
• Two nights lodging in Bayeux
• One night lodging in Rouen
• Breakfasts and dinners
• Tour bus and driver to locations visited by the entire group
• Admission fees for sites visited by the entire group
• Professional tour guides at specific locations
• Transportation from Rouen hotel to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

What's Excluded in the Tour Package

• Airfare from Paris to your U.S. or next destination
• Travel insurance costs
• Ferry and airline baggage fees
• Lunches, snacks, drinks, etc.
• Personal items, souvenirs, shopping expenses, and any incidentals
• Laundry of your clothing

 

At the end the tour we say à bientôt to France.