Coastal Normandy and WWII History

“Great way to visit Normandy and see where battles took place.” —C.D.

★★★★★★4.5/5 (2)

5 nights | 36 miles/day
Self guided from EUR € 1675
Bike tour in France

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Coastal Normandy and WWII History

From Caen to St Mere l' Eglise, embark on a WW2 memorial tour of Normandy, cycling along the beaches where the famous landings took place and through cities full of history.

Starting in Caen where you can visit the WWII Memorial, cycle the Calvados region to the famous Pegasus Memorial and Museum. The tour then takes you to Bayeux, famous for its 11th-century tapestry. On the way there, you will stop in Arromanches where you can visit the Landing museum. Continue cycling along the coast, and you will get the chance to visit Omaha beach with the US Military Cemetery, the Pointe du Hoc, Utah beach and other famous historical battle sites.

This tour is as beautiful as it is emotional.
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Highlights
- WWII History
- Gold, Sword, Carentan, and Utah Beaches
- Pegasus Memorial and museum
- Bayeux Tapestry
- US Military cemetery
- Caen
- St. Marie du Mont
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Coastal Normandy and WWII History

Tour Description Daily Program
Daily program

Day 1: Arrival in Caen
Arrival in Caen - the main city of the region and home of the WWII Peace Memorial. Check in to your hotel and then enjoy some free time and explore Caen. A museum visit of the Caen Memorial is a highly informative and complete start of your tour. Orientation in the evening with an English speaking guide.
Overnight in Caen

Day 2: Loop ride to the Beaches of Normandy (option: 25 miles/40 km, 80m elevation gain or 31 miles/50 km, 90m elevation gain)
Cycle to Merville-Franceville-Plage sur Mer in the Calvados area and visit the Battery Museum. Then head on to Pegasus Bridge, originally named the Benouville Bridge. There, you can visit the Pegasus Memorial and museum, dedicated to the first liberators who arrived in Normandy on the night of 5th/6th June 1944.

Finally, you will arrive in Ouistreham where, on Riva Bella, you will have an overview on the landing area of Sword Beach. Here you can visit the Atlantic Wall Museum, inside the "Big Bunker," a former German headquarters. The Belvedere has an interesting orientation table and in front of the casino you can visit the Landing museum.
Overnight in Caen

Day 3: Caen – Bayeux (36 miles/58 km, 349m elevation gain)
Today you will ride from Caen to Bayeux. You will reach Arromanches & Gold Beach, where you can visit Arromanches 360, a circular theatre where "The Price of Freedom" is shown on nine screens. In the D-Day Landing Museum in Arromanches you will learn about the construction and operation of the artificial harbors assembled in front of Arromanches on the days following D-Day.

You will finish in Bayeux, where you may take the opportunity to visit one of the many points of interest of this town of art. The Bayeux Tapestry – 230 ft long and 2 ft high (70m x 50 cm), completed in the 11th century- is unique in the world. Other visits include the recently re-opened Musée de la Bataille de Normandy and Mémorial du Général de Gaulle.
Overnight in Bayeux

Day 4: Bayeux – St Marie du Mont (44 miles/70 km, 336m elevation gain)
A strong ride today from Bayeux to discover some of the most famous WWII sites in the area: Colleville-sur-Mer and Omaha beach. In Colleville take some time to visit the US Military Cemetery, the chapel and the memorial dedicated to the youth of America.

There is also a viewpoint which overlooks Omaha Beach. After you continue to ride to La Pointe du Hoc, Carentan and Utah beach.
Overnight in St. Marie du Mont

Day 5: Loop ride to St. Mere Eglise (30 miles/49 km, 188m elevation gain)
A loop tour from your hotel will first focus on the Utah Beach landings close to your hotel, then move north toward the point on the coast at Quineville then inland to St Mere Eglise, and a visit the famous battery of Crisbecq, Azeville and the very famous village of Ste Marie du Mont. Then back to your hotel.
Overnight in St. Marie du Mont

Day 6: Departure
Departure after breakfast at your leisure. Trains through Bayeux and on to Paris are possible.

Surface and terrain

The route contains some rolling hills and the tour is on quiet roads about 95% of the tour.

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.

Category A: 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels

Hotel Le Dauphin, Caen
www.le-dauphin-normandie.com

Villa Lara, Bayeux
www.hotel-villalara.com

Le Grand Hard, Sainte Marie du Mont
www.legrandhard.fr

Category B: 3- and 4-star hotels

Hotel Le Dauphin, Caen
www.le-dauphin-normandie.com

Lion d'Or, Bayeux
www.liondor-bayeux.fr

Le Grand Hard, Sainte Marie du Mont
www.legrandhard.fr

Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.

How to get there

Tour start
Nearest airport: Paris
Nearest train station: Caen

Tour end
Nearest airport: Paris
Nearest train station: Carentan

The arrival city is Caen; from Paris St Lazare by train in 2 hours. Departure city Carentan, by train to Paris St Lazare in 2 hours 30min. Flights between Caen and Paris possible.

Tips on getting to and from your tour

Coastal Normandy and WWII History

Tour Photos Dates & Prices

Dates

Daily: year-round, 2023

Prices

Tour package

	Category A	Category B
Per person, double occupancy	€1805	€1675
Single use room (1 person/1 room)	€2325	€2035
Solo traveler (1 person in party with single use room)	€2530	€2325

Bike Rentals

Electrically-assisted bike	€140
Road bike	€140

Included services

5 nights accommodations in the selected category
Breakfasts
Luggage transfers
Detailed road book, including details maps, touristic information, step by step itinerary and cue sheets
Technical and emergency support available at all times
2 dinners included with category A (3 dinners included with category B).
Hybrid bike rental
Guidance Application (phone not provided)
Orientation in person

Bike rentals

Bikes available and included in the tour cost (must be reserved in advance at time of booking):

Hybrid touring bikes

Bikes available for rent (must be reserved in advance at time of booking) include:

Road bikes
Electrically assisted bike*

*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Equipment included with bike:

Helmet
Garming GPS
Odometer
Lock
Pannier and handlebar bag (hybrid bike)
Saddle bag (road bike)
Water bottle
Repair kit (spare tube, tool kit, patch kit, pump)

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

Helmet:
A helmet is included with your bike rental, however, we do recommend that you bring you own helmet for saftey and hygiene reasons.

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Tour Company

Coastal Normandy and WWII History

Daily program Route Map

Route Map

Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.

Coastal Normandy and WWII History

Dates & Prices Tour Reviews
Reviews

Write a review
- ★★★★★ Brendan June 21, 2017
  
  Extraordinary Adventure
  
  Disclaimer: I wanted to show my kids the Normandy battlefields and we did just that. And my youngest child, an eight year old rock star, was on this trip which is not normal. But it also made it extraordinary. She biked every mile on the route btw! But buyer beware! This may not be the trip for you!
  The positive points:
  1. Good hotels. Especially Le Grand Hard (near St.Marie du Mont); it is extraordinary and you won't want to leave. It's a 15 minute bike ride from Utah Beach. That is not the case for the other hotels.
  2. Good bikes and service. Dropping off the bikes on the first night, David was prompt, professional and made the fitting fun and easy. All the bikes performed as advertised.
  3. The countryside is extraordinary - even without the famous and inspiring battlefields. Each beach is different and each day is different. I definitely recommend going from east to west!
  4. Some concerns: the GPS and route maps are almost worthless considering the technology on your phone. Google Maps, especially, had
  better bike routes than what the guidebooks were describing. The GPS units are way out of date and I would NEVER suggest this trip without a working phone with Google Maps! It saved the day often - especially for side trips and accurate mileage and arrival times. The tour company should get updated with current technology ASAP!
  5. The return trips to Caen and Bayeaux take away from time at battlefield museums and introduce unnecessary busy roads. There are closer hotels near the beaches. Bayeaux was lovely and the tapestry a highlight but the mileage was too unbalanced.
  Everyone at Biketours.com was super friendly and helpful. Food was good. But bring your phone with a good data plan! Because without it, you will be lost and probably going the wrong way. Lots of beautiful little country roads in Normandy. You will be tired every night!
  
  What was the date of your tour?
  June 11-17
  How many tours have you completed?
  More than 10/First for family
  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
  As expected
  Who is this tour suitable for?
  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
  Do you recommend this tour?
  Yes
  - 3/5 Value
  - 4/5 Included meals
  - 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 5/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 1/5 Ease of navigation
  - 2/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 2/5 Route selection
- ★★★★★ Crewdog10 April 4, 2016
  
  Great way to visit the Normandy coast and see first hand where it took place.
  
  The hotel accommodations were great. Everyone that we came into contact with were wonderful .
  
  How many tours have you completed?
  8
  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
  As expected
  Who is this tour suitable for?
  Families with teens, First-time bike tourists
  Do you recommend this tour?
  Yes
  - 5/5 Value
  - 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 4/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 5/5 Ease of navigation
  - 5/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 5/5 Route selection
Coastal Normandy and WWII History

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