• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  France • Trip Reports  >  A Unforgettable Trip To Normandy Via Brittany Ferries
FranceTrip Reports

A Unforgettable Trip To Normandy Via Brittany Ferries

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 6, 2019June 6, 2019 10 Comments

As we reflect upon the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, my thoughts were drawn back to my 2009 visit to the beaches of Normandy. This report was originally published on May 28, 2018.


Some trips leave indelible marks, with sights and sounds forever-ingrained in your memory. My journey to the beaches and cemeteries of Normandy was one such trip.

My uncle and I were in London, but wanted to visit the famous of World War II beaches in the Normandy region of western France. Rather than fly to Paris and take a train, we opted to take a train to Portsmouth, England than an overnight ferry to Caen. We’d spend the day in Normandy, then take an overnight ferry back to England.

This trip was in Spring 2009…before I started blogging. Thus, there will not be a detailed review of Brittany Ferries and its amenities. In fact, for both voyages we simply retreated to our room, turned the lights out, and went to sleep.

But what a great solution that was. At about 150GBP r/t, the cost of a compartment for two was less than the cost of a three-star hotel room and we saved literally two days by traveling overnight.

We left rainy Portsmouth on Tuesday evening at 10:45p, with a 6:45a arrival in Caen. Including the one-hour time change, that left 6.5 hours for sleeping: a relatively short night. Radios in the compartment began blaring classical music about a half hour before arrival.

Upon reaching Caen, a representative from Avis met us at the ferry port and drove us to the Avis office in town, where a small Citroën was assigned to us. Small problem: only manual transmission vehicles were available. I had never driven a manual transmission and my uncle had not driven one in 30 years.

Driving would be an adventure that day: sometimes painful (plenty of stalls), sometimes fun. Thankfully, the roads in this region of France were largely deserted.

Visiting Normandy American Cemetery

Our first stop was the Normandy American Cemetery, which overlooks the beaches where the WWII Normandy landing took place.

The memorial and cemetery spans 172 acres and includes 9,385 graves. Most deaths occurred during the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.

Omaha Beach is below.

In addition to the cemetery and chapel, a beautiful museum re-tells the story of World War II.

Visiting Utah Beach

We continued on to Utah Beach, another beach used by Allied powers during the D-Day invasion.

It was sobering to walk out onto the beach and realize that so many troops who landed on this beach never came home. On this day, the beach was calm. There were no other people around. It was surreal.

I’ll note once again that it seemed we had the whole region to ourselves. We passed very few other cars during the day.

German Cemetery in France?

We drove through Bayeux and found a road sign for La Cambe German war cemetery. The Germans too? It was not part of the plan to stop, but we did.

Ask yourself this: what do you do with thousands of body in the middle of the war? It is not exactly easy to bring them back to Great Britain, the USA, or Germany. Indeed, La Cambe was a battlefield cemetery, with Americans buried on one side and Germans on the others.

After the War, the U.S. opted to exhume its servicemen and move them to the Normandy cemetery or back to the USA. The Germans, which already had some World War I soldiers buried there, were granted control of this cemetery and have maintained it ever since. Over 21,000 German soldiers who died in World War II are buried there.

Visting Caen

Evening had set in and we drove back to Caen. We checked out Château de Caen, an ancient castle (built in 1060) overlooking Abbey of Saint-Étienne, a former Benedictine monastery.

Dinner + A Scare

We found a restaurant nearby and enjoyed a nice dinner…before noticing we had lost track of time! There was just 30 minutes before boarding and were 30 minutes from the ferry port. Rushing off, we took several wrong turns (no navigation…we were just using a map) and genuinely feared we would miss our boat. But we made it. A couple stalls didn’t help.

Returning the car was as easy as parking it in the ferry parking lot and leaving the key at the tourist information desk. Things are just a bit more informal in this region of France.

The return ferry left at 11pm and arrived at 6:45a: an extra 1hr45min over the outbound voyage. We slept much better.

CONCLUSION

My trip to Normandy was one of the best day trips of my life. To see first-hand the World War II beaches and cemeteries was very sobering and meaningful. Both of my grandfathers served in the U.S. Army and to see where one served in France made the visit even more special.

We could have spent a lot more time here: this is a beautiful, laid-back region of France. We missed out on the Bayeux Tapestry and I would have liked to visit British, French, and Canadian cemeteries as well.

But make no mistake: even a day trip is worthwhile. This is a must-see region of France for anyone who is interested in World War II. And the ferries? They worked out splendidly.

Previous Article My Spectacular New Camera For Travel Blogging Is A Phone
Next Article Uber Copter Will Compete With BLADE For Manhattan – JFK Traffic

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

10 Comments

  1. Phil Duncan Reply
    May 28, 2018 at 1:12 pm

    This is a trip I’ve made a few times in my life and will be again this week. It’s well worth it just to remember the fallen including an uncle I never knew and there is so much more to Normandy too. You can easily fill a week or longer.

    Brittany Ferries operate two excellent ferries on this route, I think Matthew was on the Normandie which is still in top notch condition and I’ll be on it later this week. The alternative is the newer Mont St. Michel which is even smarter. If building goes to plan the Normandie will be replaced this time next year by the brand new Honfleur which promises to make an excellent experience even better.

  2. JoeMart Reply
    May 28, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    Very commendable, honoring the brave people who fought during that critical moment in history.

  3. mojo Reply
    May 28, 2018 at 4:19 pm

    Matt,

    Great travelogue, great photos, and great trip. No doubt it will remain at or very close to the top of your favorite trip list forever 🙂

    I took my mum to Europe in 1999, and Normandy was one of our stops (we drove there from Paris). Normandy wan wonderful and, indeed sobering. Very friendly folk there, and fantastic food as well.

  4. Paolo Reply
    May 29, 2018 at 8:10 am

    These places are sobering yet not necessarily sombre. I make a point to visit them where possible, not to be maudlin but rather to try to understand a bit better. The French do a pretty amazing job of recognising the sacrifices others made , in both world wars, through the maintenance of these sites and the education facilities linked to them ( with the support of foreign govts).
    Normandy is truly beautiful at any time but especially so in winter.

  5. Steve Reply
    June 6, 2019 at 8:57 pm

    Thanks for posting this. An excellent report. I have been to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg and it was very moving. I need to get to Normandy!

  6. Larry B Reply
    June 6, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    Thanks, Matt

    I visited the American Cemetery during an afternoon driving back from Coutances to Paris in 1999 or 2000. I also visited a Ranger Cemetery. For my experience, in the windy cold in February, a frozen camera still couldn’t do justice for the images I was seeing. I was lucky enough to have time to just drive and stop and look at all the historical sites and vistas. Blown open German pillboxes, craggy cliffs, the powerful imagery of the American Cemetery as you’ve captured them…
    Again, thanks for the memories.

  7. derek Reply
    June 7, 2019 at 11:09 am

    Best post of the week! Thank you. I will return later today to re-read this fine article.

    A way I would like to go is to fly to Jersey, see that place then take a ferry to St. Malo, France, renting a car in France.

    About manual transmissions, this will be a problem for Americans. Fewer and fewer drive them. New car sales are about 99% automatics or higher. Even the few cars that have manuals available, maybe 2-5% are manuals. Soon, Americans will travel to Europe and be unable to drive many of their rental cars.

    I was once in a similar situation. There was so many Americans waiting in the car rental office for automatics to be returned and re-rented. The office clerk asked if I would accept a manual because, if so, a car would be ready immediately. Sure! I might have saved 2 hours?

    • derek Reply
      June 7, 2019 at 11:14 am

      I’ve been to another American cemetery. It is so quiet. No visitors. The lawns are so manicured. RIP

  8. Gene Neps Reply
    June 7, 2019 at 6:46 pm

    My family and I spent four days in Normandy 10 years ago. We stayed at a wonderful B&B called La Ducrie run by two British ex-pats, Joe and Vivienne. Joe gave us a couple of handmade maps so we could do a self-guided tour. We watched Saving Private Ryan the night before to remind us of the cost that day. It was easy to imagine D-Day at Utah Beach and Pointe Du Hoc. Omaha Beach was just a normal public beach now. You’d never know what happened there by looking at it.

  9. Gary Croix Reply
    February 10, 2020 at 11:00 am

    Thanks for posting this! We took a guided tour from Paris to Normandy, and my mother in law really would like to visit Normandy.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • United Airlines CEO Says USA Is The “Greatest Country In The History Of The Planet” May 29, 2023
  • Coat Overhead Bin
    Is It Rude To Place Your Coat In The Aircraft Overhead Bin? May 29, 2023
  • United Club Fly Lounge DEN Review
    Review: United Club Fly Lounge Denver (DEN) May 29, 2023
  • United Pop-Up Club DEN Review
    Review: United Airlines Pop-Up Club Denver (DEN) May 29, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Punches United Airlines Gate Agent
    Man Repeatedly Punches United Airlines Gate Agent After She Asked Him To Vacate First Class Seat He Poached May 3, 2023
  • Delta Air Lines Seat Recline
    Delta Air Lines Passenger Freaks Out After Passenger Pushed Her Seat When She Reclined May 1, 2023
  • American Airlines Pins Cockpit Door
    American Airlines First Class Passenger So Angry Over Meal Choices He Pins Flight Attendant To Cockpit Door May 11, 2023
  • Cursing Fight United Airlines
    “Don’t You Ever Tell Me To Speak English!” (Fight Breaks Out On My United Airlines Flight) May 17, 2023

Archives

May 2023
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.