Walking The D – Day Beaches And Beyond

7th October - 11th October 2024- £749 pp

******* Sold Out ********

Once again after the phenomenal demand and amazing success of our 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and impending 2023 walking tours across the Somme, Ypres Salient and beaches of Dunkirk we have once again teamed up with Ian Northcott of Mercian Nordic Walking (www.merciannordicwalking.co.uk) to bring you something completely different again!

This time we are hitting the beaches of Normandy, the D – Day beaches!

These tours were previously predominantly for Nordic Walkers, but after the success of our “Walking the beaches of Dunkirk” tour where ramblers and general walkers joined our Nordic Walkers in unison, this tour is open to anyone who likes walking in whatever way they do! There is always the opportunity to try a bit of Nordic Walking and see if its for you with our fully trained and certificated walk leader Ian to!

As always, this tour will bring fun, emotion, history and a little fitness together for an amazing five days walking across the battlefields and beaches that D – Day and beyond happened!

You will be taking in some of the must-see sites that you will never forget. For those who haven’t been on any of our walking tours the walks will be filled with there normal fact filled stops and presentations as well as fun, discussion and surprises! You will literally be walking in the footsteps of history!

Once again though we do not forget those who prefer not to walk or like to see their partner walk off for a few hours so there are also options for non-walkers, so if your partners, friends or family prefer to leave the walking to you then don’t leave them at home as they can join the tour and be able to visit the same sites, and a few more via our motorized transport! (Coach - also fully guided)

Collection points will start in the Bromsgrove area (you will be notified of the collection point in Bromsgrove nearer to the time of departure) We will then have various pickups along the M40, M25 and A3 motorway service stations on route to Portsmouth according to the area’s bookings are taken.

The itinerary will include but will not be limited to -

Day One – Due to ferry times this will predominantly be a travel day with arrival in Normandy in the afternoon, we will however be stopping at one or two places of interest to get you in the mood for the next few days and bring into context what you are about to experience. We will then head to our hotel which is in a prime location and based in the area of a very famous film based on the D – Day landings!

Days two / three / four – After a nice evening relaxing the next three days will be boots on the ground time! Walkers will begin their journey across the history filled beaches including walks along four of the landing beaches, Gold, Juno, Sword, and Omaha all with stops and presentations along the way to really bring the now quiet beaches back to life and help you feel what it was like back on June 6th 1944 and that history changing day.

A visit as a group to Utah beach and Pont Du Hoc will be included also so you will see and visit all five landing areas.

The walks will vary in length and difficulty, but everyone will be informed of the level of walking capability required each morning for each walk so you can size it up and decide if it’s a coach day or walking day for you!

Throughout the middle three days we will also visit as a group places such as Pegasus Bridge, Longues German Battery, Bayeux Cemetery, St Mere Eglise, La Cambe German Cemetery, the band of brothers memorial, the American cemetery and the British Normandy Memorial where we will lay a wreath as a group.

Non walkers will also visit Ranville Cemetery, the site of the only VC to be awarded on D-Day and some other smaller sites.

Lunch will be had as a group on each day.

Each day will end back at the previously mentioned hotel in an area surrounded by fantastic restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. There are also some stunning views around the harbour and beach, and all this is just a five minute walk from our hotel!

Day Five – Again due to ferry times this will be a travel day with a very early start and ferry crossing but will not finish once we are on that ferry! Upon arrival back in Portsmouth there will be time to have some breakfast and take in some of the area that many of the ships left for the beaches you have just walked. We have also secured a discounted entrance fee to the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth (your own expense) so you can finish the tour looking at the fantastic displays knowing you have just been there if you so wish.

Drop offs will be in the reverse of pickups and our final drop off back in Bromsgrove will be late afternoon

As with all our tours numbers are being capped at 35 so everyone has a comfortable journey while on the coach and there are now limited spaces so if you want to join this amazing tour booking asap is strongly advised!

A non refundable deposit of £99 will secure your seat on this truly different battlefield tour. Full and final payment is due on or before June 31st 2024. Instalments are excepted as long as final total is paid on time.

All enquiries, bookings, or questions to enquiries@baxters-battlefieldtours.com or call us on 07545242257.

*Tour price includes collection and drop off from designated collection / drop off points, ferry crossing to and from France, hotel stay for 4 nights, coach travel across the battlefields of France to and from the hotel base, a wreath for laying as a group at the Normandy memorial, breakfast on days 2,3,4 and 5, guidance from 2 battlefield guides throughout the tour, a qualified Nordic walking instructor, and services of the tour manager.

**Upon booking you confirm you have read and agree to our terms and conditions as per our website