Trip advice for Normandy 2023

[Darrin Wright]

Hello all,
after some trip advice for attending Normandy in early June 2023.
The normal travel sites do not have info on vehicle gatherings for enthusiasts etc.
Planning on driving (hire car) there Sunday afternoon 28 May and departing Thursday afternoon 8 June

Where are some of the commemoration areas & events this year?
Best places for vehicle gatherings and any swap/sales areas?
Any organised events/gatherings?
Advice on places to stay?
Any other interesting places not on the usual tourist brochures?

Appreciate any info from those that have been recently (post Covid).
Thanks

[maple_leaf_eh]

I've never been to France; just flown over it several times. There are battlefield tour maps which give routes and landmarks for visitors to find things on their own. Someone smarter than me will know more specifics to advise.

I would suggest deciding on which part of the region is important for you will narrow your considerations. The American side, the British beaches, or the Canadian portion? The breakout areas? Or, the major battles?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hi Darrin,

This may be of help: https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/bro...ay-1944-guide/

[Darrin Wright]

Thanks for the info, the guide is handy and I did not have that.
i do have a couple of books, and our 4 weeks away has blown out to 6 weeks (should or could be 2 years to see and do everything and experience the culture).
Hoping to hear about Groups/Clubs and what they may have organised and where they may be staying.

Thank you

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Darrin, keep track of the Normandy tourist information website, they usually publish a full roster of D-Day related events.

[Lang]

Darrin

This is the best I have seen for first time do-it-yourself tourists.

https://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/beaches.html

Lang

[James P]

Originally Posted by Lang

Darrin

This is the best I have seen for first time do-it-yourself tourists.

https://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/beaches.html

Lang

Try also to take a run over to Objective Hillman, standing on it you can clearly see why it was sited (very well) at that location and the surrounding lands/built up areas look unchanged from back in the day. This was the objective that held up 3rd Brit Infantry Div and thus left the Canadian flank exposed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillman_Fortress

[Hanno Spoelstra]

This may be of interest as well: https://www.normandybunkers.com/

[Big D]

Hi Darrin,

Carentan is a central sort of area for events and parts markets in Normandy during the celebrations and I’ve stayed in the centre of town there a few times. It is a neat little town and the people there are great. There are parades there involving current military from the US, Germany, Belgium. France etc.

You will probably find now though that accommodation anywhere around there was booked some time ago. I had a quick look at accommodation recently and you’d have to cast the net a bit wider – around 30kms out of Carentan there were a few places still available. This is still pretty handy but you won’t get the feel of things happening around you all the time. I’d be inclined to take what you can get now as the accommodation will slowly dry up as it gets closer to the time.

The big military parts markets are at Carentan, St Mere Eglise, Vierville sur Mer, Ecausseville and St Marie du Mont. There were others but I'd have to try and recall the names. There should be a schedule of dates for those military markets out soon.

Some places I’d recommend are Dead Man’s Corner Museum, St. Come Du Mont, the American Cemetery at Colleville- Sur-Mer, the German Cemetery at La Cambe, Pegasus Bridge and Pointe du Hoc. The list goes on….

Good luck with the planning.