Visit D Day beaches

Visit D Day beaches from Paris

D Day beaches are 250km from Paris by A13 (locate D day beaches on France map). You can go there on your own in a day. If you can, stay overnight near D Day beaches, a lovely french region (see D Day map).

If you have one day, go on a D Day tour as this will be simpler, more relaxing and interesting.

D Day beaches main sights

The main D Day beach sights are Pointe du Hoc, the Colleville American Cemetery, Arromanches. If you have more time, visit the Caen Memorial.

This part of Normandy is quite lovely. We also recommend you to visit the city of Bayeux and its famous tapestry, the city of Caen and the village of Beuvron. Don't forget the food in Normandy is quite good and many restaurants are affordable.

History of D Day

On June 6, 1944, 160 000 Allied Troops landed on a 50 mile stretch of fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy.

The commander in chief of the troops, General Eisenhower, called D Day a crusade in which «we will accept nothing less than full victory».

More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircrafts supported the D-Day invasion. By day’s end, the Allies had gained a foot- hold in Normandy.

The cost of D Day was high with more than 9 000 soldiers killed or wounded. But more than 100 000 Soldiers marched across Europe to defeat Hitler.

Allied forces that saw combat on D Day came from Canada, the UK, the USA and France. In the weeks following the invasion, Polish forces joined.

There were contingents from Australia, Belgium, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands.

France will never forget all those who fell in combat to free France and Europe from the Nazis.