This French beach is where the allied troops arrived in 1944 to liberate Europe. It has been…read morerebuilt and is now a lively tourist area, but there are many reminders of the price that was paid by all the Allied Force Troops to create this much enjoyed freedom!

It was striking to set foot on Omaha Beach, and Omaha Beach was where the most horrendous American…read morelosses were suffered during the D-Day landings. The beach was quite flat and wide when we saw it at mid-tide, but at low tide when the troops landed, the width of the beach would have been an astounding 450 yards. It's no wonder the casualty rate of the first two landing waves was 90% as the GI's were sitting ducks under the heavy German machine gun fire. But a low tide landing was the plan so that the barricades and mines could be visible, so it was a tradeoff of two evils. Physically visiting this site gives you these insights and that was enlightening, but setting foot here on this once bloody beach where the course of world history hung in the balance was quite special and humbling.

There are few sensations more stimulating than being on a beach. Running your toes through the…read moresand, walking across broken shells, staring out at the water and dreaming about what lies on the other side of the horizon. Beaches sooth the soul, stimulate your neurons, and wash away the stresses of everyday life. Parisians are lucky to have the Normandy beaches just a 2.5hr drive from the city. And of all of the beaches that we've explored when we think of beach outing we thin of Trouville. The beach begins just behind the casino and stretches out far, far and away. On holiday weekends it's a bitter battle to find a spot anywhere close by, but who's going to give up and head home after driving 200km to be there?? There's a dead end street that runs parallel the main road with a diving school at the end. Take that street and turn around for as long as you have to to find a spot. There's an entrance there that leads right onto a part of the beach that's must more rustic and tranquil.

Come see what MONET saw and painted here (google it) and see the painting in the monet museum in…read moreparis. We rented a car and drove 4 hours east to the d day beaches to pay our respect and then drove one hour west (back toward paris) and spent the day in trouville sur mer. Its a quaint seaside french village. This body of water is the english channel. Now i understand why the germans wanted to control this area, they were only 80 miles across from england in the normandy area of france. We ate in a wonderful restaurant near the water and saw fishermen still in their gollashes bringing in the new catch and delivering it to the restaurants. The kids and I still talk about our side trip to this area of france.

Utah Beach is amazing , we're WE2 ended and liberated France . This is definitely a stop that…read moreeveryone should see if they are visiting in France. There is also an amazing museum to visit as well. This is definitely a part of history that is truly amazing

I always wanted to visit the site of the greatest military invasion in the history of the world,…read moreand Utah Beach was the westernmost of the 5 landing sites of that D-Day invasion. There is a Utah Beach Landing Museum present (which I did not visit), and various monuments. There is a prominent monument dedicated to Andrew Jackson Higgins for developing the essential Higgins Boat landing craft. Also nearby, but not right at Utah Beach, is a prominent leadership monument featuring Richard D Winters, the heroic commander of the "Band of Brothers", i.e. Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division. He paratrooped in at 1:30am on D-Day and landed nearby. I walked Utah Beach and it's flatter with no bluffs here compared to what we saw later at Omaha Beach about 10 miles to the east. I was surprised to learn the difference in the width of the beach between low and high tide is an astounding 450 yards! We saw this beach near high tide, and you'll see from the photos there's not that much beach, but there was on D-Day when they landed near low tide per the plan so that the barricades and mines and such would be visible. So much world-altering history here on the Normandy Beaches, it's all a must-see!

Ouistreham was a pleasant surprise on our Road Trip through France. Loved the location, our holiday…read morehome, found an amazing restaurant (Le Phare) and a brillant bakery. The town has also a very charming walking street. It's leading to this wonderful beach here. At the busiest point (where the walking street leads you) it has some market and food stalls, some games and rides and a big ferries wheel. You can rent some gear for some beach and watersports as well. The beach is really wide and long. Very clean and well taken care of. Lots of life guards on duty makes it a safe spot. What lifts it from good to great is the wonderful boardwalk here leading west. It goes a long way, an easy flat walk. Suitable also for strollers, wheelchairs. And dogs too (not on the beach though in high season). You pass some charming beach huts and a good handful of very interesting war memorials. Take your time reading the info plates. There's something to learn. A great beach. Something for everybody. For beach bums, sporty people, walkers or history buffs. A great place to be. Came here every day before dinner.

The famous cliffs. Of course this will be mostly the main reason one comes to this town. And it was…read morethe reason for our visit as well. The north of France is lovely and has some great spots. This is one of these great spots. Just be prepared that you won't be the only one around when visiting. When we arrived - on a weekday during Covid-19 - it was packed. Like really really packed. No chance for a parking lot in town or even the big lot a bit outside of town. Parked it somewhere a bit uphill east of the town, just beside the street like many other french folks did (turned out well). The cliffs and rock formations are indeed impressive Choose to walk up the cliffs on the left or on the right of the town and its beach. The more interesting formations though are on the left, the western side I'd say. The stone beach is a nice place to have a quick rest and to get some really good views of the cliffs/formations. Swim, if you like and dare - because the water is cold, even in summer. There's a narrow path leading up to the cliffs and to the formations. Also to some bigger viewing platforms. It is very narrow and difficult at times. Not difficult because it's a really tough hike. Because it's not so bad, even our English Bulldog managed to walk the whole way up and down again. But it was so overflowing with visitors, that it was hard to pass by. Because some sections are so narrow that only one person fits. And now imagine folks going up AND going down...also the first section with the stairs are a bit difficult (and slippery). But it's worth it. Bring a bit of time, a bit of patience. We've seen moody and rushing visitors. Dont' be one of them. If you visit a place like this, take your time. LOOK at the place and enjoy it. But one selfie and a post on social media seems to be enough for many. Too bad, you're missing out. Once you made it to the top it gets easier. People are spreading out in the bigger and flatter area up there. Be sure to check out the different viewing spots and platforms. Careful if you're afraid of heights though and hold onto to your hats...it's windy at times. The views are very rewarding. The cliffs and the formations amazing. Worth the - even though short - walk up here. You could continue your walk on the coastline up here further east. But calculate your time well - especially if your car is still in town. All in all a great visit to Etretat. The town itself is the typical tourist fare. But the cliffs are worth several hours of drive. And: there are fascinating bunkers and war memorials around as well. Very interesting history lesson.

Spectacular views to be enjoyed. And the scope & detail continue to change depending on where you…read moreare on the beach from one end to the other as well as the height. You can choose to climb above the spirals where the views, as beautiful as they are, actually don't compare to the opposite's end on the cliff- that was my favorite view! When it's sunny, they appear as white but when the sun starts to set behind them they are dark & the detail again makes them seem to transform right before your eyes. The town too is an excellent example of Norman architecture. Very quaint. It's a resort town so it's pricier. If you are touring the region of Normandy while in France- defiantly make time for this beautiful seaside area.

This is touted as the closest beach to Paris and such a treat…read more We visited in mid June, after a Dinêr en Blanc event, on an overcast day. That made it even more special. Sand between my toes and salt water in the air and on my skin is a win ten times out of ten. The ride there can take 2-3 hours, so bring snacks and such. Along the way remember to bask in France's gorgeous countryside, including white cows, wild lavender and vibrant orange-red poppies. What an experience!

Kids and I had a couple of wonderful 2 days at this beach. One day, we got an umbrella and 2 chairs…read morefor 20 euro and one day we just plopped down by the water. The only problem with the umbrellas is that they are far away from the water, so I could't be relaxing under an umbrella while the kids were in the water. The tide goes way out in the afternoon so it feels like kids are miles away. The breakfast was ridiculously expensive but we took the baguettes left over to the beach for lunch later. I think, we were the ONLY Americans in Deauville, which was nice but the fact that I speak zero French, made it interesting. LOVED the colorful umbrellas and the people watching. Kids and i also had fun playing mini golf. There was also horseback riding, an Olympic size pool...

This is the biggest museum regarding the English military involved in the allied battle groups…read moreNormandy invasion. This museum has detailed information regarding the Normandy invasion and final assault to push the SS army back to Germany. Details information includes location and troop number with landing area. The Normandy beach invasion includes British, Canadian and US army. This invasion is the most important in human history and begin of SS army retreat. The museum also displayed the artillery, tank, jeep, and more. The museum as displayed the famous general who participate in this war. The museum requires mask and fully vaccinated documents for visit. Parking is easy to get access. Worth the history review and details of the invasion.

Great little museum that gives an overview of WW2, including a 25 minute documentary style movie…read morethat's shown multiple times throughout the day in both English and French. We arrived at 4pm and stayed until close at 6, I would say you need 2-3 hours if you are someone who enjoys reading the displays and really taking everything in. They also offer a discounted price for entry into all 3 bayeux museums which is great.