D-Day Landings in Normandy by Air
About the tour: D-Day Landings in Normandy by Air
Tour Introduction
Join us for our popular WW2 introductory tour, now available by air. The 6 June 1944 was a turning point in the Second World War with the Allied landings on the Normandy coast during Operation Overlord – the Invasion of mainland Europe. On what is our main WW2 Introductory Tour we see some of the most iconic D-Day locations and visit all the D-Day landing beaches along the Normandy coastline as well as seeing the site of the Pegasus Bridge glider landing, and where the ‘Band of Brothers’ fought near St. Mère Eglise. Understand D-Day as you overlook Bloody Omaha, or visit the bunkers at Juno Beach and realise that events on these battle sites are what have defined our modern world.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Return flights from Southend to Caen
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Travel by Silver Service coach
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone 01709 385 624, you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Fly from Southend to Caen and transfer to our hotel for four nights.
Day 2 - Britain’s D-Day: Pegasus Bridge & British Beaches
We start at Pegasus Bridge, the scene of the first actions of D-Day, where Airborne troops stormed the position from gliders and held on until the linkup with ground forces from Sword Beach was made. We see where the gliders landed, the Gondrée Café – arguably the first house liberated on D-Day – and visit the Memorial Pegasus Museum where the original bridge is located. In Ranville we see the Airborne graves and after lunch, proceed on to the British landing beaches, starting at Sword Beach. At Juno Beach we visit the Juno Beach Centre which explains the story of the Canadian role in the Battle of Normandy, and at Gold Beach, see where some of the heaviest casualties were suffered by British troops storming the tough defences at Asnelles. We end the day at Arromanches where the Mulberry Harbour was constructed, much of which is still visible out to sea.
Included meals: Breakfast
Pegasus Bridge (5)
Key Visits
- Juno Beach
- Pegasus Bridge
- Sword Beach
- Arromanches
Day 3 - America’s D-Day: Bloody Omaha & American Airborne
The story of ‘Bloody Omaha’ and the terrible American sacrifice here on D-Day has been immortalised in the film Saving Private Ryan. Uncover the real story with a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Omaha Beach where the landings took place, seeing the memorial to the 29th Division. We also take time to visit the Overlord Museum-Omaha Beach, before taking lunch in St. Mère Église, and then looking at the story of the US Airborne forces at the new Richard Winters Leadership Memorial; Dick Winters commanded Easy Company of 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the ‘Band of Brothers’. At Utah Beach we follow the story of the successful landings and visit the expanded Utah Beach Museum. We end the day at the German Cemetery at La Cambe, where German Tank Ace Michael Wittmann is buried.
Included meals: Breakfast
Richard Winters Leadership Memorial (7)
Key Visits
- Omaha Beach
- Overlord Museum
- Richard Winters Leadership Memorial
- Utah Beach Museum
- German Cemetery la Cambe
- Normandy American Cemetery
Day 4 - Battle of the Bocage: Falaise Gap
We start our look at the fighting beyond D-Day in the bocage countryside south of Bayeux. We examine the bloody battles for Tilly-sur-Seulles and the tough fighting at Fontenay le Pesnel. Driving through the so-called ‘Scottish Corridor’ over the river Odon, we visit Hill 112 with its Churchill tank memorial. Lunch in Falaise, followed by a visit to the Falaise Pocket and a short walk along the ‘Corridor of Death’, used by the Germans to make their retreat in August 1944. On Mont Ormel we visit the Polish Memorial to their ferocious battle and end the day by seeing a very rare original Tiger I tank at Vimoutiers.
Included meals: Breakfast
Corridor Of Death (2)
Key Visits
- Corridor Of Death
- Fontenay le Pesnel
- Falaise Pocket
- Polish Memorial
- Churchill Tank Memorial
Day 5
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
Included meals: Breakfast
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
You will stay for four nights at either the Ibis Caen Herouville Savary or the 2-star Hotel Carline Caen Nord.
Upgrade to the 4-star Novotel Caen Cote de Nacre (Tour Ref K4FDNH).
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay or the option to meet us at the interchange, our travel extras allow you to create a travel experience to suit your needs...
Join coach at Interchange
+ Find out moreJoin your tour coach at the interchange.
On most tours if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes tours to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
