Experience the perspective of World War II soldiers in June 1944 with the D-Day: 70th Anniversary of the Allied Landings expedition operated by National Trust Tours.

Tour Dates
May 16-23, 2014
September 6-13, 2014

Highlights:

• Join the year-long 70th anniversary to commemorate the valiant forces that participated in the 1944 D-Day Landings.
• Learn of the days ramping up to D-Day and battle staging in the UK while visiting key sites in London and Portsmouth.
• Visit the vast WWII exhibition space at the newly renovated Imperial War Museum (reopening in 2014).
• Special visits include Bletchley Park to discover the story behind the Enigma Code; Southwick House where Eisenhower made the decision to carry out the D-Day landings; and Chateau de Creully, used by the BBC to broadcast the invasion.
• Interact with individuals and places which today still bear testimony of the sacrifice and courage of Allied Troops during WWII.
• Enjoy four nights in Normandy at a hotel chosen for its comfort and location.

Accommodations

• London: Millennium Bailey’s Hotel is a restored Victorian townhouse centrally located in the heart of London’s South Kensington neighborhood. The hotel boasts several restaurants featuring both regional and international cuisine. Guestrooms include tea and coffee makers, irons, hairdryer, and mini bar.
• Normandy: Ferme de la Rançonnière, in the countryside, is well located for visiting the D-Day beaches and related sites. This rural boutique property offers comfortable rooms full of character like exposed beams and stonework and warm fabrics and furnishings. The gourmet restaurant offers regional specialties in a rustic and authentic setting
• Paris: Radisson Blu Ambassador is situated in the heart of the famed Opera District, just steps away from world-renowned attractions. Guestrooms are well-appointed while the stylish restaurant and historic Bar Lindbergh offer guests elegant spaces to relax and enjoy their stay.

Study Leader Information
Enjoy thoughtful and engaging discussion and guidance with World War II expert and history presenter, Flint Whitlock. A former U.S. Army officer and son of a WWII veteran, Flint is the editor of WWII Quarterly magazine, a frequent keynote speaker, and an award-winning author of dozens of magazine articles and nine books related to World War II, including two detailing the D-Day operation.

Tour Itinerary
Day 1 - Depart the U.S for London.

Day 2 - London
Arrive in London and transfer to the hotel. After check in, enjoy time at leisure before an afternoon visit to Winston Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms and adjoining Museum. It is from this underground “safe place” where Churchill directed the British war effort and where visitors can see maps, telephones, and bunks preserved since 1945. In the evening, enjoy a private reception and dinner at the hotel.

Day 3 - London/Bletchley Park/Imperial War Museum
Travel to Bletchley Park and discover the real story behind the Enigma Code breakers, credited with shortening the war by successfully deciphering the encryption used by the Wehrmacht to safeguard its messages. Have a light lunch in Bletchley Park’s Café, located in the code-breaking hut that housed the wartime Naval Intelligence Section. In the afternoon, visit the newly renovated Imperial War Museum to explore its vast WWII collection.

Day 4 - London/Portsmouth/Normandy
Travel by coach to Portsmouth where the first stop is at the Southwick House, Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force, where Eisenhower made his “let’s go” decision on the eve of June 6th. Explore the D-Day Museum featuring the Overlord Embroidery that depicts the events of D-Day in dramatic and colorful artistic fashion. Take the cross-channel ferry this afternoon, arriving in Caen around 9:30 p.m. There are several dining options on board. Continue to the delightful Ferme de la Rançonnière for the first of three nights.

Day 5 - Sainte Mère Église/Utah Beach/La Cambe/Pointe du Hoc/Omaha Beach
Begin the journey in Normandy by exploring the Sainte Mère Église, site of the dramatic 82nd and 101st Airborne Division Paratrooper landing on the night of June 5th and early hours of June 6th. View the small church whose steeple ensnared John Steele’s parachute, suspending him throughout the night while church bells rang in his ears. Next, cross the town square for a tour of the Airborne Museum, replete with airplanes and other D-Day artifacts.

Later, visit Utah Beach, site of one of the two American amphibian landings in the early hours of June 6, 1944. Pause at La Cambe, a large WWII German Cemetery, before continuing to one of the most dramatic sites along the Normandy coastline — Pointe du Hoc. Here U.S. rangers scaled steep cliffs in order to destroy key German gun positions. Walk through cratered pathways and imagine the bravery of those rangers as they faced a barrage of German artillery fire and a fierce storm. Continue to Omaha Beach, site of the bloodiest fighting of invasion day. Lay a wreath at the dramatic memorial that rises from the sand.

Day 6 - Caen/Arromanches/Colleville-sur-Mer
Visit the Musée Mémorial du Caen with its fascinating D-Day and Battle of Normandy exhibitions. At Arromanches, experience a nine-screen circular movie theater while watching the D-Day landings unfold around you in the spectacular film, “The Price of Freedom.” See the Mulberry Harbor in Arromanches—known as Port Winston—a remaining prefabricated concrete platform designed to assist in landing Allied supplies. Before returning to the hotel, visit the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Pay respects at the monument dedicated to “the Big Red One,” and reflect as you walk the grounds where heroes have been laid to rest. Enjoy an evening reception at the Chateau de Creully, used by the BBC to broadcast the invasion.

Day 7 - Normandy/Giverny/Paris
Depart Normandy for Paris, and stop en route to visit Monet’s inspirational gardens at Giverny. Tour the artist’s home before continuing to Paris. Join fellow travelers for the evening’s farewell reception and dinner.

Day 8 - Paris/USA
Depart Paris for the USA aboard regularly scheduled flights.

Please note: The May departure features an extra night in Normandy with a direct transfer to Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport on May 23rd, omitting the Paris-based activity.

Tour Price*
Per person - $6,495

Special Offer!
Mention Historic Hotels of America when booking your tour and receive three $100 gift certificates, each good toward a $100 refund when you book through HistoricHotels.org and stay for at least two-nights at a Historic Hotels of America hotel.**

Reservations
To book a tour please contact our tour VIP desk at +1 202 772 8000 or scalhoun@historichotels.org.

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*Price based on double occupancy. For a single add $1,240. Program price based on a minimum of 20 participants.
Included in tour cost: All special visits and excursions as noted; Meals as indicated; Special welcome and farewell dinners; Lectures by Study Leader Flint Whitlock; Services of an experienced tour manager; All gratuities; Airport transfers; Baggage handling for one bag, plus one carry-on bag per person; All on-tour transportation; Pre-tour information including a reading list; Emergency evacuation insurance (up to $50,000) and access to worldwide emergency assistance service.
Not included in tour cost: Roundtrip international airfare and air taxes; Passport and visa fees; Personal expenses; Any other items not specifically mentioned as included; Expenses of the tour operator in making individual travel arrangements in conjunction with this tour.

**Maximum of one $100 certificate may be claimed for a refund with a minimum two night stay booked through HistoricHotels.org following the return of your tour and completion of your hotel stay. The refund will be issued within 45 days of the completion of your stay upon submitting a Great Experiences & Tours $100 refund application. Refund application must be submitted with a copy of your hotel folio receipt, the original confirmation number from your booking on HistoricHotels.org, and the Certificate number issued to you for booking your tour through Historic Hotels of America. Certificates issued are a promotion only valid toward future reservations made through HistoricHotels.org and do not have any cash value. One certificate may be used per room per two night or longer stay at the same hotel. Eligible rates include rates publicly available at time of booking. Reduced rates, rooms included in another travel or tour package, employee rates, advance purchase rates, and certain last minute sale rates are not eligible for this promotion.