Seeing photos, archived video or Hollywood films gives an idea of the enormity of the battles that took place in Normandy in the Second World War. But it isn’t until you visit in person that you really get a feel for the true scale of history. And visiting with a guide who can show you the most significant areas but also the most meaningful-to-you places, gives you a connection with the past that is moving and poignant. The best battlefield tours of Normandy are personal…
Immersive historical experience
Sophie Shrubsole has loved history since touring the Somme battlefields at just 5 months old with her dad. After graduating from university in military history she set up Sophie’s Great War Tours. She and the guides who take tour groups to Normandy as well as the Somme, Arnhem, Ardennes, Champagne, Verdun, Ypres and all the historic battlefield areas of France, are passionate about history and experts in their chosen fields. Their tours don’t just drive you from one place to another, they provide an immersive historical experience.
The best battlefield tours of Normandy are personal
Whether it’s for a day or two, a week or more, the team at Sophie’s Great War Tours look at every detail of tour to make it meaningful for you. It’s personal. It’s not about set departures or not having time to see the things you want to.
Every tour is bespoke, organised around what you want to discover. Whether you are a solo traveller, in a couple of are with a larger group, Sophie’s Great War Tours can create the perfect private tour for you. Paying your respects at the last resting place of a family member. Visiting a major battlefield site, discovering the lesser known historic sites, walking in the footsteps of a soldier. “The experience of a meaningful tour like this” says Sophie “can be profoundly moving.” She and her team spend time to find out what you want from the tour. They check every detail, the important places and events. And then they build a tour to suit you. Researching multiple sources from battalion war diaries and a range of history sources, the itineraries are intensely specialised and personal.
Bring the past alive in the present
As you visit each place, from the D-Day landing beaches and the Normandy American Cemetery, to key towns and sites, your guide will tell you the history, share their knowledge of the past, of specific events and events that mean something to you personally. Stories of the past, a wealth of information, maps and photos help to bring a site to life. They connect the present to the past and make every tour unique and extraordinary.
A tour to remember
Everything is taken care of for you so that you can simply relax and experience the tour. Transport is organised, you’ll be driven everywhere in comfort. Sophie will book accommodation based on your wishes – whether that be a chateau experience or a historic hotel. Restaurants are booked for you and even your dietary requirements are taken into account. After more than 15 years of running tours, Sophie’s little black book of contacts is unbeatable. Time can be built in for sightseeing too from pretty villages to castles, vineyards to cheese producers, the cider route and more for those who want to also experience the best of Normandy. You can expect end to end luxury. Great wines, wonderful gastronomy, super hotels and the best guided tour of the Normandy battlefields. It’s a tour that you’ll never forget.
Book your unique historical tour at Sophie’s Great War Tours
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