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History Trip to Normandy

Key Highlights

Location

Normandy

Subject

History & Politics, The Holocaust, WWII

Duration

4 days, 3 nights

Transport

Coach

About this trip

An educational school trip to Normandy is a perfect choice to aid students’ understanding of some of the key events during WWII (as well as links to studies of the Norman Conquest with Bayeux and Falaise). Visits to the D-Day Landing beaches, war museums and memorials will give the students unique insights and learning experiences. You could also choose to stay at our Château du Baffy which has historic significance to WWII when the building and hamlet of Colombiers-sur-Seulles were occupied by the Germans.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 Find out more
  • Arrival day
  • Pegasus Bridge Memorial Museum
  • Arromanches Landing Museum
  • Arromanches 360 Cinema
  • Bayeux Cemetery
  • German Gun Battery (Longues-sur-Mer)
  • American Cemetery & Omaha Beach
  • Caen Memorial Museum
  • British Normandy Memorial
  • Travel home

Excursion Ideas

Honfleur Find out more

Honfleur

Subject Range: MFL, Art & Design, Cultural, Geography, Food Technology
What you’ll experience: A town with a rich artistic and historical heritage, Honfleur has beautiful old houses, narrow paved streets, monuments, little shops, traditional restaurants, galleries, artists’ studios, a fishing harbour and a marina.
Select Says: The changing light on the Seine estuary inspired Monet, Boudin, Courbet, and many others. Great place to stop for lunch on route to your destination or on the way home to break up the journey.

Arromanches: D-Day Landings Museum

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: The museum has five different sections including: a gallery of working models overlooking the historic site (guided tour), a diorama with special light and sound effects that brings the early hours of D Day to life, the hall of the Allied Nations museum collections, a film featuring archive footage, and shops.
Select Says: The museum overlooks where one of the Mulberry Harbours was constructed, and its remains can be seen a few hundred metres from the shore. The beach is a great place to stop for lunch and have a bit of fun after the museum. Encourage the students to re-enact what they think happened as the soldiers landed on the beaches.

Pegasus Memorial Museum and Bridge

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: A museum about WWII, dedicated to the heroic action of the 6th British Airborne Division during the battle which took place on the beaches of the landing in Normandy in June to September 1944. Guided visits, within a thematically laid out exhibition hall, enable the visitors to discover the missions of the division and view hundreds of historical objects and photos.
Select Says: The original Bénouville Bridge, renamed Pegasus Bridge after the liberation, is on display in the park of the museum. An excellent insight into the planning and execution of one of the most important actions of the invasion. This is a lovely place to stop for lunch by the riverside.

D-Day Beaches

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: Utah, Omaha, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach were stormed by Allied soldiers in the morning of June 6th 1944. A visit to the beaches will help your students gain a real feel for the environment and help them imagine events within the settings.
Select Says: A visit to Omaha Beach helps to understand the importance of timing and the problems that had to be overcome for the invasion to be a success. Any of the beaches are a wonderful place to stop for lunch.

Juno Beach Centre and Juno Park

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: This is a memorial and an educational museum. The Juno Beach Centre shows visitors the importance of Canadian involvement in the Second World War – its troops, navy and industrial effort, which proved vital to the Allies. There are various multimedia interactive terminals available to visitors.
Select Says: There are superb educator resources available on the Juno Beach Centre website for use before and after your tour. Certain tours allow you to see up close and personal military clothing and other items used during the war.

Pointe du Hoc

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: Heavily defended by the Germans, this headland was an ideal post from which to survey the whole coast and the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. It was here that the American troops landed in 1944 and on D-Day (6 June 1944) the United States Army Ranger Assault Group captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the 100 ft cliffs.
Select Says: Location of one of the most interesting stories of the D-Day landings. A chance to stand in the heart of history and learn how ‘intelligence’ is such an important part of any military action.A memorial in the form of a granite arrow on the edge of the cliff marks the spot.

Bayeux British Cemetery

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: This is the largest WWII cemetery of Commonwealth soldiers in France. It contains 4,648 burials, mostly from the Invasion of Normandy.
Select Says: An oasis of tranquillity on the edge of this busy city, the first to be liberated in France.Opposite this cemetery stands the Bayeux Memorial which commemorates more than 1,800 casualties of the Commonwealth forces who died in Normandy and have no known grave.

Normandy American Cemetery

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: The cemetery site covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings. On the Walls of the Missing there are 1,557 names inscribed. The memorial consists of a semi-circular colonnade with an exterior gallery at each end containing large maps and narratives of the military operations. There is also an orientation table depicting the landings in Normandy.
Select Says: To get the most out of your visit we recommend booking a free guided tour. This cemetery was featured in Saving Private Ryan. You can access the beach from here down a lot of steps, again you could encourage the students to re-enact what they think happened when soldiers landed.

German Battery – Longues-sur-Mer

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: This formidable German battery, built on a picturesque cliff, included four fearsome 150mm canons, capable of firing on targets 20km away. It took a bombardment carried out by the Royal Air Force and two hits by a French cruiser to destroy it definitively on 6 June 1944.
Select Says: The battery’s observation post was the backdrop for one of the most famous scenes of the film The Longest Day.

La Cambe German Cemetery

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: La Cambe is a war cemetery containing in excess of 21,000 German military personnel of World War II. There is an Information Centre to the memory of the losses of Operation Overlord. Human fates and reconciliation are special themes. An adjoining peace-garden with 1,200 maple-trees symbolises that peace ought to grow.
Select Says: The majority of the German war dead buried at La Cambe fell between June 6 and August 20, 1944 and their ages range from 16 to 72. They died during the Allied landings and the ensuing combat.

Overlord Museum

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: Located a short distance from Omaha beach, Overlord Museum covers the period of the Allied landing until the liberation of Paris. The collection was put together by Michel Leloup who was both a witness to the conflict and involved in the reconstruction of Normandy. You will see numerous items including a reconnaissance plane, V-1 flying bomb, more than 10 armoured fighting vehicles, 30 soft skin vehicles, artillery pieces, posters, signs, documents and personal items from individual soldiers.
Select Says: Many of the vehicles have been restored to full running order and have been accurately equipped and painted.

Swimming – Aquanacre

Subject Range: MFL, Physical Education
What you’ll experience: Aquanacre is located in Douvres-la-Délivrande, just 10 minutes from the Château du Baffy. The swimming centre has 3 pools, one outside, and a pentagliss (parallel slides).
Select Says: Swimming is always a fun activity to choose for the students and great for unwinding as an evening activity.

The D-Day Story – Portsmouth

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: Discover the story of what took place on the 6 th June 1944 at The D-Day Story, the only UK museum dedicated to the momentous events that took place that day. Explore the personal accounts of the people who were there through audio-visual presentations alongside objects from the museum’s collection. The museum, based in Portsmouth, includes the Landing Craft Tank 7074 (LCT 7074), which is the last surviving LCT from D-Day, see what it took to plan the operation. Find out more about D-Day and the battle of Normandy, and finally discover its legacy and view the impressive 83 metre Overlord Embroidery. Please note that this tour is only available to groups crossing the channel via Portsmouth.

British Normandy Memorial

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: The British Normandy Memorial records the names of the 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who fell on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944. This includes people from more than 30 different countries. Inscribed in stone, their names have never, until now, been brought together. The site also includes a French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of French civilians who died during this time.

Winston Churchill Centre

Subject Range: History
What you’ll experience: The Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning is set to open on 6 June 2024, in honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The new building will house two educational exhibition galleries telling stories of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, curated by The Royal British Legion. A specially designed classroom for use by schools from the UK, France and beyond will also be available, plus a shop selling official merchandise and a café.

Les Braves – Omaha Memorial Sculpture

Subject Range: Art & Design, History
What you’ll experience: Les Braves is a war memorial created by French sculptor Anilore Banon in 2004, located on the shores of Omaha Beach in St. Laurent-sur-Mer. It was commissioned by the French government to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. The memorial represents three elements: the wings of hope, the rise of freedom, and the wings of fraternity. The tallest of the columns stands at 30 feet.
Select Says: The sculpture was initially intended as a temporary art piece but due to wide public interest it remains standing. The sculpture has been described as a blend of art and nature – this visit is an opportunity to sketch and for students to design their own memorial sculptural art work.

Chateau de Falaise

Subject Range: History, Cultural , Primary
What you’ll experience: Remnants of a medieval castle, dating from the 12-13th Century and on the site of the birthplace of William the Conqueror. Using tablets, students are invited to recreate the interiors of parts of the castle and meet historical figures from the Anglo-Norman period.

Abbaye aux Hommes

Subject Range: History, Cultural, Religious Studies, Primary
What you’ll experience: The more ornate counterpart to the Abbaye aux Dames, this Abbey houses the tomb of William the Conquereror. Behind these buildings lies the story of William the Conqueror’s love affair with his cousin, whom he married in 1050 despite papal opposition. The couple obtained a pardon from Pope Nicholas II in 1059, but each had to build an abbey.

Normandy Victory Museum

Subject Range: History, Cultural
What you’ll experience: A museum with a different angle, giving insight into life in the 100 days following the D-Day landings, known as the ‘Battle of the Hedges’. Journey through 27 hyper-realistic, sound-enhanced settings which groups walk through in chronological order. The visit ends with an exhibition on the importance of the role of women during the war.

Accommodation Options

Château du Baffy Find out more

Château du Baffy

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Our Rating:

Capacity: 110
Location: Colombiers-sur-Seulles
What you’ll experience: The Château is only 6 kilometres from the picturesque seaside town of Courselles-sur-Mer with its yacht harbour and sandy beaches, and is also on the doorstep of Bayeux and the World War II landing beaches. It’s the perfect base for groups to enjoy the wealth of excursions and educational experiences on offer in this historical area. Rooms: Rooms: The Château sleeps up to 110 persons in 2-5 bedded rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. Facilities: Facilities: There are two restaurants, a teachers’ lounge, a sun-terrace, and a meeting room. Outside there are lawned gardens and a tennis court, as well as a barbeque area, plus a new 100 metre squared sports hall! Select says: The Château du Baffy has a main building and the adjacent Villa Mathilde – both buildings accommodate a full coach capacity, so groups can enjoy sole-occupancy of their building. Our Château has been a highly popular choice for dozens of UK schools in the past fifteen years and will now be operated by our own team, including our renowned French chef Thierry! One of our teachers says, “Beautiful setting – a great place to take school groups. Plenty of outdoor space to run around and very French feeling dining room. Ideal location to explore this wonderful area.”

UNCMT Tailleville

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Our Rating:

Capacity: 50
Location: Tailleville
What you’ll experience: Tailleville is a traditional rural hamlet just 3km from Courseulles and 12km from Arromanches. The UNCMT is set in its own grounds and is a great accommodation for school groups, with classrooms available if required as well as plenty of enclosed outside space. Rooms: Rooms: Mostly en-suite rooms, some shared facilities. Facilities: Facilities: Restaurant, meeting rooms, table tennis, volleyball.

Curriculum Links

KS4 (GCSE)
AQA: Conflict and Tension: The Second World War, 1939–1945
Edexcel: Superpower Relations and the Cold War / Modern Depth Studies
OCR: The Second World War, 1939–1945

KS5 (A-Level)
AQA: The Second World War, 1939–1945
Edexcel: Superpower Relations and the Cold War / Modern European Depth Studies
OCR: The Second World War, 1939–1945 / Warfare and Society

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Why choose Select

  • UK-Based Specialist Advisors – Expert support from education travel specialists across the UK, including school visits
  • Trusted Family Business - Over 40 years' experience dedicated to School Travel excellence
  • Tailor-Made Trips - Bespoke itineraries designed around your school's learning goals and budget
  • Exclusive Accommodation - Stay at our very own Château du Baffy in the heart of Normandy
  • Complete Financial Protection - Every trip 100% secure for total peace of mind

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