Our family discovered that a D-Day tour in Normandy can be educational and interesting even for younger elementary school children. Seeing the sites for themselves will have a far greater impact than reading a history lesson from any textbook.
When we started planning a 9 day spring break trip to Paris, my husband expressed a desire to visit Normandy in order to see Juno Beach where the Canadian troops came ashore during the D-Day invasion in 1944.
Apart from the fact that it was going to be a lengthy trip (about 2.5 hours by car) in each direction, I was concerned that our 8 year old daughter, Emma, would be bored by the war sites.
We wavered back and forth on whether it was a good idea and decided that the arguments weighed in favour of going since my husband and I both wanted to visit and since Katie, who is studying World War II in her grade 10 Canadian History class, would definitely benefit from seeing it firsthand. Emma is fairly easygoing so I felt that I could convince her that it would be an interesting day.
Planning Our Tour
We looked at various options for the day and concluded that it would be best to arrange a private tour for our family even though it was going to be more expensive than the other options. The advantages of seeing Normandy by private tour were fourfold.
(1) Our guide would pick us up and return us directly to our hotel which would contain the day’s activities to under 12 hours, whereas if we traveled by train it would involve more time getting to and from the train station and to the sites that we wished to see.
(2) In contrast to a group tour, we would be able to dictate exactly what we would see on our tour and could choose to concentrate on Canadian sites. We would also have the option of adjusting our itinerary, even over the course of the day of the tour, if Emma was having difficulty with the experience.
(3) A knowledgeable private guide would be able to provide a refresher on the events of June 1944 and put what we were seeing in historical context.
(4) Emma is a very sociable little girl who loves to meet and chat with new people. I felt fairly certain that the presence of the guide would increase the likelihood of good behaviour over the course of a lengthy day.
Paris Luxury Tours
We chose Paris Luxury Tours and the owner, Shahin Akhavi, agreed to customize a tour for us that would be suitable for a family. We chose Mr. Akhavi’s company because he provided us with the most detailed information on what the proposed tour encompassed.
We decided that a full day of D-Day sites would be too intensive for Emma so it was agreed that we would visit Juno Beach, the Juno Beach Centre and the Canadian Cemetery. We were then able to choose another post-lunch activity and narrowed it down to visiting either Rouen or Bayeux. My first choice would have been Giverny, however, Monet’s Garden closes for the winter and doesn’t re-open until the beginning of April. Mr. Akhavi informed us that we could choose either option on the day of the tour and, if there was sufficient time, then we could visit both.
While we were still at home, I discussed the D-Day tour with Emma and explained in general terms why it was important. She expressed some reluctance to visit a cemetery as she had some Hollywood notions of it being a dark and spooky place. I reassured her that it wasn’t like that at all and that it was an important place to visit in order to pay our respects to the soldiers from Canada and the other Allied countries who had fought and sacrificed their lives in order to make the world a safer place for us to live in. I equated it with what happens at Remembrance Day services and she was satisfied that there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.
On the day of our tour, Mr. Akhavi himself picked us up in a private vehicle at our hotel in Paris at 8am and we headed out of the city toward Normandy. There was a thick fog for most of the drive so we weren’t able to see much, however, Mr. Akhavi spent most of the drive reviewing the events of WWII, and of the D-Day invasion in particular, with us. It has been a long time since I studied Canadian history so I quite appreciated the refresher course.
Juno Beach
After about 2.5 hours we arrived at Juno Beach where Canadian troops came ashore on June 6, 1944 as part of Operation Overlord. The weather was much chillier in Normandy than it had been in Paris and the morning’s fog still hung thickly over the beach which provided an atmosphere that seemed appropriate to the setting.
We didn’t spend more than 30 minutes or so at the beach but walking along a stretch on the boardwalk, reading the memorials and seeing La Maison de Queen’s Own Rifles, which is believed to have been the first house on French soil liberated by the Allied Forces, can’t help but have an emotional impact as one starts to reflect on what the young Canadian men went through as they landed on Juno Beach that day.
La Maison de Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, Juno Beach
Juno Beach in the fog
Monument on Juno Beach
Juno Beach Memorial
Reading about the role of Canadian forces in the Battle of Normandy
Canadian Historic Site marker at Juno Beach
In Pace Paratus (“In Peace Prepared” – the motto of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada)
A bunker at Juno Beach
Juno Beach Centre
From Juno Beach we moved on to Courseulles-sur-Mer to visit the Juno Beach Centre which is the only Canadian museum in Normandy. The Juno Beach Centre is a museum and cultural centre which was opened on June 6, 2003 in order to present the war efforts made by Canadians, both at home and abroad, during World War II. The Centre is staffed by Canadian university students who apply each year to the Juno Beach Centre’s Guide Program.
Arriving at the Juno Beach Centre
Sculpture at Juno Beach Centre – “Remembrance and Renewal” by Colin Gibson
The Centre has a permanent exhibit consisting of 7 rooms as well as a temporary exhibit, all of which can be toured at your own pace. The first exhibit is a haunting multi-media presentation which puts visitors in the boats with the Canadian soldiers who are heading toward the shores of Normandy. Visitors stand in a room which has been designed to simulate a landing craft and are surrounded by moving visual images of young men in boats with voice overs presenting their thoughts as they contemplate what lies ahead, think of their loved ones at home and wonder if they will survive the day.
As the film ends, the doors open and visitors enter the remaining exhibits where they can learn more about what life was like prior to the war, the events of WWII, the military role of Canadians and war efforts at home. The exhibits begin by exploring life in Canada in the 1930’s before moving into the war-time period and looking at Canadian efforts abroad and at home and at the actual military campaigns in which Canadians were involved.
The exhibits include artifacts such as an antique radio which Canadians at home would have tuned into each evening in order to get wartime news. My kids found the radio fascinating, particularly after I told them that I could remember my grandmother having one just like it.
One of the most poignant exhibits is in the room titled “Some Came Back, Others Did Not”. This room is dedicated to the approximately 45 000 Canadian men and women who died during the Second World War. There names scroll slowly across a dark screen on the ceiling of the room as a stark reminder of the sheer number of lives lost.
The final room provides information about life in Canada today and about the role of Canada’s military in peacekeeping missions around the globe.
Exhibits at Juno Beach Centre
Learning about wartime at the Juno Beach Centre
One wouldn’t think that a war museum was a kid-friendly site, however, the Juno Beach Centre does an excellent job of drawing children into the exhibits and educating them about the history of Canada in the 1930’s, the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. There are interactive computer terminals throughout the exhibit where young visitors meet two virtual Canadian children, Peter and Madeleine, who provide information and activities.
The Centre also has a “Quiz book” designed for children aged 8-11 which provides more information about the exhibits and sets out a series of questions that need to be answered by interacting with the exhibits. After completing the quiz and solving a word scramble then the booklet can be shown at the gift shop on the way out in order to receive a candy reward.
Having the booklet to complete ensured that Emma became completely absorbed in the exhibits as she endeavoured to answer all the questions. It also allowed us the opportunity to explore the exhibits more thoroughly as we weren’t worrying about whether she was bored. We left the Juno Beach Centre feeling that each member of our family had learned a great deal about World War II and the D-Day operations.
Emma at the Juno Beach Centre
Looking for answers to the Juno Beach Centre Quiz
We walked a bit outside the Centre in what is known as Juno Park, however, there were no guided tours available at the time of our visit. The guided tours are available daily from April to October for individuals or by reservation throughout the year for groups. The tours explore what remains of the Atlantic Wall including the inside of a bunker.
Memorial at Juno Beach Centre
Canadian War Cemetery
After finishing our visit to the Juno Beach Centre, we had a quick but delicious lunch at a small family-run restaurant alongside the docks in Courseulles before driving to the Canadian War Cemetery located in Reviers (near Bény-sur-Mer). There are more than 2000 headstones in the beautifully maintained cemetery with a Cross of Sacrifice in the middle section of the field. There is a booklet available at the entrance for visitors who are looking for the burial spot of particular soldiers.
This is a place to pay respects, to reflect quietly on the sacrifice of so many young men and to shed a few tears at the enormity of the loss. What hit me the hardest was to see the ages engraved on the headstones and to realize that so many of these young men were only a few years older than Katie and her friends and they were willing to go off to war and sacrifice their lives in fulfillment of their patriotic duty. Both Katie and Emma walked quietly among the graves absorbing what they were seeing and learning a lesson that will have a far greater impact than anything they could read in a text book.
The Canadian War Cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer
Cross of Sacrifice at Canadian War Cemetery (photo courtesy of my daughter, Katie)
Canadian War Cemetery
Reflection at the Canadian War Cemetery
Emma at the Canadian War Cemetery (photo courtesy of my daughter, Katie)
Bayeux and the Tapestry Museum
After visiting Juno Beach, the Juno Beach Centre, and the Canadian War Cemetery, we needed a change of pace so we decided to head to nearby Bayeux to visit the Tapestry Museum. The Bayeux Tapestry is a 70m long embroidery (not, in fact, a tapestry at all) stitched in the 11th century to celebrate the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy. It is believed to have been embroidered by monks after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and illustrates the conflict between William and Harold as they vie for the throne of England.
The tapestry is mounted behind glass and visitors are provided with an audio guide which describes the scenes of the tapestry as they walk past it. There is a junior audio guide available for children and Emma was captivated by the story that she was hearing. The junior version takes longer than the adult version so we had to keep waiting for her to catch up. We were actually quite surprised to see just how interested Emma was in the story that she was listening to – not sure how much of it she has retained but, hopefully, the story of William the Conqueror will, at least, be familiar to her when she studies it in school.
After seeing the tapestry we had a stroll around the lovely town of Bayeux before we headed back to Paris.
Outside the Bayeux Tapestry Museum
Walking in Bayeux
The Bayeux Cathedral
Bayeux Canals
I was very pleased with our tour of Normandy as it played out even better than I had hoped. Our tour guide did an excellent job of providing the historical context for the day, both kids sensed the sombreness of the sites and behaved accordingly, the educational value of being there and actually seeing where this important battle played out was beyond compare and not one complaint was voiced over the course of what was a very long day. It was quite simply one of the best days of our trip.
What You Need To Know
- The Juno Beach Centre is located at 14470 Courseulles-sur-Mer
- The Centre is open daily 9:30am-7pm April 1st to September 30th; 10am-6pm in March and October; and 10am-5pm in February, November and December. The Centre is closed in January and on December 25th.
- The entrance fee for adults to Juno Beach Centre is 6.50 Euros; Juno Beach Centre and Juno Park is 10 Euros. The fee for the temporary exhibit only is 2.5 Euros. There are reduced rates for groups of more than 20.
- Admission is free for WWII veterans, WWII war disables, WWII war widows and accompanied children under 8.
- The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is located in the old Bayeux Seminary which was built in the 17th century. The main entrance is from the Rue de Nesmond.
- Opening hours vary by season. Winter: November 16th – March 14th the museum is open from 9:30-11:45am and 2-5:15pm. Summer: March 15th – November 15th the museum is open from 9am-5:45pm. From May til August the opening is extended to 6:15pm. Check the website for other closing times – in 2012 the museum was closed for 15 days in January and will close early on December 24th and reopen in the afternoon on December 26th and will close early on December 31st and reopen in the afternoon on January 2nd.
- The full Adult rate is 7.80 Euros; Young Visitors rate – children from 10-18 and students with a student card is 3.80 Euros; Children under 10 are free.
- Audio Guides in 14 languages are available free of charge. There is a Junior Audio Guide for children under 12.
- Free parking is available to visitors near the museum.
- There is a gift shop selling products related to the Tapestry.
- Toilets are available on each level and there are baby changing facilities in the wheelchair-accessible toilet on the ground floor.
- Paris Luxury Tours offers a wide variety of guided and escorted tours in Paris and beyond.
- Tours are conducted by bilingual guides who are native English speakers and are university graduates with an expertise in the tour theme.
- Guides are also professional drivers, licensed by the French state.
- Entry fees, meals, snacks are not included in the price of the tour.
- Prices vary depending on the itinerary and the number of persons on the tour.
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Jessica
It sounds like a fantastic trip! I have always wanted to see the Bayeaux Tapestry.
eileen ludwig
Looks like a very somber place and it is always better to learn history by travel instead of a book
Mary@The World Is A Book
What a wonderful and interesting field trip for the kids. There’s nothing more powerful than visiting these memorials and war sites to learn war history. I like that they had a quiz book to engage the kids at the centre. Love the Bayeux Cathedral and canal pictures.
Muza-chan
Interesting article 🙂
Bob R
Nice timing to come across this via #TPThursday as I’ll be in Normandy in a few weeks. Looks like you really enjoyed the area.
Nancie
What an interesting day you had and your photos are great.
My Dad is a WWII Vet, and I am pretty sure he was not involved in Normandy. He was in Europe during the entire war, but he doesn’t talk about it much, so all I know is what I ask. He spent most of his tour close to Italy, and I know that he was in Holland when it was liberated. He will be 90 next year, and I have always been proud that he served our country so well.
InsideJourneys
Looks like your kids had a great time too. Always great touching history, makes it really come alive.
Great shots too!
Sophie
I imagine it must have been an exhausting day in some ways, physically and emotionally. Yet it’s so important to experience these places. This is the kind of travel memory that will stay with your children.
Sabrina - Country Skipper
What a packed day and what a great experience for your kids (and you of course :))! The photos really made me feel like I was there.
Leigh
It sounds to me like it was a very good idea to hire a private guide and really get the most out of the experience – especially when you consider the distance you traveled.
An extremely informative post – and great reading.
I particularly like the sculpture at the Juno Beach Center.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
I love Normandy and found that my kids were equally enthralled by all the history of the area. Sounds like you had a great trip and I will keep Paris Luxury Tours in mind if I ever need them. I do suggest you make another trip to Normandy and spend days exploring the region. You won’t be disappointed!
Laurel
As a fellow Canadian I would love to visit this. It sounds like hiring a private guide was a great solution for your family and to make it relevant to you with a focus on the Canadian sites and kid friendly. Living in Germany, I’m surprised at how many Germans don’t even know that Canada was involved in the war.
Cathy Sweeney
What a great trip and experience for your kids. I’d love to visit these sites in Normandy — so much important history. I think it’s wonderful that you’re exposing your kids to these places and educating them about their significance. My parents did that for us and I’m so grateful.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Jessica – The Bayeux Tapestry is amazing! What surprised me the most was how much Emma was interested in the story of William and Harold that’s depicted on the tapestry. And Bayeux is a lovely town to visit quite apart from the Tapestry Museum.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Eileen – Definitely a better way to learn history. My highschool aged daughter has been studying WWII in history this year and her reaction was that she learned more that day than she has at school to date.
@Mary – Thanks! I’m always impressed by museums/historic sites that have an activity like this for younger kids – it’s so much easier to get them engaged in the site when they feel that they are playing a game.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Bob R – Enjoy Normandy – I wish we would have had a few days to explore the area.
@Nancie – my Dad was too young to serve although he had to quit school at 13 to go and work with his Dad as his older brothers were all in the service by then. Several of my uncles were with the Canadian forces and my Mom’s oldest brother was in Europe the entire time. She thinks he may have been at Juno Beach but he doesn’t talk about it. He wrote letters home to her the entire time he was away (she was 5 years old when he left) and she kept them all. It was very important to me to visit Juno Beach and to be sure that my daughters understand what happened during WWII and to be proud of the role that Canadians played.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Sophie – It was definitely an emotionally exhausting day. When you are visiting the spot where it all happened it is so easy to put yourself in the place of the young soldiers and imagine what they went through. I still get teary everytime I think about it.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Debbie – I definitely want to make a return trip to Normandy. There is so much that we would have liked to see that there just wasn’t time for – particularly, Rouen, Giverny and Mont St. Michel. We have now been to Provence and to Paris – next trip to France I’d like to see more of Normandy/Brittany and the Loire Valley.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Laurel – I guess I’m not overly surprised that Germans don’t realize that Canada was involved in WWII. I suspect, at least at the time, that much of the world still thought of us as part of the British Empire.
@Cathy – I sincerely hope that when my kids are grown that they appreciate having seen so much of the world.
Steve
Did you order the weather as well? The dreary weather just seems so appropriate for such an important place of remembrance. Even Emma seems to have dialed her smile down one notch for the occasion. I think you made a great decision spending a day up in Normandy.
Andi at The Particular Traveler
I really enjoyed your informative post. It’s so nice that your kids could see and experience this part of history in such a meaningful way. Great pictures, too!
Becca@R We There Yet Mom.com
This was a fascinating post – I loved hearing every bit of it. My hubby & I almost went to Normandy 4 years ago, but decided against it and I ma kicking myself now. We will get there someday!
Thanks for all the details – I loved it!
~Becca
Myra
My husband and I went to Normandy, specifically the D-day beaches and Bayeux, on our honeymoon many years ago. My goal is to return when my kids are older, and they understand the history. Your picture of the beach in the fog expresses the feeling of those beaches. Beautiful, yet sad. Great post!
Anwar
Wow Fantastic and informative tour of Normandy. I went to Normandy back in 2010, but didn’t make it to Juno beach, so it was great to see what it was like there. Wish I had more time there, as there is just so much to do in that area. I really liked the Bayeux tapestry as well.
Sonja
My husband desperately wants to visit Normandy on our next stop in France, but I’ve kind of wondered the same thing about it being worthwhile for the kids. Thanks for your great advice.
Twokidsandamap
Thanks for sharing the information about your tour. We usually avoid tours and I wouldn’t have even thought about arranging a private tour for something like this where transportation, etc. is necessary. It sounds like you were happy with your tour but was it strange to be with a tour guide you just met for 12 hours?
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Steve – the weather did seem appropriate for the mood of the visit. I’m not sure if it would have felt the same on a warm, sunny day. Emma behaved very respectfully at each of the places we visited and was clearly thinking a great deal about what she was seeing and hearing. I was very proud of the way she behaved over the course of a very long day.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Sonja – I was concerned ahead of time about how the kids would handle it and whether they would be bored but they both appreciated the importance of what we were doing. I think the older the kids the easier the day would be. Katie (who is 15) is planning to write a post for me about her impressions of Normandy – she says it was one of the best days of the trip.
Lisa Goodmurphy
@Jen (Two Kids and a Map) – we avoid group tours, however, we have taken a few private tours that worked really well. I like to have a tour guide when I feel that having an expert to answer questions and put everything into context would be useful. In this case, our guide was invaluable as he was able to outline the events leading up to the Normandy landings, war strategies on the part of both sides, and the details of what happened on D-Day. His input made the day more meaningful for all of us. Quite apart from that, he took care of all the logistics getting us from place to place efficiently which was a big time saver. Emma and I are both fairly comfortable chatting up strangers so we don’t mind having someone new around. By the end of the day, Emma was giving him a hug goodbye as if he were an old friend. 🙂
Lisa Wood
This is amazing – and sure makes it worth while to plan a trip around certain ages! I love how Emma was able to learn while working through the war museum and have fun answering all of the questions in the book!
The tour of normandy sounds like you all had heaps of fun.
Jenna
Wow, that was quite a day-trip! So great that the museum was kid-friendly and that you were able to squeeze in time in Bayeux. The private guide seems like a great idea.
Monique
What a great trip. My husband and I went years ago, before children. But my 10 year-old is learning world history and about the wars, so this might be a good side trip when we go to France this summer.
Renee
Isn’t that Tapestry museum lovely?!? We camped there this spring (well, in a nearby parking lot) and ducked into the museum during an afternoon lull. Had the tapestry all to ourselves!
Sounds like a great experience at the D-Day sites. We went to Utah & Omaha, but sadly didn’t have time for Juno, so I was glad to read your read your write-up. Next time Juno will be our first stop.
These traveling kids of ours are so lucky, aren’t they. I studied WWII from books, which PALES in comparison to seeing it all in person.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Similarly, we saw Juno Beach but didn’t have time for Utah or Omaha. Our kids are definitely lucky – seeing where history took place has far more of an impact than just reading about it in a book. I hope they realize how incredible it is to visit so many amazing places!
Katie Park
This was such a great entry Lisa! Thanks. For sure, Bill and I hope to go to Normandy. We want to see the American and Canadian sites there. Bill was in the Army, and he has expressed that going to Normandy is on his list of things to do while we are in England. You gave some great travel trips. Thanks!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks for your comment, Katie! You should plan to spend a couple of days in the area so that you can see all the sites without feeling rushed. It’s a very moving experience to see it for oneself.
Katie Park
Thanks! I think we plan to go there this coming May with my In Laws. We will most likely take a Ferry from Dover to Calais. I would love to get the name of your guide. I suspect that is the way to go. Ok, good advice, thanks. We were planning of taking two days at least. Love your pictures of Oakville! I might need to share one if you don’t mind. Things are fine here, but missing “home” a bit. We are traveling and it’s neat to see some different places, for sure!
Cathleen Thomas
Tapestry museum is too lovely. Wehave a plan to visit France this New year… We already had words with normandy d-day tours . Hope to enjoy the trip…
Farrah
Great post Lisa. We’ll be staying there Thurs pm-Sunday am. And when I say ‘there’ I mean in a village not far from Caen. My dad and I have a tour Friday- but we’re wide open otherwise. The few Rick Steves’ videos we’ve watched told us about the tapestry and I hope we make it to see that! I’ll refer to your post down the road when I too write about our experience. Thank you again!
Normandy then and now
Some great advice, thank you!
We didn’t know about the massacre of Canadian soldiers at the Abbey Ardenne after D-Day in Normandy until recently. It is not a dramatic place to visit but an emotional experience to see the memorial in the tiny garden where they died.
Our blog about the tragedy with photos here: http://www.normandythenandnow.com/the-lost-canadian-soldiers-of-the-abbey-ardenne
Jordan
Hi my name is Jordan Childs I am a student at York university studying in design and I was wondering if I could use the photo of the juno beach with no one in it. I am doing a project and I need a image that represents a foggy beach. Thank you very much and I hope you have a wonderful day.