Northern France war visit

[Celeriacacaca]

I'd like to visit the key sites in northern France over around 3-4 days this autumn. Can anyone help me with a itinerary of where to visit, what not to miss etc please?

The war graves and museum at Bayeux are worth a visit as is Arromanches and the 360 cinema. Google Normandy tourism, D Day landing beaches for more information.

Did you want first or second WW or both?

WWII, Pegasus Bridge - The little museum there is excellent, D-Day beaches, a place called Pointe du Hoc where the marines scaled some pretty horrendous cliffs to take out a gun battery. La Coupoule (sp) near Calais where the V2 rockets were fired from - gave me the willies tbh.

The cemeteries, obviously. Normandy American Cemetery is awesome in the true sense of the word, but the small Commonwealth cemeteries are heartbreaking.

WW1 - Beaumont Hamel and the Newfoundland memorial, the Ulster Tower and Thiepval, the small town of Albert.
Quite a bit further south but les Chemin de Dames is fascinating. You can do a tour of the tunnels where the Germans lived. The Menin Gate, although that’s Belgium.

Don’t miss the German cemeteries as well - there is an ossuary in Northern Normandy and the soldier’s families have left messages in books in wall niches.

Thanks all. Some great pointers there.

Also consider the WW1 sites around the Somme. There are lots of websites to give you ideas: Thiepval memorial, Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, Albert Museum, Lochnagar mine, etc.

If you do go to the Menin Gate (which is in Ypres, Belgium) try to be there in the evening between 7 - 8pm as there is a Last Post Ceremony every evening, which is very moving.

(I took part in it once )

Take a lot of handkerchiefs. I sobbed and sobbed at the waste of life. This was at a First World War visitor centre. It's heartbreaking