1st Class Excursions!
- The Day Van... The best way to travel to the UNESCO World Heritage sights.
From 3 majors Ports of Call, Le Havre, Cherbourg and St Malo
Welcome in our 1st class shore excursions! Let yourself be driven in a car as comfortable as your cruise ship.
Calling at St malo? Cherbourg or Le havre?
Does your cruise ship dock in 2 or 3 ports from St Malo to Le havre?
In any case, we can arrange for you a tailor visit or full stay in both Brittany and Normandy.
From the wonderful UNESCO sights to the “hidden Normandy”, we know of unusual sights, quiet havens and secret places which we will help you discover.
We wish to organize an encounter during your stay in our region, an encounter between you, the traveling guests, and the authentic wealth of Normandy.
Cherbourg
Cherbourg, the daughter of the sea.
Sentinel city and gateway to the Channel, Cherbourg is situated between to extremely dangerous capes, Barfleur and la Hague. Vulnerable on its isolated peninsula facing the English enemy, Cherbourg was the Kingdom’s Achille’s Heel for a long time. If Cherbourg fascinates us today, it is because its harbor was also the symbol of the American dream. .
The Mont-Saint-Michel
Wonder of the Western world
The “Wonder of the Western World” is located at the heart of an immense bay which is known to have the highest tides in Europe. It was at the request of the Archangel Michel “the chief of the celestial militia” that Aubert, Bishop of Avranches built and consecrated a small church on 16th October 709. In 966 a community of Benedictines settled on the rock at the Duke of Normandy’s request. The pre-Romanesque church was built before the year one thousand.
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo, the corsairs city.
The city is named after the Welsh monk Mac Low who, around the 6th century, became bishop of Alet, on which the current city was built in the 12th century. Built on a rock, Saint-Malo is surrounded by ramparts dating for the oldest from the 12th century. With its navigators and its merchants who commissioned vessels for India, China, Africa and the Americas, the prosperity of Saint-Malo was exceptional in the 17 and 18th centuries...
D Day
The landing beaches
On June 6th, 1944, General Eisenhower and the allied army landed on the 80 kilometers of beaches of the Normandy coastline. 8 divisions were involved in the landing (5 on the beaches and 3 in the air), adding up almost 200 000 men with reinforcements. The logistics included: 5 000 assault boats, 1 300 merchant ships, 1 200 warships, 11 000 aircrafts (including 3 500 bombers and 5 000 fighters), 20 000 vehicles (from jeeps to tanks). The Germans had also prepared for the offensive. On April 22nd, 1944, Marshal Erwin Rommel told his aide-de-camp: “Believe me, Lang, the first twenty-four hours will be decisive” ... “The fate of Germany depends on it” ... “For the allies and for us, it will be the longest day ". For generations to come, the landing beaches will remain the memory of the price paid by the allies for freedom
Bayeux
Bayeux, the miraculous.
Bayeux is justly renowned the world over for its tapestry which illustrates the story of the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy. This masterpiece is not the only part of Bayeux's illustrious heritage. Many medieval sites, mansions, squares and steep streets or the Gothic cathedral testify to the richness and the diversity of its past. Unharmed despite violent battles, Bayeux has kept intact the charm of another time, other centuries ...
Tatihou Island
Another land’s end
A vast littoral garden, the “Val de Saire” is a living territory where earth and sea seem to play hide-and-seek. In July 2008, the Tatihou and La Hougue Towers (works by Vauban), were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. A small piece of land blending exceptional cultural heritage and a preserved nature, Tatihou’s pretty name comes from the Vikings who populated Normandy. This splendid small island, which is real ornithological paradise, becomes a peninsula when at low tide, and is always accessible by amphibian vehicle.
Pleasant and charming, Tatihou is dominated by the Vauban Tower and its fortifications
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