June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord (otherwise known as the D-Day Invasion), the largest seaborn invasion in history, began. On that day, over 160,000 allied troops from the Greatest Generation landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified beaches. 80 years later, you and I have the chance to walk where they walked and honor their great sacrifice.
I found an amazing itinerary, curated by Viking river cruises to commemorate Operation Overlord.
This 12-day cruise and land tour begins in London where you will visit Bletchley Park, home of the brilliant minds like Alan Turing, that broke the German’s secret code. You will tour Churchill’s war rooms, the underground bunkers where Churchill ran the war while Germans bombed London during the Blitz. On V-J Day, all the personnel working in the war rooms left the bunkers, locked the doors and went out to celebrate the victory. Decades later, they reopened the bunkers to the public. You will see the map room, the communication room, the strategy room and even see Churchill’s cigar still sitting in its tray. You will see where the ships sailed from the southern ports to cross the channel to Normandy.
Then you will take the high-speed train to Paris and board the elegant Viking river boat, the Viking Radgrid. I speak from experience when I tell you that seeing “The City of Lights” from the deck of a river boat is amazing, especially at night when they light up the Eifel Tower with thousands of sparkling, gold lights. You will sail down the Seine River, stopping in small, cobblestoned villages along the way such as Vernon and Rouen.
You will sail through Normandy, having 2 days to explore the beaches of Normandy and the numerous, fascinating museums in the area. You will return to Paris to learn more about what life was like during the German occupation. You may need to stop in for a favorite cocktail at the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Hotel in Paris where Hemingway and fellow war correspondents hung out after Paris was liberated. I truly believe this is one of the best itineraries out there to learn about and to celebrate what the allies accomplished in Operation Overlord. This itinerary will be available for 2024 and 2025 sailings. Contact us soon for more information or to book. These small river boats sell out fast!