France WW1/2 trip places to visit...do's and don'ts

[Tyrant68]

My industry seems to be stuck in the medieval ages and insists on two week shutdown in August
Looking at 3-4 days in France sometime between 6-12 August.
I'd like to do the WW sites ie Normandy , Oradour-sur-Glane etc.
Never been one for WW1/2 history but having seen various reports (Selous) seem quite drawn to it.
More than likely B&B or camp somewhere with facilities unless someone else would like to tag along and I may brave wild camping :laugh:
Not after a roadrace just a few days paying my respects, taking in history and enjoying the ride.
Nor am I keen on the autoroute, rather scenic/quiet roads down.
So please , pool your knowledge and help me with a route, also what I legally need to ride through France.
Breath test is a joke , I'm ruddy teetotal :laugh:
Ta

ps ferry route will be Dover-calais/dunkerque

[lancashirelad]

I've done quite a bit of touring round the WW1/WW2 sites over the years but sadly not on a bike I'd def go to St Omer, Vimy Ridge, & around Albert etc, also worth niping into Belgium for the last post at Menin Gate Oradour is worth a visit but maybe a bit far for a 4 day trip also the D Day beaches & Pegasus Bridge are good but again you will be constrained by time wherever you go enjoy it I love France.

[Tyrant68]

Thanks LL, will get a proper map and start 'plotting' :woohoo:

[aliwakeskate]

Last August I spent 5 days visiting the d-day sites in and around Normandy. There is so much to see I didn't fit it all in. You can't go wrong in Normandy as if you fancy a break from visiting the WW2 sites, there is Bayeux and Caen.

The summer before that, I spent 4 days in and around the Somme staying at a cracking camping site in Peronne right in the middle of the poppy trail and circuit of remembrance. Loads of sites to see around here and most of them free. Must say I preferred the Somme to Normandy in August as it wasn't as busy or didn't feel as touristy. August is holiday season for the French too and I found Normandy to be quite busy around that time as it's popular with us Brits and the French.

If you are staying in one place and not moving from place to place I can recommend a couple of camp sites either in Normandy or around the Somme which had decent facilites and were in rural locations (nice and quiet).

[Tyrant68]

Thanks Ali.
Wouldn't mind visiting Caen as its twinned with my home village of Braunton .

[special one]

I was over there with 11 others for 4 days at the end of April.

Hell of a lot to see, I'd prioritise what you wanna see and stick to it.

Big things I wanted to see were...

Pegasus bridge, we had lunch at the cafe and spoke to the daughter of the original owners (her name escapes me ATM), she's getting on a bit her self and she knew the area of brum I'm from really well.
Very hospitable and gave us free coffee after our meal.
Some interesting memorabilia in the shop too.

Point du hoc, pill boxes and bunkers galore, massive bomb craters everywhere.

The cemeteries, especially British and American.

Arromanches, 360 cinema, good museum, can also see the mulberry harbour remains here too.

Bayeux dday museum is good too, all the guns etc from the time, here on display.


Phil

[Tyrant68]

Thanks Phil, so much to see :woohoo:

[pebble35]

Done a fair bit of riding and sightseeing around that area in the past.

Like you say take your time and make sure you take time to stop and reflect on what actually happened all those years ago. Yes the 'must do' sights are worth visiting but sometimes it is the very simple things that stick in your memory.

One for me was sitting down amongst the dunes on Omaha beach enjoying a basic picnic lunch of fresh baguette (they really do taste better warm from the local bakery)with ham and cheese just sitting, looking at the calm sea and sunshine and thinking about what those guys went through all those years ago.

And whilst the huge American cemetery above Omaha beach is impressive to visit, we found a small corner of a French churchyard with about 10 english war graves in it. Most of the church yard was a bit untidy, overgrown, and unkempt but the corner with the english graves was perfectly manicured and well kept. I spoke to a local villager who was visiting and asked how the english bit was so well looked after and he explained that it was all tended by the local villagers as a simple way of saying thank you.

[lancashirelad]

I spoke to Arlette Gondree 30yrs ago at the cafe she had lived for quiet a while in the UK previously she said that her mother could not forgive the Germans & if any came into the cafe her mother would go into the kitchen so she didn't need to serve them. The cafe is well worth a visit I've been back myself about 10yrs ago but will go again sometime.

[special one]

Ok, I've re found this...

http://www.dijitalimaj.com/alamyDetail. ... 1FBDFDA%7D

http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/gondree.htm

This was also interesting, pic I took on point du hoc and a pic almost same angle from dday +1