This is an innovative tour that combines Normandy and Dieppe and follows the ‘Pursuit to the Seine’ route the Canadians took in moving from the ‘Falaise Pocket’ in Normandy to Dieppe. It is an action packed 5-day tour.
The tour starts in Bayeux, Normandy and ends with ‘Operation Jubilee’ in Dieppe. It is your responsibility to get to Bayeux to begin the tour and to make your own arrangements for travel when the tour ends in Dieppe. However, all other travel will be included in the tour cost. You will be driven from Bayeux following your 3-day Normandy tour, to Dieppe, following the route of 2nd Canadian Division, in their ‘Pursuit to the Seine’ which culminates with the Canadian’s liberation of Dieppe on September 1, 1944.
Days 1-3 – Your tour begins in Bayeux, Normandy with Days 1-3 of the itinerary set out here – Battle of Normandy
Day 4 – You will be driven to Dieppe, following the route of 2nd Canadian Division in their ‘Pursuit to the Seine’. Your first stop will be the viewing of the Tiger Tank near Vimoutiers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimoutiers_Tiger_tank); then on to Bourgtheroulde and Foret de la Londe. As you approach Bourgtheroulde you will see a monument to the men of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and the Black Watch, who were ambushed here. To explore the Forest de la Londe, you will visit St. Ouen-de-Tilleul, a village that was the base for the Canadian operations in the Foret. There is a striking memorial here to the 13 Canadians killed nearby. The village was also a centre for a French Resistance group known as ‘le Group 133’, who provided guides for the Canadians as they fought their way through the Foret (Forest). You will stop for lunch in the charming town of Criquebeuf-sur-Seine. The town has named many streets after Canadians who were lost here. On to Rouen, the first large city to be liberated by the Canadians. Your day ends in Dieppe, which was liberated by the 2nd Canadian Division on September 1, 1944.
Day 5 – Your day begins and ends with the events of ‘Operation Jubilee’, better known as the Dieppe Raid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieppe_Raid.)
Additional tour information – As with our other tour options, this tour will be a private, personalized tour, available anytime on a first come-first serve basis, ideally for groups of 1-4 people. If you have any special requests, like following the footsteps of a Veteran or unit, we are happy to accommodate, whenever possible. Just provide us the information about a soldier or unit and we will do some preliminary research, to make your tour an even more meaningful experience.
This tour, as well as our others, will be priced on the following basis. The price quoted will be for all ground transportation within the battlefield areas with professional guide(s). It does not include anything else. Of course, we are happy to make recommendations to help with your travel planning, like hotels, B&B’s. You will need accommodation in Bayeux for three nights (four nights if you arrive a day early) and Dieppe for one night (two nights if you stay after the end of the tour). There are many hotel booking sites but we have always liked booking.com.
