Compare Operation Overlord Tour by Stephen Ambrose Tours vs European Affair & The Chelsea Flower Show - 2022 by Insight Vacations

DAY 1 Overnight Flight to London
This tour is the brainchild of the late Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose and further developed by Capt. Ronald Drez. Ambrose and Drew designed this itinerary after thousands of hours of interviews with veterans, a study of the battlefields, research, and writing. Thanks to their experience with the terrain and knowledge of the history, we are able to present a tour that is unmatched in its authenticity.

Please sit back and relax on your overnight flight!

DAY 2 London
Check into the hotel where the entire group will gather for an evening welcome reception. Our historian will treat us to our first lecture, with introductions all around.

DAY 3 London
The morning will feature key sites in London that figured prominently in the War. We then proceed to the Churchill War Rooms, the underground nerve center for Britains war effort. We will also visit the Imperial War Museum, which houses authentic examples of World War II weaponry, tanks and aircraft and an exhibit of WWI trench warfare. We will have free time to enjoy London in the evening.

DAY 4 Portsmouth
Depart London for Bletchley Park where we will visit the nerve center for intelligence used in the Allied War effort, code name Ultra. Here we will see the place where the Enigma machine is housed and where the cyphers and codes of several Axis countries were decrypted during the war. This afternoon we will tour Southwick House, the advance command post of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. In the months leading up to D-Day in 1944, the house became the headquarters of the main Allied commanders, including Naval Commander-In-Chief Admiral Ramsay, Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower, and the Army Commander-In-Chief General Montgomery.

DAY 5 Normandy
Following breakfast, we will board the cross-channel ferry and embark for Normandy as the troops did in 1944. In the afternoon, we will begin our visit to Normandy at Ste-Mere-Eglise, one of the villages where the American Airborne descended on D-Day. Here we will view and explore the iconic church where John Steele and his landing on the steeple are memorialized. We also visit La Fiere Bridge where the 82nd Airborne successfully delayed a German Panzer counter-attack against the Allied landing forces.

DAY 6 Normandy
We will begin The Longest Day at Brécourt Manor where Lt. Dick Winters with members of Easy Company successfully silenced German artillery firing on American troops landing at Utah Beach. From there we will visit Utah Beach itself, where the 4th Division landed, and the Invasion Museum that depicts their heroics. Next we will stop at Ste-Marie du Mont where still stands the unique Renaissance-style steeple used as an observation post by the Germans. From there, we will proceed to the town of Carentan where we will follow the exact steps taken by American Paratroopers during the Battle of Normandy. Finally, the day will conclude with a visit to Pointe-du-Hoc, where Rudder's Rangers scaled the cliffs to neutralize German heavy guns defending the expanse of beaches on D-Day.

DAY 7 Normandy
Well spend the morning at Omaha Beach where the Americans landed and faced the strongest German resistance of the day and incurred the greatest losses. We will walk the beach and visit some of the German defense fortifications. We explore these sands from the tides ebb to the distant dunes to understand the emotions of the young soldiers of the 1st and 29th Divisions as they approached the gates of hell. We will pay our respects at the American Cemetery with its 9387 American soldiers graves stretching along the top of the bluff overlooking the beach. In the afternoon we will view the battery at Longues-sur-Mer, a fine example of the great defenses that made up Hitler's Atlantic Wall. We will proceed along the British Beaches from there to Pegasus Bridge where the first shots were fired on D-Day. Here the British Sixth Airborne led by Major John Howard with a miraculous glider landing carried out a surprise attack that yielded great success in overtaking this crucial bridge across the Caen Canal.

DAY 8 Paris
We arrive in Paris this afternoon. The Allies, preceded by Free French troops, symbolically reclaimed the French capital from the Nazis in August 1944. As did the American troops on leave, you may explore the city on your own. The evening is free.

DAY 9 Home
After breakfast, an airport transfer will be provided to the Paris Charles DeGaulle Airport (CDG).

Day 1: Welcome to London

On arrival, you are transferred to your hotel where the rest of the day is at leisure to relax or explore London. This evening join your Travel Director for a Welcome Drink and trip briefing at the hotel.

Day 2: Chelsea Flower Show

Today is dedicated to the famous Chelsea Flower Show, run by the Royal Horticultural Society, this is the ‘mecca’ of all garden shows. Bringing together the very best show gardens, flowers, and gardening from around the world, lose yourself amongst the magnificent floral displays and show gardens. Enjoy elaborate displays featuring courtyard, city and roof gardens, and hear from the experts. This evening dine on a spectacular Thames River Dinner Cruise.

Day 3: London to Amsterdam

Travel to Dover for the channel crossing to Calais, and transfer to Amsterdam. Later we board our canal boat and dine as we gently glide along the canals, past traditional Dutch-gabled houses built right on the water’s edge, and under picturesque bridges.

Day 4: Floriade

Start your day at the famous Aalsmeer Flower Auction, the largest of its kind in the world. Experience the intoxicating bustle of the auction floor and witness the incredible number of blooms sold every day. Later visit the Floriade Expo 2022, a once-in-a-decade horticultural and international garden exposition. The theme is “Growing Green Cities”, you will have time to visit the Green Island and other districts focusing on food, energy and health.

Day 5: Amsterdam to Bruges

Continue to medieval Bruges in Belgium. Stroll along the cobbled streets lined with high, gabled houses from the Golden Age of the 16th century. Visit the market square dominated by the 272ft Belfry of the Market Hall. Then explore Burg Square with its ornate Gothic town hall and glorious frescoes on the walls of the Holy Blood Chapel. Afterwards, enjoy a relaxing canal cruise, followed by a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 6: Bruges at Leisure

A free day to explore medieval Bruges at your own pace. Don’t forget to try some of the tempting chocolates or beers for which Belgium is renowned for.

Day 7: Bruges to Paris

Depart Bruges for glittering Paris. Enjoy sightseeing with a Local Expert, taking in the imposing facades of the Louvre and Garnier Opera House. See the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde and drive along the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and see the Eiffel Tower, completed for the World Exhibition in 1899.

Day 8: Loire Valley Excursion

Today take a day trip from Paris to visit two of the most famous Chateaux of the Loire Valley: the picturesque Château de Chenonceau, and perhaps most magnificent of them all, the Château de Chambord. You’ll witness the glamour and grandeur of French royalty and aristocracy, and gain insights into ‘castle life’ in these iconic Renaissance riverside estates.

Day 9: Versailles and Giverny

Spend the day admiring two of Europe’s most celebrated gardens, Versailles and Giverny. France’s royal history is revealed at King Louis XIV’s majestic palace of Versailles which, along with its magnificent garden, became the quintessential model for palaces in Europe. Visit the luxurious Grand Apartments, the chandelier-lit Hall of Mirrors and the Chapel of Versailles. Then we head to Giverny to view the gardens that inspired many of Impressionist Claude Monet’s paintings.

Day 10: Farewell Paris

Your memorable journey comes to an end as you bid your Travel Director farewell. Transfers arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport at 08.30 and 11.00.