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VIVE LA DIFFERENCE
The Channel Islands & Normandy
14 day tour including arrival/departure days
Described by past Back-Roaders as 'the dream tour', this relaxed itinerary combines the very best of British and French culture, and delivers an interesting and contrasting balance of history, nature and tradition. The Channel Islands are a particularly interesting corner of the British Isles where close proximity to the French mainland has given them a unique individuality. The occupation by the Germans in WW2 added a further dimension. The rural and historic Normandy, adds a further contrast. The landscapes of the impressionist painters, prehistoric monuments, superb food (of course!), pretty harbours, and the World War II beaches and D-Day beaches are just some of the features of the region and combine to make this a superb and unforgettable tour.
Tour Dates: Your choice! Begin on any day of the week. (Note that some attractions may not be opened daily.)
Available at any date for private groups of 2 – 15 people, subject to availability. Rates are based upon vehicle and guide hire per day; groups of 7 - 15 would have a per person rate same/similar to one of our scheduled tours of the same length.
Price: dependent upon how many are in your party; please contact us for a quote. Contact us for availability and rate quote: specialgrouptours@yahoo.com
Please note, this is a suggested itinerary. It may be revised to suit your individual group needs.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Day One
Welcome to London! You have the day to explore the capital as you please and recover from your international journey.
NIGHTSTOP London
Day Two
We depart from London heading south into the ancient county of Hampshire. Today will be a long day's touring as we'll be taking an afternoon catamaran ferry across the English Channel to Guernsey. This gives us an opportunity to visit the new Forest, ironically named, as it is the oldest remaining natural forest in Britain. The scenery is lovely and we may even spot the famed, tiny New Forest wild ponies. The maritime village of Buckler's Hard, a charming 18th century hamlet that was the start and finish to Sir Francis Chichester's successful attempt at circumnavigating the world single-handed, is on today's route. We'll also travel through Bournemouth, a typical south coast resort, before reaching one of the world's largest natural harbours, Poole. From here, the ferry crossing will take between three and four hours and we'll berth in the picturesque harbour town of St Peter Port. A short drive from Guernsey's main town through typical Guernsey countryside lies our overnight accommodation for four nights.
NIGHTSTOP Guernsey
Day Three
Guernsey is the second largest of the Channel Islands - just 34 square miles in size! Despite its comparatively small size, there is great variety, as we'll see. Along the south coast, there is the wilder side where nature provides the main attraction.
There's an indefinable and timeless quality about the island of Guernsey and no-one can say they know the United Kingdom until they've spent some time here. The 'back-roading' opportunities are legion and no two tours of ours are seemingly ever the same as our guides use our flexible touring schedules to mould each individual tour according to weather, local festivals and events, and the particular interest of participants.
NIGHTSTOP Guernsey
Days Four & Five
Excellent for sandy beaches in secluded coves, wild flowers and rocky promontories, and for the gentle walking which can be taken amidst breathtaking scenery. In addition to the nature element of the tour, there is an opportunity to visit sites associated with Guernsey's interesting history. Like its neighbours, Guernsey has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is rich in Bronze and Iron Age monuments. Perhaps most interesting will be our discovery of the many castles, fortresses and watch houses that cover the island and have sought to protect it from invasions, a threat to the Channel Islands since King John lost the Crown's French possessions. We'll be visiting the Fortress Guernsey Exhibition as well as a selection of castles, e.g. Chateau des Marais, Vale Castle and Castle Cornet. We'll also be spending time at St Peter Port, the island's attractive capital. Highlights will include Victor Hugo's house, who lived here in exile, the Maritime Museum, and the old harbour. We'll have two days to explore the many facets of this small island. On one of our days, we'll be taking a short ferry to the island of Sark - the last feudal fief in Europe and the smallest independent state in the Commonwealth. Here, no cars are allowed to pollute this haven of rural and maritime peace and one of the day's undoubted highlights will be our mode of transport - horse-drawn carts! Other highlights will include La Colinette, and La Coupee, a scene so inspiring to Turner.
NIGHTSTOP Guernsey
Days Six & Seven
A short morning ferry crossing brings us to Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands (12.5 by 5.5 miles). Here we'll spend our next two days and nights exploring the island. In addition to its lovely scenery, we'll also be seeing fine historical sights such as the 13th century, one time home of Sir Walter Raleigh, Mont Orgueil Castle at Gorey, the mythical Grosnez Point and St Ouen's Bay with its vast sandy beach. In terms of contemporary history, we'll be visiting the concrete labyrinth of the German occupation force's Underground Hospital, built during World War II as well as numerous coastal fortifications. A visit to Jersey Pottery is also on the agenda. There'll be the opportunity, too, of visiting Jersey Zoo (not included in the price) established by naturalist and author Gerald Durrell. Here, animals live as closely as is possible to their natural environment while preparing to be re-released into the wild.
NIGHTSTOP Jersey
Day Eight
We take another catamaran ferry crossing of about three hours to the Celtic region of Brittany in France. We'll arrive at Saint Malo around midday (subject to any possible change in ferry times.) This harbour town was originally built as a fortress and a haven for French pirates who raided ships in the English Channel and beautifully restored after almost complete destruction in WW2.
NIGHTSTOP St Malo/Dinan France
Days Nine & Ten
An early start this morning as we head west to one of the best preserved 'old towns' in Brittany, Vitre. Later, we'll visit the incredible abbey church at Le Mont St Michel, undoubtedly one of the regions most famed attractions. Leaving Brittany, we'll pass through Avranches and from here on we'll come across many more reminders of our recent history. Our destination for today is the medieval city of Bayeux. Dinner on both days will be taken on the shores of the English Channel at Arromanches overlooking the site of Mulberry B Harbour, a truly remarkable location. Our tour continues with visits to some of the D-Day Beaches - Omaha, Gold and Juno. A visit to the war cemeteries of allied dead will be a poignant reminder never to be forgotten. As a contrast, a relaxing afternoon in the beautifully restored city of Bayeux is on our itinerary. Visit the famed tapestry, the cathedral, one of the many museums or spend time exploring the town.
NIGHTSTOP Bayeux, France
Day Eleven & Twelve
One gentle day's touring is in store for us first as we discover 'Calvados' country. Among rolling, green hills, we'll see the black and white manors, stop off at cheese makers and cider farms, and generally fit the day around the groups' interests. Beuvron-en-Auge is a beautiful example of a Calvados village. We'll pass through the Victorian resort of Deauville and drive along the Cote de Grace before arriving at Honfleur.
Honfleur, a harbour that inspired artists, saw the launch of daring expeditions to the New World, and is today a thriving centre of fishing and tourism, which warrants the day of personal discovery we give it. It's an ideal climax to this truely relaxed holiday tour. There are local museums and art galleries, unique shops and atmospheric ancient back alleys to explore. Perhaps you'll even enjoy a fishing trip! We'd certainly recommend a leisurely seasfood lunch at one of the harbour-side cafes.
NIGHTSTOP Honfleur, France
Day Thirteen
It's 'au revoir' to France today but we've a very full final day before we board our early evening, fast ferry from Dieppe bound for England.
As any Canadian knows, Dieppe is known for the Dieppe Raid on August 19,1942. On the local beach thousands of Canadian soldiers were killed along with other allied soldiers in an assult that laid the groundwork for the later, successful , D-Day landings. There are several monuments in the town paying tribute to those who died and it's another moving visit for all who want to see it.
But Dieppe has much more to offer those who'd like to broaden their visit and its attractions will fill our day. Dieppe is not just a ferry port, it is also a pleasant resort. At the foot of high cliffs facing the English Channel, it is delightfully small-scale with the port, the shops and the beach all within easy reach. Pastel-coloured houses line the quay where fishermen sell scallops, sole and turbot, straight off the boats. The medieval castle, overlooking the promenade, houses the Musée du Château, which has a vast collection of ivory objects shipped back from Africa by early explorers, as well as more than 100 sketches by the French artist Georges Braque, the co-founder of cubism, who spent his summers in Dieppe and is buried near the town at Varengeville-sur-Mer.
And perhaps we'll enjoy a long, final French lunch as fitting climax to our holiday, or tour the ivory museum.
Disembarking our ferry, and having dined on board, we make our way to our final accommodation of the tour.
NIGHTSTOP London
Please note specific itinerary will be dependent upon current ferry times/day of operation.
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