Our tour was excellent and informative. We were able to experience D Day with a wonderful tour guide. Thanks again for a fabulous experience!
Private tour in Bayeux François G
5.0
(13) reviews
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François G.
5.0
Guide rating
53
Reviews
Tours delivered
6 hrs
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Bonjour, my name is Francois. I was born and raised in Caen, the capital of lower Normandy. I also lived 17 years in England : London, west yorkshire and for 12 years I was literally "sent to Coventry", a town in the midlands, working for the city council. It is during my time there where I learnt English. All my family is from Normandy and were in the Caen area during the two and half months in 1944 we now call "The battle of Normandy". I grew up learning from a generation who survived those events and understood the impact it had on their lives. I vividly remember as a kid at family gathering, listening for hours to my grandparents, uncles and aunties talking about the German occupation, the bombings, the suffering, the liberation and newly restored freedom. I also have a Spanish Grandfather who was a republican and played his part by fighting the Germans in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. He ended up as a refugee in France and was eventually taken prisoner by the Germans, being one of the slave laborers building the now famous, or should I say infamous "Atlantic wall". I'm very passionate about my work and I have always been fascinated by history and more particularly WW2 and the battle of Normandy. As a young man, I was always interested in the military aspect of history, but getting older and more mature I'm now much more interested in the personal experiences of the soldiers and civilians. A personal memoir tells you so much more than a military history about what people endured. Professional baccalaureate in forestry business. D-day beaches tour guide, 7 years for Normandy Sightseeing tours company. Menber of Normandy Battlefield Tour Guide Association. Registered in France as Guide accompagnateur. VTC owner. (carte professionnelle de conducteur de voiture de transport avec chauffeur). I'm a licensed D-day beaches Guide. I also own a license to transport people wherever they want BUT I'm not a licensed Guide to guide inside the abbey of Mont Saint Michel or any National monuments.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message François G.
First we'll drive to Sainte Mère Église made famous in "the longest day" film and the center of the American Airbone drops. On the way to Utah, I'll explain to you the "Bocage", the tricky Normand landscape partially floaded on D-day. On Utah we will see the beach and memorials. We will have lunch at the "Roosevelt café. Next is La Pointe du Hoc one the most world famous D-day Sites. You'll hear how the Rangers scaled the cliffs to destroy the canons that could fire on Utah and Omaha beaches. From there we'll head on to Omaha beach and I'll show you the remaining of the Atlantic wall, German defenses that you can visit. Finally we'll visit the stunning and moving American cemetery where over 9 000 Battle of Normandy victims lay to rest. We'll leave after the ceremony of lowering the flag and taps.
Our tour was excellent and informative. We were able to experience D Day with a wonderful tour guide. Thanks again for a fabulous experience!
François was superb! He was a wealth of information and never tired of our questions. He always made sure we understood his explanations, and had wonderful maps and pictures to enhance all the information he gave to us. He was always so kind and courteous- I highly recommend him for any tour - would book with him again without hesitation. I honestly wish we had more days to spend so that we could book another tour with him.
Our train was late and we lost 2 hours - but Francois made up for it with hospitality and enthusiasm. Francois’ knowledge and detailed descriptions of the events were just the right mix to satisfy the experienced veteran and those of us who can only weep at the destruction and loss of life. The American Cemetery is stunning - we stayed for the flag lowering and taps. Very moving. As Americans with relatives who served in WWII, we grew up thinking it was American military might that saved the day - but Francois helped us understand it was allied effort - a concept of partnership so needed in our world today. Choose Francois! He is truly local, living in Bayeaux, and will share lots of local lore, too. You won’t be disappointed.
Really great tour! Our guide, Francois, had a palpable passion for telling the stories of the Battle of Normandy and the D-Day invasion. Francois was very flexible and gave us the opportunity to choose how some aspects of the tour went and what we saw. His local knowledge of the area was invaluable in making sure we got to see some of the most pertinent locations while avoiding the majority of the crowds that are inherent close to the anniversary of D-Day. Francois had a great sense of when to be a guide and when to step back and let us soak in the magnitude of what we were experiencing.
Francoise was an amazing guide. He had a vast knowledge of the areas we visited and shared it with gusto. We appreciated how he interacted with all of us, ages 8-74, in a personable and age appropriate way. His English is great. He offered us personal stories of his families life in Normandy which made the history come to life. His van was clean and comfortable. He went out of his way to make sure we enjoyed all aspects of the tour. We highly recommend him for your next tour!
We spent an entire day going through Normandy with Francois who was fantastic. He was so personable and knowledgeable. He personalized the tour sharing the experiences of his family during the war and gave us insight into what it must have been like for the civilians during the war. He had great suggestions for us when we would be on our own on subsequent days in Normandy. We would recommend Francois to everyone who wants a tour that is more than just visiting the sights, but who wants to be immersed in the history.
Pick up at 8. 30 at your place of stay in the Bayeux areas. - Sainte Mère Église. 505th regiment 82nd Division. - Beuzeville au Plain. Lieutenant Thomas Meehan's monument. Easy company, 506th regiment 101st Division. And explanations about the"bocage". - Dick Winters memorial. Easy Company, 506 Regiment, 101st Division. - Utah Beach. 4th Division. Lunch. - La pointe du Hoc. German battery. - Omaha Beach. 1st and 29th Divisions. - Colleville sur mer. American cemetery and taps. I will provide you informations and stories about each site and after I will always give you some free time. However, these are only suggestions and I'm happy to tailor the tour to meet your requirement. Back to your place of stay in the Bayeux area at 17. 00.
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I own a very confortable Traffic Renault 9 seats van. 2024.
Bayeux, France
Hotel. Airbnb. Airport. This tour can also be started from Caen.
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