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Normandy and Brittany 2008 - Detailed Itinerary

TBA

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart US/Fly overnight to Paris

Depart from the U.S. for France. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive in Paris/Begin your Trip Extension

Upon arrival at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) Airport, claim your luggage and clear customs. If your luggage is lost, fill in a PIR form before leaving the customs area. VBT representatives are not allowed into the customs area. Make sure that your VBT luggage tags are attached to your bags. This helps the representative identify you. After exiting customs, enter the arrival hall and look for your VBT representative or driver, who will be holding a VBT sign. Your representative will welcome you to France and arrange for your transfer via taxi or van (approximately 45 minutes depending upon traffic) to your Paris hotel. At this time, please verify with your airport representative the time of your transfers at the end of your trip, from your last hotel to the train station and airport. Important: If you are delayed in meeting your VBT representative at the CDG airport, please call 01-53-39-18-18 or 06-65-60-53-68 from within France. Outside of France, call 00 33 1-53-39-18-18 or 00 33 6-65-60-53-68. At the hotel, a VBT representative will answer your questions and provide you with a city information packet containing maps and recommendations on what to see and do in Paris. Before the representative leaves, please reconfirm the time you will be met in the hotel lobby for your train transfer to Bayeux on Day 1 of the Main Tour. Use the rest of the day to relax or to begin exploring the City of Light.

Hotel: Hotel Rochester

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent Exploration of Paris

Today, see for yourself why the City of Light has inspired poets, lovers, emperors, and artists for centuries. Visit Montmartre and its charming cafés and artists' colony, along with the Moulin Rouge, made famous by Toulouse-Lautrec in his candid impressions. Or venture to the top of Notre Dame for a gargoyle's view of the city. Make a stop at the Eiffel Tower or one of the magnificent museums, like Musee Picasso or the Musee d'Orsay. Take a stroll through the Tuileries Gardens on your way to the Louvre. You can walk to many of the major sights from your centrally located hotel.

Meals: B  Hotel: Hotel Rochester

Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Paris/Join VBT Air Package guests

Take another day to discover Paris! VBT Air Package guests arrive throughout the day.

Meals: B  Hotel: Hotel Rochester

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart US/Fly overnight to Paris

You depart from the U.S. for France. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of AIR PACKAGE Arrive in Paris

Upon arrival at the Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) Airport, claim your luggage and clear customs. If your luggage is lost, fill in a PIR form before leaving the customs area. VBT representatives are not allowed into the customs area. Make sure that your VBT luggage tags are attached to your bags. This helps the representative identify you. After exiting customs, enter the arrival hall and look for your VBT representative or driver, who will be holding a VBT sign. Your representative will welcome you to France and arrange for your transfer via taxi or van (approximately 45 minutes depending upon traffic) to your Paris hotel. At this time, please verify with your airport representative the time of your transfers at the end of your trip, from your Paris hotel to the Paris CDG Airport. Important: If you are delayed in meeting your VBT representative at the CDG airport, please call 01-53-39-18-18 or 06-65-60-53-68 from within France. Outside of France, call 00 33 1-53-39-18-18 or 00 33 6-65-60-53-68. At the hotel, a VBT representative will answer your questions and provide you with a city information packet containing maps and recommendations on what to see and do in Paris. At this time, please reconfirm the time that you will be met in the hotel lobby for your train transfer to Bayeux. Use the rest of the day to relax or to explore the “City of Light.” Dinner is on your own.

Hotel: Hotel Rochester

Day 1 of BIKE TOUR All guests meet at Bayeux Train station/Transfer to Lion D'Or

VBT No-Air Package guests: Meet your fellow travelers at the Bayeux train station at 12:45 p.m. The meeting place is on the ground level, outside of the train station and just outside the front entry doors. Your VBT Trip Leaders will be wearing VBT staff garments. Please plan to have lunch on your own before meeting your VBT Trip Leaders. If your arrival at the Bayeux train station is scheduled later than 12:45 p.m., or if your arrival is delayed, you must take a taxi (approximately 10 minutes) at your own expense. Taxi cost is approximately 7 euros from Bayeux to the first hotel, Le Lion D'Or. Please contact your first hotel to advise of any travel delays or changes, and the staff will pass your message on to your VBT Trip Leaders. VBT Air Package and Pre-Trip Extension guests: After breakfast, meet your VBT representative in the hotel lobby at 8:45 a.m. The VBT representative provides you with your train ticket and helps you transfer to the train station, where you take the train to Bayeux. Please plan to have lunch on your own before meeting your VBT Trip Leaders in Bayeux. Once the group has assembled, transfer by private taxi to the hotel in Bayeux. After time to settle in, your Trip Leaders will conduct a safety and bike-fitting session followed by a short warm-up ride, which takes you from the hotel into the countryside. Later in the afternoon, you have free time to discover the medieval city of Bayeux and its famous 11th-century tapestry. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a welcome reception, followed by dinner at the hotel.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Le Lion D' Or

Day 2 of BIKE TOUR Visit Normandy's famous chateaux

After breakfast, cycle through rolling farmlands and villages, passing many chateaux. Visit the Chateau Fontaine Henry, a medieval and Renaissance chateau, then relax with a picnic lunch. Later in the afternoon, cycle to the small coastal town of Arromanches, which faces the sea, and examine the remains of the artificial harbor built during the war. You may decide to visit the D-Day landing museum. Then cycle or shuttle back to the hotel. Tonight you have the night free to enjoy dinner on your own in town. Please note: If you wish to take an optional visit to the WWII memorial museum while you are in the area, the best time to do so is this afternoon. You must arrange this optional visit with the help of your Trip Leaders and at your own expense.

Meals: B,L  Hotel: Le Lion D' Or

Day 3 of BIKE TOUR DISCOVERY DAY! Visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery with our local guide.

This morning, cycle or shuttle to Omaha Beach, where a local guide joins us and explains the dramatic events that took place on this sandy stretch. The D-Day landings, code-named “Operation Overlord,” were the largest military operation in history, and the beaches of Normandy bore the brunt of the invasion. It was Omaha that witnessed the most vicious fighting of World War II. Early in the frigid morning of June 6, 1944, almost 7,000 boats hit the beaches along this coastline and tens of thousands of soldiers from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and elsewhere began pouring onto French shores. About 2,500 of them landed on Omaha Beach, where they were met with a wall of German gunfire. Many were gunned down as they exited the boats or as they tried to make their way onto the beach, but some made it to the ridge overlooking the beach and were sheltered from the gunfire there. Over four horrific hours, the Allied troops managed to capture the beach and the German troops massed there, in one of the most courageous and daring battles of WWII. Cycle or shuttle to the American Cemetery. The cemetery contains 9,387 perfectly aligned white crosses and Stars of David on a 170-acre landscaped site overlooking the ocean. Afterward, transfer to Point du Hoc, the outdoor landmark and symbol for the American soldiers' gallantry and courage. The towering sheer rock was taken by storm by Colonel Rudder's Rangers on the morning of June 6, 1944. Our local guide provides insight and answer questions. Afterward, transfer to your hotel La Gervaiserie, located right on a beautiful sandy beach. This evening, dinner is at a local restaurant.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: La Villa Gervaiserie Alternate Hotel: Chateau de Quineville .   Surrounded by 30 acres of land and a dramatic water feature, the "Château of Quinéville" was built in the 18th century. Once the residence of James II Stuart, the property has maintained a sense of his spirit and historical riches. Features include a Gallo-roman fireplace, active springs in the substratum, and grounds featuring the pigeon house, icebox and tower dating back to the Middle Ages.

Day 4 of BIKE TOUR Cycle to Barfleur/Enjoy a home-hosted lunch

After breakfast, cycle north following the scenic coastline past beaches, dunes and ancient Norman farm villages. Stop in Barfleur, a tiny fishing port that's considered one of France's most beautiful villages. After some free time to explore the village, continue cycling along quiet country roads into the Saire Valley. Here, eat a home-hosted lunch with a local family. After lunch, choose to shuttle back to the hotel or continue to cycle the Saire Valley. Your evening is free to explore the port town of St. Vaast la Hougue and to try one of the charming cafés or restaurants lining the port.

Meals: B,L  Hotel: La Villa Gervaiserie Alternate Hotel: Chateau de Quineville .   Surrounded by 30 acres of land and a dramatic water feature, the "Château of Quinéville" was built in the 18th century. Once the residence of James II Stuart, the property has maintained a sense of his spirit and historical riches. Features include a Gallo-roman fireplace, active springs in the substratum, and grounds featuring the pigeon house, icebox and tower dating back to the Middle Ages.

Day 5 of BIKE TOUR Cycle to St. Mere Eglise /Explore Utah Beach

Today, cycle through peaceful countryside along scenic, mostly flat roads to St. Mere Eglise. After lunch in St. Mere Eglise, cycle or shuttle to Utah Beach to walk the beach with a guide. Afterward, transfer to the next hotel, La Villefromoy, in picturesque St. Malo, the City of the Corsaires, surrounded by walls and famous for the highest tides in Europe. You have free time to freshen up before gathering with the group for dinner in a local restaurant. You dine on Brittany's famous specialties: crêpes and cider.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: La Villefromoy

Day 6 of BIKE TOUR DISCOVERY DAY! Visit Cancale/La Pointe du Grouin/St Malo

In the morning, ride toward Cancale. The residents of this little fishing port were cod fishermen from the time Jacques Cartier discovered Canada until recently. At the end of the morning ride, visit a sea farm and taste the famous oysters of Cancale. After lunch on the lovely port, you ride to the rocky finger of the Pointe du Grouin, facing the bay of Mont St. Michel. If you prefer, walk on the smugglers cliff walk along the rocky and picturesque Emerald Coast. Cycle or shuttle back to the hotel. Late in the afternoon, discover St. Malo's old city on your own, then end your evening in one of the city's numerous small restaurants and creperies.

Meals: B  Hotel: La Villefromoy

Day 7 of BIKE TOUR Visit Dinan /St Suliac/Dinard/Farewell dinner

In the morning, cycle along the river Rance. Pedal to St. Suliac, a charming little village with typical granite houses, on the way to Dinan, where you stop for lunch. Stroll the cobblestone of this beautiful walled medieval city set on a hill overlooking the River Rance. The walls and buildings have been preserved and unchanged for centuries; you can see stone, wood and slate buildings. The town boasts a large array of fine restaurants, bars and shops, all set in fairy-tale-like surroundings. In the afternoon, savor the last ride of the trip, down a 12-mile-long bike path to the popular seaside town of Dinard, or shuttle back to your hotel. From there, ride on the sea bus that shuttles you to St. Malo. Gather with your fellow travelers for a memorable farewell dinner in the old city tonight.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: La Villefromoy

Day 8 of BIKE TOUR Transfer to Paris/VBT No-Air Package ends

VBT No-Air Package guests: After breakfast, transfer to the St. Malo TGV train station, arriving at approximately 10:30 a.m. Your tour ends here. You are responsible for your own transfer for your flights home. VBT Air Package guests: After breakfast, transfer to the St. Malo TGV train station, arriving at approximately 10:30 a.m., then board a reserved train to Paris. In Paris, a VBT representative or driver meets you at the station and helps you transfer (approximately 25 minutes) to your Paris hotel. You arrive at approximately 2:30 p.m. The rest of the day is free to explore the City of Light and have lunch and dinner on your own.

Meals: B  Hotel: Hotel Rochester

Day 9 of AIR PACKAGE Depart for US

After breakfast*, transfer to the airport for your flight home. Please ensure you are waiting in the hotel reception area at the designated time. VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder.” Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense. *Note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.

Meals: B