Visiting WW2 Battlefields

Paul, North Africa in a Landy, when you do it , count me in.

We should do it in the next few years and tell our respect missus' that it is a "mid life crisis"...

 

Paul/Owen

That would be awesome, there is NO WAY mine would even consider me doing that, expense etc! so when you do, lots and lots of picss!

Andy

 

Drew,
Have you a rough idea of your route yet?
Any particular battlefields you going to do?
There's a few I'd like to see.
How are things looking at crossing Libya , is it easy to get into nowadays?
Are you reading up all you can on the Desert War now?

Paul, North Africa in a Landy, when you do it , count me in.

The idea Comes from the film Ice Cold In Alex and as I like to keep pushing the boundaries with riding further a field I thought why not.

The trip is still in the 'In the head' phase. But I'm buying a new bike next year capable of doing the trip.

The route:
At the mo ferry to Santander in Northern Spain and ride down to Algeciras in Southern Spain and get a ferry across to Ceuta in North Africa. Follow the coast road through Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and finaly into Egypt for that Ice Cold Carlsberg in Alex. Then get a boat across to Greece and ride up into the Balkans and turn left for home

I'm aware Libya may be a problem with visas (But Ewan and Charlie did itin their 2nd TV bike trip) and the other concern is the crossing from Egypt back to Europe (More research)

As for Battlefield etc. The African Campaign isn't a strong point of mine so I need to look at the geography of them in relation to the route. But I do want to have a military theme to it as I do with all my trips when I can.

A lot is riding on whether I can make a mate come with me on his bike. I wouldn't attempt this one on my own.

So in short a lot of water still to go under the bridge yet and probably 18mths before it becomes a reality.

 

The Mrs and I were going to do a cycling tour of Normandy in May. But unfortunately I came a cropper in a cycle race and have been banned from cycling by the surgeon until June. We have changed our plans and will be in Paris for four days before heading to Eastern Europe.
We still want to go to Normandy on a day trip concentrating around Arromanches. Does anyone have any recommendations of a tour / guide? We will have to figure out the public transportation to get to Caen first.

 

Kevin, try Paul Woodadge.

DDay Historian - Home

 

Kevin, try Paul Woodadge.

DDay Historian - Home
thanks
already looked at his site. At the top of my list. It's always good to go on a recommendation

 

Haha just seen this again.
I see Andy posted this before being biten by the 1940 bug.
Won't be riding your bike for a few months now Andy.

You can go off people you know :p


I'm a bit dissapointed to see there are no Dunkirk/France 1940 Battlefield Guide websites - There's no accounting for good taste. Anyone would think WW2 started on 6th June 1944

 

We will have to figure out the public transportation to get to Caen first.

Kevin
You can get to Caen via Paris St Lazare. The direct train takes around 2 hours. There is also another which stops once at Lisieux and takes 2 1/2 hours.

 

Thanks
The Mrs has been looking at various options. Apparently the earliest we can get to Caen is 08h50

 

Kevin,

I'm sure the WW2 museum in Caen is on your list. Well worth seeing.

 

My advice, if you only have one day, is give the museums a miss. Get out on the ground, that's where the real battlefields are.

 

My advice, if you only have one day, is give the museums a miss. Get out on the ground, that's where the real battlefields are.
it's a miracle that I've got the missus to go to Normandy. I won't even think about trying to get her into a museum.

 

Hell Kevin, you don't want to waste time on all that battlefield stuff. Find yourself a nice table on the edge of a square where you can watch the people go by and practice your French - "Calvados" and "Crêpe Flambé" are the two most important words if you're in Normandy.

 

Hell Kevin, you don't want to waste time on all that battlefield stuff. Find yourself a nice table on the edge of a square where you can watch the people go by and practice your French - "Calvados" and "Crêpe Flambé" are the two most important words if you're in Normandy.
Told that to the mrs, she thinks your a genius. Why waste time looking at boring war stuff.

 

Told that to the mrs, she thinks your a genius. Why waste time looking at boring war stuff.

There is no interesting war stuff in Normandy. The good stuff is all up towards the Belgian border. Normandy's good for holidays. That's what the French go there for ! B)

 

I would agree with the museum comments, with the exception of Caen.





I'm greatly impressed that Kevin talked the bride into going to Normandy at all. Most ladies would want to simply stay in Paris. I want to be just like him when I grow up!

 

There is no interesting war stuff in Normandy. The good stuff is all up towards the Belgian border. Normandy's good for holidays. That's what the French go there for ! B)

Far too many tourists in Normandy too :p