I'm French, born and raised in in Normandy. You managed to encapsulate Normandy under 15 minutes. You do the place justice! I like Normandy and its landmarks very much but what I like most is seeing, hearing, getting to meet nice people like you coming from the world over. That is what Normandy has got best. Thank you so much for your witty suggestions and also the 5 hates, those are real issues. Those sound pieces of advice will truly help our fellow travelers be more prepared. Merci beaucoup. Warm regards to you, your beautiful family and to everybody who has made and will make the trip. I wish I could meet you all. Greetings to America, England, Canada and all the English speaking countries from Normandy. Heart felt thank you on this June 6 2019. We love you
Guillaume Romain Merci pour votre tres gentils mots a propos les citoyens des Etats-Unis. Moi, j’adore la Normandie et aussi les gens qui y Vivent. J’espere voyager la-bas encore une fois dans Jen annee.
@@stephenlowenstein9233 Quel plaisir de trouver votre message en réponse à mon commentaire. Votre français est excellent. La Normandie vous aime autant que vous l'aimez et vous serez toujours le bienvenu 🤗 🇺🇸🇫🇷
There's is nothing like Mont Saint Michel at night. When the lights come on and you are outside looking back, it is absolutely stunning. Truly, one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in all my travels.
Im 72 and spent six weeks traveling in paris on right bank, Brittany, Saint Malo and local bus to Mont Saint Michael, Angers, Caen with local bus to Honfleur, Issy les Moulineaux and Paris in Latin Quarter. Used the train system and local buses. Never had a single problem and didn’t need a car. Planning my next trip already.
There is nothing more American than visiting Omaha Beach and that cemetery. You don't have to be a history buff to pay homage to those young American boys who gave their lives for freedom. It's a special feeling being there. No need to be a super patriot to appreciate being in Normandy as a special place to be American.
Been there twice and I always discover something new. There Is always something to see. and yes i live in denmark and my car has nothing of notable equipment except for floor mats and a bluetooth radio. But It's a Renault Twingo II and so far no problems. Not even rust. Even manage about 19 kilometers pr liter UL95 in the tank from door to door
Great tips! While my wife and I were able to get by without knowing Italian in Rome, we found that her being able to speak some French was almost necessary in some of the towns we visited in France. Great people and country to visit!
I just love how you talk and describe everything :D Been to Normandy last year for 74-th D Day anniversary. Great place, great food and nice people! Hope to visit again some day!
I have booked a cruise for October and Le Havre is one of our ports. Your video has been very helpful in educating me and helping me learn more about the excursions offered.
i was in Normandy and brittany in august and september of '19 and loved every minute of it and plan on going back once the travel bans are lifted...a great place. thanks for the video...
Oh I love your enthusiasm for travel...we were fortunate as our French DILaw and French speaking Australian son drove us around these areas....everything you said is totally spot in. Your own transport (with family driving) is so much fun. The b&b country accommodation is wonderful and yessss if you must haaahaaa the food and drink is spectacular
Visiting Normandy in March for the first time. So excited! The food looks Devine! Showing the hubby this video so he believes me about having to renting a car. He’s never driven in Europe and is hesitant. Need to break him of that fear. Thanks for these great Normandy videos! Karen
if you like walking in the moutain you can go to the "Norman Switzerland" it's very nice and some kind of physical. Plus, you can have a cow ride there !
AWESOME, as always. I a specially loved the suggestion of asking your "Garson" for meal choices. Though some Restaux, Bistros or Brasseries will offer the expected regional fair, some out-of-the-way establishments may have what is referred to as "fait maison", where the food preparation will consist of fresh, seasonal ingredients, giving you a true regional experience. One rule of thump is to look for a menu that is written on a chalkboard as opposed to a multi paged printed menu. Or, simply look for, or ask about "fait maison". Enjoy!
I had very similar experience visiting Normandy last year. I thought the parking at St. Michael was not bad at all and we visited there in August. The abbey is spectacular. The Normandy beaches are great places to learn about the heroism of the soldiers. Both places must see in France. Indeed poeple in Normandy are very friendly and helpful.
I've cycled the Normandy coast in the autumn and it was great. A little rain, great food etc. But I guess what struck me is how unspoilt it is. Little traffic, not much modern development. Yes it's not the Med but - I've always felt like it's a place where I could live - there's something very relaxed and real about the place.
Memorial on WW2 in Caen is a great museum too. Normans are very attached that Americans, Canadians’and English enjoy their stay for reasons we know. Love to see your enthousiam about Normandy!
Mark, Good video. Your enthusiasm for Normandy is apparent. If the Normandy tourism board does not sponsor you, they should. PS. ". . . and stuff like that." x 16 ;-D
I would like to visit Normandy someday. I came fairly close to it. The spouse and I rented a car in the UK and then took the chunnel to France. We didn't do anything in France, just bypassed it for Belgium. We ended up touring WWI sites while in Belgium. WWI seems to be forgotten by Americans these days, so it was interesting to see some sites there. We didn't have time for Normandy, but will try to make plans in the future. Your video really sold me on it. I've only visited France once for a trip -- to Paris. Although they have some of the best tourist attractions around, the experience put me off for a variety of reasons and I haven't returned (minus the quick drive mentioned and a layover at the Charles De Gaulle Airport).
Enjoyed the Calvados and Camembert. Good seafood as well. I was in Normandy for the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. Very evocative. Also take time to visit La Cambe German War Cemetery near Omaha Beach. A stark contrast to the allied cemeteries.
I was also there at that time in 1994. One of our tour group members was a former USAAF P-51 Mustang fighter pilot who flew air cover on June 6th. He told us that it was his job to kill enemy tanks...and anything else that was moving and not one of "ours"=Impressive....
I've only been to Paris, but I love history. War history is my favorite subject!!! I must visit Normandy as I would love to pay my respects to the brave American service members who sacrifice their lives to protect freedom!!! Thank you for this informative video!!!
There are a number of US tour companies that specialize in visits to different museums and historical battle sites, not just the D-Day Normandy beaches and not just WWII. The entire region is full of history.
Tips on walking to and from Mont St. Michel at low tide. Mark was not kidding when he compared the mud to quicksand. You could be stuck up to your thighs or waist in thick mud! Never walk across the mud solo! Make sure other people are nearby to help lift you out of the mud. In addition, check the high and low tides charts. They are posted at both ends of the muddy path. You do not want to be marooned on the island overnight or, worse, stuck in the mud as the tide rolls in!
Im so going to Normandy! Just curious, is it safe to be roaming and walking around the beaches/grass area? Are there any unexploded ordinance or mines still laying around?
I'd say watch or re-watch Save Private Ryan before going. and go visit the German cemetery also. Losses have been both sides. The museum at the American cemetery is free and the best of all museums in Normandy
I truly enjoyed my last visit to Normandie which included the port of Saint Malo, I cannot forget the sights of Mont Saint Michel and especially the food at La Mere Poulard. A bientot Normandie!
The same goes for Australia. There is very limited public transport, especially in remote areas. In the major cities you can easily get from one place to the other by train if you don’t plan on driving. But if you want to experience the countryside, then you will need to have your own car. Where I live for example, there are no train services, so I need a car to get around. 00:44.
Went to Mont St. Michel in April. So beautiful. We stopped at La Cambe, the German Cemetery near Omaha Beach before we went to the US cemetery. Very different than the US cemetery.
If you go to the American Cemetery (or other one) do this. Record some names. Then when you return home seach for his history. Give a face to that name. I think it''s the best homage you can pay to those soldiers. I did that...
We've been through Normandie numerous times as part of our travel from Rosslare. However, it has always been a pass-through. With the issues around CoVid (and a growing dislike for air-travel), we are really considering a holiday in Normandie & Bretagne this year. However, any time we search for tourist things to do in Normandie, all we get is D-Day suggestions. And as you said, unless you're a history buff, it won't interest you. Can anyone here suggest things to do around Normandie or Bretagne. ?
The tapestry at Bayeux used to be longer, there are signs that there was at least another section covering the end of the battle, but it has been missing for so long that there no surviving descriptions of what is missing - speculation is that it covered the fighting at the 'Malfosse', a ditch behind the Saxon line where they rallied & caused significant casualties after the loss of Harold II.
For the past week and the next to come it will be around 30°C. Summer is the best time of the year to come and visit to enjoy sunny warm days there but around easter is ok too. Other period of the year expect clouds, wind and rain. That can also happen in summer but those who only like warm weather I would not suggest to come between november and may. June, july, august, september (and october possibly) are the best months to visit to be able to be the most outdoors.
Is stick shift even taught anymore? This advice is well meant, but perhaps difficult for many Americans. I was never taught and it's too late for me to try to learn!
@@nonoctoro4933 well not really since they were all from celtic descendent!!!viking are the german celt.most of them were from the same race not that different.it was the roman who specified the german from the irish or normandy.they were simply tribes from different lands.all celtic
I agree😉they "occupied"the lands . Bretagne and normandie are still celtic for French its theire roots but i can t denies the german expansion on north Europe so its both true than.thanx for the history lesson 😊
I believe all pll with w license needs to know how to drive a manual. Same with motorcycles. Idk. I learned how to drive a manual at 16 and dirt bikes at 15. Maybe that’s why I’m biased lol.
Now that you've placed Mont Saint Michel in Normandy you might want to watch out for viewers from Bretagne. Check for Torches and pitchforks behind their backs first!
Mont St. Michel is one of the most amazing places we’ve been. It literally felt like being in a Disney movie set. But I agree, it’s really hard and/or expensive to get to it.
Hey Mark, do you have a video on the Lyon area? We’re going to be in Lyon late August or early September 2020, and we want to know what else to do when we’re in the area.
We love France in general, we were born in the Uk and emigrated to Canada in 1975. We have spend t a week in Paris and also a month in Provence and Côte d’Azur. Loved it all. We would love a trip to Normandy and Brittany so thanks for the film. We do find that you speak too fast, hard to catch everything. I do not know why you state that a thing you hate is limited opening hours, when that is true anywhere. No problem. Also if not a history buff one may get bored of the war sites. Well if one was not interested in the history of the wars, then one would not go. Hardly a reason to hate. In fact you really did not hate anything.
Fantastic video and I so agree with you about this part of France getting into your soul a bit more than other parts of France. I go to Normandy in June most years (but alas not this year!) and I think it's a pretty good time of year to go. The number of tourists is not actually that bad. There is one major piece of advice I would give to anyone going to any part of France though: don't go in August. I made this mistake once and regretted it. France is closed in August. Seriously, the entire country is closed.
Cider is a popular cheap drink today, but it used to be rare. Kings loved it. We drank it with the "galette des rois", king's cake in Epiphany. Cider became democratic with agricol specialization : wine in Bordeaux and Bourgogne where the soil and sun are better, and grass/cows/apples in places like Normandy (hence milky and apple products). :) Etymology ? English cider < Old french cidre or cire < cisdre < late latin sicera < greek sī́kera < hebrew šēḵār 'strong drink' ; see also english shicker 'drunk' by way of yiddish < hebrew šikkōr.
we stayed in Paris most of the time, but made a day trip to Mont St. Michel in April. Where were not too many tourist, most of them was children groups. If you gonna go to Michel, look up at tade waves by day and time, because where is tome, when the water is so high, that you can't go to the monastery. Also, i got engaged in these quick sands, and it was perfect ^^ Much better place for proposals than Paris, because it is not cheese :)
I was in France for almost a month last year for genealogy research and of all the regions I visited, Normandy was my least favorite. The pollution was horrible! I stayed in the village of La Remuee, which appeared to be rural (it wasn't really)? Honfleur was a pretty little town but touristy. Rouen had a rough vibe around the train station so I ended up just waiting inside to catch a train to Paris. Paris was amazing though and I'm ready to go back.
Hi Mark and fam! I don't believe I have visited a country unless I have DRIVEN there!...And you should spend a night at MSM, it's a ghost town after 6p.
