Region
in Champagne, Verdun, Somme, Normandy & Paris
WWI & WWII Battlefields
Towns & Villages

Many of us are related in some way to the World Wars' history : a father, uncle, grandfather, family friend, or a famous soldier we admire, who fought amongst the Allied troops on French soil. 

We are very happy and proud to plan itineraries for you to learn more about the history of the two World Wars of the 20th century. The below tour is a sample and we will craft your own trip based on any information you may have available or are willing to discover. 

 

Includes

15 nights 3 in a Boutique-Hotel and 12 nights in B&Bs that we all personally selected for you
A rental car with automatic transmission & full insurance coverage, for 13 days
3 «Table d’Hôtes» home-cooked dinners, with your Hosts and other travelers
The assurance that you can contact us at any time, for any reason, while you're in France
A guidebook made for you and all road maps with recommended itineraries, activities & visits
FJFY App all your trip, contacts, GPS destinations, weather… in your smartphone
5.0
Hannah from the US
I cannot recommend France Just For You enough! We had a wonderful time as we customized a trip and experienced our French dreams come true! Thank you for the best experience!
Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 6 700
Per traveler, including taxes,
based on double occupancy.

Your accommodations

Pictures of the specially selected accommodations

Step by step

Paris Normandy Verdun Champagne Somme Giverny

The Champagne region from Reims

  • This itinerary starts in Paris or CDG airport where you will pick up the rental car and drive 1hr30 to the Champagne region, your first stop for 2 nights to settle in and recover from jetlag. 
  • In Reims, you will stay in a town house perfectly located in the old city, only 300 yards from the Cathedral. From here, explore the Champagne region from Reims to Epernay, which is only a 35 minute drive. 
  • We will also recommend Champagne wineries you can visit on your own, as well as some local attractions including fossiles, belle epoque architecture, a lively food market and many restaurants from simple fare to 3 stars with the Michelin guide. 
Paris Normandy Verdun Champagne Somme Giverny

Argonne World War I Sites

  • About 1hr drive east of Reims, you will arrive in the Argonne region, which was a strategic zone at the end of WWI and where the American troops fought in 1917-1918.
  • Stay overnight in a charming B&B and visit the Argonne sites including Romagne Sous Montfaucon cemetery and memorial.
  • You will also see the place where King Louis the XVI and Marie-Antoinette were recognized and arrested in 1793 while trying to flee the French Revolultion towards Belgium.

 

Verdun

  • Spend the next 2 nights in a B&B just outside Verdun, owned by a lovely couple who will be happy to share their love for their region with you. Marie-Jo cooks delicious meals at night and if she makes the "ravioles," you will remember them for a very long time. 
  • You will spend a day with a passionate private guide who will take you to the main war sites around Verdun. The program will be tailor-made to your wishes. This is the best way to learn more and get a better understanding of this part of history. 
  • In the Verdun region, you will also taste delicious local products, relax in nice bars by the Meuse canal and why not even taste some Côte de Meuse wine. 
Paris Normandy Verdun Champagne Somme Giverny

Amiens & the Somme region

  • On Day 6, you will drive north-west for about 3hrs and reach the Somme region. 
  • Your premium B&B is the perfect place to spend 3 nights and explore the war sites as well as the old town of Amiens and its amazing Cathedral.
  • We have included in this trip a day with a private English-speaking guide who will explain military strategy and drive you to the main WWI and WWII sites of the Somme region.
  • Travelers who may be interested to the Flanders region (with sites such as Ypres Salient or Poperinghe, Vimy Ridge or Passchendaele) in addition or instead of the Somme can let us know and we will be happy to plan accordingly. 

Many different nationalities fought in this part of France and we can definitly craft your day based on your country of origin or any specific interests you may have. 

Paris Normandy Verdun Champagne Somme Giverny

On Day 9, you will drive 3hrs to Bayeux area in Normandy. Canadian travelers may wish to stop in Dieppe on the way. For travelers interested in Le Havre, Etretat or Honfleur, we will provided all needed information for a nice stop on the way. 

Normandy Landing Sites

  • Located 2 miles from Bayeux, your B&B for 3 nights is a 19th century manor. You will be warmly welcomed by your hosts and stay in one of their suite-rooms. You will experience a local custom called the “trou normand”, having a glass of Calvados (apple brandy) between the starter and the main course. It is meant to renew your appetite to make sure you finish the whole dinner! 
  • Jump into the local history: from William the Conqueror in the 11th century whose adventures are illustrated in the Bayeux tapestry, to the Battle of Normandy in 1944.
  • Remains of the WWII landings are still visible everywhere and you can quickly access Utah, Omaha, Gold and Juno landing beaches as well as the artificial port of Arromanches or the Caen Memorial. To help you better understand the events of the Battle of Normandy and bring them to life, we have planned for a private guided tour with a specialist in WWII history. You will be shown all the main landing sites and learn in detail about what happened here on D-Day and the following months. Once again, if you have special wishes, we will be more than happy to customize your day.
  • If some travelers in your party may have too much with history, we can also plan for them to discover other aspects of Normandy, for instance with a cooking class at a lovely local lady. 
  • The Normandy countryside might not be advertised abroad but is very much worth a detour: the typical half-timbered villages, the Cider road, the beautiful English-style gardens, the traditional apple brandy manufactures . . . and of course the cheese! A trip to Normandy would not be complete without tasting some Camembert or Livarot cheese!

 

Paris Normandy Verdun Champagne Somme Giverny

Normandy - Giverny

  • On day 12, you will stop over for a night in Giverny – 2hrs from Bayeux and 1hr30 to Paris. This tiny unchanged village takes you back to the 19th century when the great painter Claude Monet created a new art movement: impressionism. 
  • In Giverny you will visit the house where he lived for 43 years and where he painted some of his most beautiful masterpieces, among them “Haystacks”, “Rouen Cathedral” and the “Water Lilies”. The gardens are beautifully kept in the exact shape as they were when Monet painted them. We include in this package cut-the-line tickets that enable you to avoid waiting to enter Monet’s house and gardens.
Paris Normandy Verdun Champagne Somme Giverny
  • You will return the car rental upon arrival to Paris.
  • Spend the last 3 nights in a charming 4* boutique-hotel in a pedestrian street of the Quartier Latin, near La Sorbonne, perfectly located to discover the French capital city.
  • You will finish your World War history tour in Paris, which was liberated from the German occupiers on 25 August 1944. A privately-guided walking tour for a half-day in Paris is included in this trip.
  • The walk will include the Champs-Élysées avenue, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, following in the footsteps of the French 2nd Armored Division during their victory parade on 26 August 1944. You will then visit the Musée de l'Armée - Invalides, which has an interesting section about World War II. This concludes your WWII history tour of France.
  • Being based a 5-minute walk to Notre Dame Cathedral, we have prepared for you different itineraries to explore Paris by foot, by boat or using public transportation. We also recommend our favorite restaurants and boulangeries in different districts of the capital city so you’ll know where to take a break.

 

We hope that this itinerary will help bring the World War history alive, meeting passionate guides and seeing the actual places. A very moving and memorable experience !

Activities included

private guide in Argonne

Private Guide on the WWI Sites near Verdun

Spend a day with a private guide specialized in World War I history in Argonne & Verdun area. We will be happy to tailor make your program if you wish.

private guide in Somme

Private Guide on the Somme War sites

Discover the War Sites of the Somme around Amiens with a private guide for a full day. We will make recommendations and can customize your day if you wish.

WWII sites in Normandy

Private Guide on the WWII sites

Spend a full day with a private guide who will customize the itinerary to your wishes and interests. A must do to better understand what happened on D-Day. 

Paris liberation WWII

Paris Liberation Private Tour

For a half-day, follow a private guide in the heart of Paris to learn about how the city was liberated in August 1944. From the Arc de Triomphe to the Army Museum, follow on the footsteps of the 2nd Armored Division.

Let us craft your perfect Travel Plan

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Customize this tour

We are glad to customize this itinerary to include additionnal night stays, extra activities or any specific request you have.

YOUR Guide Book

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Explore the French regions

Brittany

Alsace

Lyon

Somme

Champagne

Verdun

Normandy

Provence

Dordogne

Loire Valley

Paris

Bordeaux

Our Travelers’ Reviews

Earl
It's hard to know where to begin. We stumbled across France Just For You by accident when researching ideas for our three week visit to France. We made contact with Emily by email and began a conversation over the coming weeks as she planned a self-guided holiday for us, designed to fulfil our dream of staying in French b'n'bs in wine-growing …
Ben & Family
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Sue
This was our first trip to Europe with just the two of us doing all the planning. I was looking for someone to help with the details of lodging and transportation and found Emilie through this site. She planned an incredible trip for us to Normandy/Brittany, Loire Valley and Paris. She is easy to work with, responsive and organized. I told her what …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Rory & Mike
From the US
Enjoying a romantic moment
Harry
From Australia
In the War Cemetery in Normandy
Steffi & Jeff
in Chenonceau castle....romantic !
Jim
From Australia
At the top of the Rhune mount in the Basque Country
Shelley, Andy, Dianne & Bob
from the US
On the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Naz & Mounir
On a side-car tour in the Loire Valley
Rose & Bryan
from the US
in Chenonceau castle, Loire Valley
Kathy & Steve from the US
Having dinner at the B&B in the Loire Valley
Chris, Diane, Teresa & Lorelea
From the US
In Epernay, in the Champagne region
Nathalie from Australia
...found a truffle in Provence !
Sue & Chris
Romantic night in Montecarlo
Clemmer & Dennis
From the US
After folding the US flag in the Meuse Argonne War Cemetery - Eastern France