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Plages du Débarquement de la Bataille de Normandie (D-Day Beaches) Description: The Allied Landings that took place at dawn on D-Day, 6 June 1944, signalled the beginning of the end of World War II. Some 83,000 British and Canadian and 73,000 US troops landed by sea and air along a 64-kilometre (40-mile) stretch of the Normandy coast in northern France. The horrific conditions, with many of the floating tanks sunk before they even reached the beaches, meant that thousands of soldiers never returned. The war cemeteries where many of the soldiers were laid to rest are open to the public, and some contain chapels and memorials. One of the most famous beaches is Omaha Beach, portrayed in Steven Spielberg’s film 'Saving Private Ryan', where there is a large American cemetery overlooking the beach at Colleville-sur-Mer; the largest British cemetery is at Bayeux, where there is also the Musée Memorial de la Bataille de Normandie 1944 (1944 Battle of Normandy Museum; tel: (02) 3151 4690). The most significant beaches for the British are Sword Beach and Gold Beach. The Mémorial de Caen (Caen Memorial) museum (www.memorial-caen.fr) tells the story of the two World Wars and shows an impressive film entitled D-Day in its twin-screened cinema. There are also various memorials to Allied soldiers from each country along the coastal road. Visitors should contact the Comité Régionale de Tourisme de Normandie (tel: (02) 3233 7900) for leaflets detailing specific itineraries, each of which focuses on a different D-Day campaign. Contact Addresses: Comité Régionale de Tourisme de Normandie, 14 rue Charles Corbeau, 27000 Evreux, France Tel: (02) 3233 7900. Fax: (02) 3231 1904. E-mail: normandy@imaginet.fr Website: www.normandy-tourism.org Transportation: Air: Caen-Carpiquet Airport, Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris Orly Airport. Water: Ferry: Services to Cherbourg, Caen and Le Havre (from Ireland and the UK). Rail: Train: Caen Station or Bayeux Station (services from Paris St Lazare Station). Road: Car: D514 (coastal road) or D513, N158, N13 (to Caen). Opening Times: Mémorial de Caen (Caen Memorial): Daily 0900-1900 (16 Jan-5 Jul); daily 0900-2000 (6 Jul-25 Aug); daily 0900-1900 (26 Aug-31 Dec). Musée de la Bataille de Normandie 1944 (1944 Battle of Normandy Museum): Daily 1000-1230 and 1400-1800 (16 Sep-30 Apr); daily 0930-1830 (1 May-15 Sep). Admission Fees: Mémorial de Caen (Caen Memorial): EUR12/FFr79 (adult), EUR11/FFr72 (child) ( 16 Jan-20 Mar); EUR16/FFr105 (adult), EUR14/FFr92 (child) (21 Mar-31 Oct); EUR16/FFr105 (adult), EUR12/FFr79 (child) (1 Nov-31 Dec). Closed 25 Dec. Musée de la Bataille de Normandie 1944 (1944 Battle of Normandy Museum): EUR5.2/FFr34 (adult), EUR2.4/FFr16 (child), free (child under 10). Concessions available. 
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