Private guided American D-Day Tour from Bayeux

In recent years, I have been able to travel more extensively to locations that hold interest for me, and able to spend reasonable time once there to explore more in-depth. Enjoying history, especially military-based themes, has seen me travel fairly broadly throughout the Pacific theatre of the WWII conflict. I have explored this period’s history up close by visiting war-related sites in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Japan and many of the supporting home front locations across the mainland US. I now wanted to shift over and begin in-person visits to locations in western Europe. The actions that took place in Normandy came to mind as my likely first initiation into exploring the European theatre. I had not previously visited Europe, so that aspect of any pending trip would also be in play. I have flown a good bit, with some international travel, so I would not necessarily be too intimidated about undertaking that portion of my trip. It would be fairly straightforward to book a flight from JFK to Paris. OK – so I can easily get myself to Paris, now how to plan out how to visit and explore the Normandy region. I would be able to devote a week to this overall itinerary, so I would not feel rushed racing around and just getting to only a handful of the major points of interest. I quickly focused in on a logical need for some type of guide service – so I began the internet search. Many results came back, ranging from the large-group operators down to the individual guide services. The larger operators have extensive websites, and many are well-known names, and these guys might seem the logical choice to go with. But the more I thought it over, the more I became interested with maybe a more personal and individualized manner of touring the sites. I began to review the individual/small group guide services. I clicked on several of the ones that populated my internet search. Many of them have decent websites, describing their offerings, the structure of their tour packages, their personal experience and the cost and availability stuff. A lot have included little video clips featuring them maybe on a tour walk or giving a briefing on a specific topic of the campaign. And this is how I came to know Mike and his Allied Victory Tours company. I watched one of his clips where he was speaking on a topic, and I found it very interesting. And I will also say, with candor, that being from the US, I was maybe a little concerned about the guide having possibly too heavy of an accent. Since I have limited exposure to European speakers of English, I honestly was concerned of any struggle in following along with their narration; aware that these tours are heavy with spoken storytelling. Mike’s speech on his video clip soothed over any concerns that I might harbor in having any difficulty following along with his narration. I contacted Mike and we began to fill out an itinerary that aligned with what I was wanting to see. I mentioned that I was considering doing this in the month of January, and I asked Mike his thoughts on how much cold weather would be a factor. He described the typical January weather in the Normandy region, and I felt it was nothing that couldn’t be dealt with. My thoughts on doing this in January were twofold; this timeframe was open on my 2026 calendar, and I wanted to experience the battle landscape uncluttered with the throngs of tourists and visitors that will fill the countryside more into the Spring and Summer seasons. Mike could not have been more proper, helpful, timely or responsive in the communications back and forth as we settled on my tour package and in locking it down. In early January, I take my flight over to Paris. Upon arrival, I grab my rental car and make the drive out to my lodging I had secured for the week in Bayeux. I had arranged for 3 consecutive days of touring with Mike (which was later extended into 4 days), and he would pick me up early the next day at my Bayeaux accommodation. Morning arrived, and Mike arrived promptly to pick me up. We made introduction and began on our way to the first tour stop. Through our early conversation, Mike was able to ascertain my current level of knowledge regarding the actions in Normandy. He was then able to aptly tailor his delivery throughout our tour to align with my degree of understanding. Instead of a strict recital to a pre-packaged script of facts and figures, he was able to better offer me a broader experience. I felt this allowed me to gain much additional information and experiences than otherwise available with a guide less flexible in his delivery (something certainly not available if taking a large bus group tour). The two of us spent 4 full days packed with extraordinary experiences of this battle campaign. Mike takes you to the big sites, the beach landing zones, the out-of-the-way lesser sites, locations of individual tragedy and heroism, the fields, houses, structures, infrastructure, fortifications, command and control centers, supporting elements, from the coast to the major and minor conflict points moving inland. You see the guns, the equipment, the roadways, the terrain, the homes, the cemeteries, the villages, the people and culture, and the aftermath of it all. And you don’t witness any of this from the sidelines, or from a distance – you travel around and walk in the same footsteps, on the same ground, as did the Germans, the Allies and the French civilians during this period of hellish chaos. Being on the same ground, looking at the same buildings and landscapes that still remain from 80 years ago, viewing period historic photos taken at the exact location, and then having Mike’s incredible narration and storytelling bringing it all into sharp focus - it almost seems like you are there in 1944. It is such a powerful and a never-to-forget experience. You are very comfortable riding around with Mike during these full days of exploring. He is very gregarious and so easy to converse with. He possesses a great sense of humor, and you stay in a relaxed mood the entire time. His storytelling is so captivating, and you are in somewhat of awe of his passion and level of scholarly research he has devoted to this topic. Throughout the day, he was always accommodating to any little need of yours that may arise; quick to stop for any break or any impromptu spot that caught your eye. He has a deft and uncanny ability to take you to so many stops – even squeezing in a few extra unscheduled ones – throughout the tour day that should make it feel rushed; yet somehow, you never felt rushed at all. If you are ever considering a visit to explore the Normandy campaign, you really should take a private tour, and you really should choose Mike to be that tour guide! You will be rewarding yourself and enhancing your experience by being exposed to Mike’s vast knowledge and his skillful ability to impart some of history’s most monumental events in a manner and style that really reaches you. At the conclusion of your tour, and if you are like me, you will leave France feeling you have left a friend behind. PS: I recall being asked by friends after I had returned home how my tour of Normandy went and how well did my guide do. I responded by saying if Mike had been around in 1944 to guide the Allies through this region, we would have been in Berlin 6 months earlier than when we did.

My family and I were delighted with the Normandy tour we booked with Mike. The research he carried out ahead of time and the very thoughtful touches he incorporated were truly priceless. We travelled to Belgium, Luxembourg, as well as France as part of our WW2 trip, but this tour was the highlight for all of us especially my mother-in-law who gained incredible insights into her father's role. If you are planning a tour in this area, do yourself a favor and book it with Mike!

We took a one day private tour with Mike. It was fantastic and I can recommend it highly. He picked us up at our hotel and dropped us off at the train station for our trip back to Paris. Mike was extremely knowledgeable. I have read many books on WWII but still learned things. A private tour is a great way to tour Normandy and the beaches. Mike was able to tailor the tour to our interests on the fly. My wife is Danish and we were shown a memorial to Danish soldiers that participated in D Day. Great tour!

Mike with Allied Victory Tours was recommended to us by another guide who was already booked and we could not be happier with our experience. He was professional and personable with a wealth of knowledge that we truly appreciated. We’ve told friends and family if they ever make it to Normandy, book Mike’s tour you won’t be disappointed. We know we saw much more and got a much better understanding of the area and D-Day with Mike than we would have gotten going on our own or with a big group bus tour. Well worth the cost!

We have a family of five (kids age 13, 10 and 10) and Mike did a great job of finding something for everyone. He is extremely knowledgeable and very entertaining. He picked us up and dropped us off and gave us extra time to show us a great view of Omaha Beach. We are from Ohio and he found an extraordinary story about an Ohio paratrooper medic. I highly recommend Mike.