Final-year school trip to Normandy, Brittany and the Loire: D-Day beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo, Chenonceau and Chambord (7 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and arrival in Normandy

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the agreed time, and daytime drive to Normandy via Rouen (about 530 km from Brussels, 6 hours' driving excluding breaks).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night.
• Free lunch on the way, then arrival in Arromanches and a view of the remains of the 1944 artificial harbour.
• Visit to the D-Day Museum in Arromanches (on request).
• Check-in at the accommodation in or around Bayeux or Caen for two nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 2: The D-Day beaches

• The German battery at Longues-sur-Mer, with its guns still in place.
• The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, and its visitor centre (free admission).
• Free lunch, then the Pointe du Hoc and its bomb craters, scaled by the US Rangers on 6 June 1944.
• Visit to the Caen Memorial, a museum devoted to the Second World War and to peace (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 3: Mont-Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo

• Rooms vacated after breakfast and drive to Mont-Saint-Michel (about 120 km, 1½ hours), then shuttle to the foot of the rock.
• Climb up the Grande Rue and visit to the abbey (on request).
• Free lunch, then drive to Saint-Malo (about 55 km, 1 hour).
• Walk round the ramparts of the walled town and, at low tide, crossing on foot to the island of Grand Bé.
• Check-in at the accommodation in or around Saint-Malo for one night, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: Dinan and drive to the Loire Valley

• Rooms vacated after breakfast and drive to Dinan (about 30 km).
• Walk through the medieval town: the Rue du Jerzual, its half-timbered houses and the harbour on the Rance.
• Free lunch, then drive to the Loire Valley (about 290 km, 3¼ hours excluding breaks).
• Check-in at the accommodation in or around Tours or Amboise for three nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 5: Chenonceau and Amboise

• Drive to Chenonceau (about 35 km) and visit to the “Ladies’ Château”, built on arches over the Cher (on request).
• Drive to Amboise and free lunch at the foot of the royal château.
• Visit to the Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, and its park with models of his inventions (on request).
• Walk along the banks of the Loire and through the old town of Amboise.
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 6: Chambord and Blois

• Drive to Chambord (about 80 km, 1¼ hours) and visit to the largest château in the Loire Valley and its double-helix staircase (on request).
• Walk in the grounds, the largest enclosed forest park in Europe.
• Free lunch, then drive to Blois (about 20 km): the old town, the Denis-Papin staircase and the façade of the royal château.
• Return to the accommodation, dinner and last supervised evening.

Day 7: Return to your school

• Departure after breakfast and daytime drive back to Belgium (about 540 km to Brussels, 6 hours' driving excluding breaks).
• Free lunch on the way and regular breaks.
• Arrival at your school in the late afternoon or evening.