D-Day Beaches in Normandy – History, Maps & Day Trips from Our Gîte
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First published: October 2025
Last updated: November 2025
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Planning a Normandy road trip or a family holiday with history at its heart? The D-Day landing beaches in Normandy are among the most powerful and memorable places to visit in France. From solemn memorials to peaceful stretches of sand, these once-battle-scarred shores tell the story of the largest seaborne invasion in history. You can also find a Normandy D-Day beaches map to help plan your visit and discover the names of the D-Day beaches in person.
Originally planned for June 4th, 1944, the D-Day landings were postponed due to poor weather. High winds and heavy seas made it impossible to launch landing craft, and low cloud cover would have prevented aircraft from identifying their targets. Finally, on June 6th, conditions improved enough for Operation Overlord to proceed — forever marking the beaches of Normandy in history.
The Allied forces on D-Day included not only Americans, British and Canadians, but also troops from France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Norway, and others. The French Resistance played a crucial role in sabotaging German communications and transport lines ahead of the landings, contributing to the success of the invasion.
Our self-catering accommodation in Normandy is ideally located to explore the D-Day beaches. Whether you're driving from Caen, Cherbourg, or arriving by ferry from the UK, our independent accommodation is the perfect base for discovering the World War II beaches in Normandy — ideal for visitors following the Normandy D-Day beaches map and discovering the names of the D-Day beaches in person.
As you explore the area, you’ll also come across each ville du débarquement Normandie — the towns that played a key role in the events of 6 June 1944. From Sainte-Mère-Église to Arromanches, via Courseulles-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer, these places offer museums, memorials and beaches where the history is still very much alive. Visiting these towns helps you understand the scale and complexity of the landings.
🗺️ Map of D-Day Beaches in Normandy
The beaches of Normandy stretch along a 70 km coastline, divided into five sectors used during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. These sectors, identified by their Allied code names, now form the historical route of the D-Day Beaches of Normandy.
If you're wondering where was D-Day landing or searching for a map of D-Day beaches in Normandy, you’ll find clear signage and orientation maps at each major site. You can also download a D-Day Normandy beaches map from official tourist websites before your visit — an ideal guide to retracing the 5 beaches of the D-Day landings in their historical order.
If you're looking for a historically accurate and detailed map of the D-Day landing beaches, this is one of our favourites:
👉 D-Day Invasion Map – normandy1944.info
It’s an excellent starting point for a visit, with a clear layout of the landing sectors, drop zones, and troop movements — perfect for planning your own D-Day beach circuit or following a plan of the Normandy landing beaches.
📌 What Were the Code Names for the D-Day Beaches?
On June 6, 1944, the Allies stormed five main beachheads, each with a unique code name. Together, these form the 5 beaches of the Normandy invasion — the foundation of every Normandy D-Day beaches map and guided tour today:
- 🇺🇸 Utah Beach – Westernmost American landing site
- 🇺🇸 Omaha Beach – Bloodiest American landing
- 🇬🇧 Gold Beach – British forces and Mulberry harbour site
- 🇨🇦 Juno Beach – Canadian sector, intense resistance
- 🇬🇧 Sword Beach – Easternmost British landing near Caen
These D-Day beaches remain some of the most significant places in World War II history. Many visitors use a Normandy D-Day beaches map or a printed map of D-Day beaches France to navigate the route between them — from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east.
🇺🇸 Utah Beach – Remote, Powerful, and Well-Preserved
The westernmost of the 5 D-Day beaches, Utah Beach saw fewer casualties than Omaha, but its strategic importance was immense. It allowed Allied forces to secure the Cotentin Peninsula and eventually liberate Cherbourg.
The Utah Beach Museum is set right on the sand and offers a stunning display of landing craft, uniforms, and American war history. Visitors can walk the beach, see memorials, and reflect in a peaceful setting far from modern distractions.
📍 Distance from our gîte: approx. 1 hr drive
🇺🇸 Omaha Beach – Omaha Beach Today, American Cemetery & Peace Sculpture
Omaha Beach is one of the most famous and tragic D-Day beaches in Normandy. US troops faced strong German defences, rough seas, and high casualties on this stretch of sand now immortalized in countless documentaries and films.
Today, Omaha Beach is calm and open, but remains emotionally powerful. In addition to bunkers and memorials, you’ll find The Knotted Gun sculpture — a modern monument symbolizing peace and reconciliation, created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd.
The Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer is a deeply moving stop, with over 9,000 white crosses overlooking the sea. Don’t miss Pointe du Hoc, where US Rangers scaled 30-meter cliffs under fire — the craters and bunkers still remain today.
📍 Distance from our gîte: approx. 1 hr drive
🇬🇧 Gold Beach – Arromanches, Mulberry Harbour & British Normandy Memorial
Gold Beach is where British forces landed and began establishing an artificial harbour at Arromanches — a vital part of the Allied invasion strategy. This harbour, called the Mulberry Harbour, was a pre-fabricated port system floated over from England and assembled in days. It allowed thousands of vehicles, supplies, and troops to be landed without needing a traditional port.
At low tide, you can still see the massive concrete caissons offshore — a haunting yet fascinating reminder of wartime ingenuity. The Arromanches 360° Cinema plays a panoramic film using wartime footage, while the nearby D-Day Museum gives an excellent overview of the harbour’s construction and impact.
Just inland at Ver-sur-Mer, you’ll find the British Normandy Memorial. This striking site commemorates the names of 22,442 British personnel who died during the Normandy campaign, engraved on columns in a peaceful clifftop setting.
📍 Distance from our gîte: approx. 1 hr 20 min drive
🇨🇦 Juno Beach – Canada’s Contribution
Juno Beach is the Canadian landing site, where soldiers met stiff resistance but advanced further inland than any other Allied force that day. It remains a proud symbol of Canadian sacrifice and determination during the Normandy landings.
The Juno Beach Centre is informative and family-friendly, covering Canada’s full WWII involvement. Nearby you can also explore remains of the Atlantic Wall defences at Bernières-sur-Mer, offering further context on how fierce the fighting was.
📍 Distance from our gîte: approx. 1 hr 25 mins drive
🇬🇧 Sword Beach – British Airborne, Caen Objective & Pegasus Bridge
Sword Beach was the easternmost of the five beaches, close to Caen and Ouistreham. British forces landed here with the goal of capturing Caen — an objective that proved difficult and would take several weeks to achieve. Their landing was supported by the Free French commandos and No. 4 Commando.
Nearby, British airborne troops captured Pegasus Bridge in one of the most famous glider landings of the war. The Pegasus Memorial Museum details the operation with impressive artefacts and stories.
In Ouistreham, you can also explore bunkers and remnants of the Atlantic Wall, along with beachside memorials.
📍 Distance from our gîte: approx. 1 hr 25 mins drive
📍 Planning Your Visit – What to Know
- 🗺️ Bring or download a D-Day landing beaches map before you go
- 🚗 Our gîte is a peaceful hub — ideal for driving to 1–2 beaches per day
- 📖 English-speaking tours are available at most major museums
- 📲 Download official D-Day landings Normandy map apps or PDFs from Normandy Tourism
- ⏰ Most museums open year-round but close for lunch or mid-week off-season
- 👟 Wear good shoes — many sites include walking trails, cliffs, and bunkers
🏡 Where to Stay – Self-Catering Gîte in La Manche
If you're looking for gîte holidays in Normandy, our self-catering holiday home is a peaceful and central base for exploring the Normandy beaches of D-Day. Nestled in La Manche, our gîte offers a quiet countryside stay with full kitchen, garden, EV info, and room for families or groups.
We’re within driving distance of all the major D-Day beaches in France and also close to other tourist attractions in Normandy — including Mont-Saint-Michel, Bayeux, and Granville. Ferries to Normandy from the UK arrive in nearby Cherbourg, Ouistreham, and Saint-Malo.
Book Direct for your 2026 trip — and explore history with comfort and flexibility.
🌟 Normandy D-Day Beaches – A Journey That Stays With You
Whether you're travelling with children, history fans, or just curious to stand where history was made, visiting the WW2 beaches of Normandy is unforgettable. Peaceful today, yet forever marked by courage, sacrifice and liberation, these beaches — from Utah to Sword — remain essential stops on any Normandy D-Day beaches map.