Overlord Tour #9 (Up To 8 People Per Van) - Normandy Beaches

[Cruisin4US]

From all that I've read, it seems that almost everyone is happy with Overlord Tours!

 

For those of you that have done this Private Tour (#9) from LeHavre Port with Overlord, how comfortable was it travelling in the van if you had the maximum of 8 people ? Would it be worth the extra cost if you had 6 people instead? 

 

Thank you for any information or suggestions!

[kctwinmommy]

20 hours ago, Cruisin4US said:

From all that I've read, it seems that almost everyone is happy with Overlord Tours!

 

For those of you that have done this Private Tour (#9) from LeHavre Port with Overlord, how comfortable was it travelling in the van if you had the maximum of 8 people ? Would it be worth the extra cost if you had 6 people instead? 

 

Thank you for any information or suggestions!

 

Yep! I've said it many times, I would have paid the price if it was just the 3 of us!! But we did have 8 people and a few of the people were a little on the larger side, and at least 1 needed a little extra help, but still had no problems getting in and out. The van is way better than the bus! Better conversations with people, better climate control, etc...

[Cruisin4US]

Thanks for the information!

 

The price for 6 people would still be less than the Princess shore excursion.

 

Any other tips for this excursion that you would care to share?

 

Thanks again!

[meadowlander]

27 minutes ago, Cruisin4US said:

 

The van seats 8. 2 will be in the front with the driver. In the back of the van are two rows that fit 3 each. The last row of three can only access their seats with one seat of the middle row folded, therefore they exit the van last and enter first. Vents for ac/heat are above middle row. With only 6, there will be more space but some will still have to sit in the last row. 

[Turtles06]

We did this tour back in 2012 with a total of 8 folks from our Roll Call, and I don't recall being uncomfortable.  We swapped places in the van after the various stops.   

 

It was a fabulous day (save for the repeated whining by one of the other guests because we weren't going to see the Bayeux Tapestry, which she knew from the outset was never on the itinerary for the tour we were doing, which was totally devoted to the D-Day sites.  Whine, whine, whine.  "But my friends are seeing the Tapestry, why can't we?"   Um, because they were doing a different tour! Fortunately, in years of organizing and joining private excursions with folks on my Roll Calls, that was my only negative experience with another guest. I hope I haven't just jinxed myself!)

 

Do watch, or re-watch, "The Longest Day" before you go.  It's a bit cheesy in terms of today's filmmaking standards, but the history is spot-on, and I think you'll appreciate the day even more.  (In fact, our Overlord guide asked if we'd seen it!)  Plus, every male star, or soon-to-be star, of the 1960s is in it.  

[prish]

We also did this tour in 2017 and it was one of the highlights of our cruise. I don’t remember being uncomfortable, though some of us switched seats around with  those sitting in the back, worked well.

 

BTW, you can discuss with Overlord and tweak the itinerary. We had already been to Ste Mère Eglise from Cherbourg, so we made a stop at Bayeux instead. We saw the tapestry and cathedral and also had time for a quick lunch.

[kctwinmommy]

12 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

We did this tour back in 2012 with a total of 8 folks from our Roll Call, and I don't recall being uncomfortable.  We swapped places in the van after the various stops.   

 

It was a fabulous day (save for the repeated whining by one of the other guests because we weren't going to see the Bayeux Tapestry, which she knew from the outset was never on the itinerary for the tour we were doing, which was totally devoted to the D-Day sites.  Whine, whine, whine.  "But my friends are seeing the Tapestry, why can't we?"   Um, because they were doing a different tour! Fortunately, in years of organizing and joining private excursions with folks on my Roll Calls, that was my only negative experience with another guest. I hope I haven't just jinxed myself!)

 

 

 

Yeah, we had like 20 minutes to run in and see the tapestries, so we did it since we were there. But I could have just skipped them too! These tours are really more about the D-Day sites, IMO. Yes, the tapestries are neat too, but just a totally different thing to see and that's not what I was concerned with at all. We enjoyed lunch instead, sitting in a cafe, chatting with our guide. That was way more enjoyable to all of us.

[kctwinmommy]

19 hours ago, Cruisin4US said:

Thanks for the information!

 

The price for 6 people would still be less than the Princess shore excursion.

 

Any other tips for this excursion that you would care to share?

 

Thanks again!

 

I'll be honest, there aren't any tips since they run these trips so well and smoothly. Our guide was there when we got off the ship, ready & waiting. I guess the only thing is make sure you talk with your guide in case you want to skip something or spend more time at one place. He let us kind of guide the timeline a bit, but still making sure we had time for everything. We were also there on Friday, July 14th, so the holiday before a weekend. He was concerned about traffic heading that way for the holiday weekend. So he did get us back a little early, just to be safe. I was also able to pull up Google maps on my phone (with the traffic overlay) to let him know if there were any delays on the way back. We probably could have spent another 30-45 minutes out by Bayeux, but we all appreciated his concern about time. No need to have a great day and then cut it close or miss the ship!

[Miraed48]

Looking for 4 people to share van with Overlordtour on September 24 ,2019 

from Le Havre port to Normandy/ Omaha beach

MSC Preziosa ship arriving at 8:00am

[TheOldBear]

27 minutes ago, Miraed48 said:

Looking for 4 people to share van with Overlordtour on September 24 ,2019 

from Le Havre port to Normandy/ Omaha beach

MSC Preziosa ship arriving at 8:00am

 

Have you tried the 'roll call' thread for your cruise?

[TxKroozer]

We did the Overlord Tours from LaHarve three years ago with a group arranged through cruise Critic. As others have stated they are top notch and highly recommended. We had eight in our group and didn’t feel crowded at all in the van. We stopped at Normandy and American Cemetery, Utah Beach, Point Du Hoc, and St. Maire Eglise. It was a fabulous day and emotional. I did a video if you would like to see. 

 

[Cruisin4US]

What an incredible video!

 

Thank you!

[Miraed48]

On 6/11/2019 at 10:02 AM, Miraed48 said:

Will be on the MSC PREZIOSA leaving Southampton on September 18,2019 

looking for excursions at Le Havre port on September 24, 2019 to the Omaha / Normandy area . A lot already booked can only find private tours leaving from Le Havre but very expensive for 2 people , if anyone is looking to do this tour maybe we can get a small group 6 to 8 people .

there is a tour company (Overlordtour) that can probably help 

 

On 8/4/2019 at 6:32 PM, TxKroozer said:

We did the Overlord Tours from LaHarve three years ago with a group arranged through cruise Critic. As others have stated they are top notch and highly recommended. We had eight in our group and didn’t feel crowded at all in the van. We stopped at Normandy and American Cemetery, Utah Beach, Point Du Hoc, and St. Maire Eglise. It was a fabulous day and emotional. I did a video if you would like to see. 

 

 

On 8/5/2019 at 5:27 PM, Cruisin4US said:

What an incredible video!

 

Thank you!

AWESOME VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING 

we still have not found transportation for this tour 😩

[caripoo]

YES........You will love Overlord...My husband designed his own tour and it was great...We are using them again next year!!

[njkate]

On 8/4/2019 at 6:32 PM, TxKroozer said:

We did the Overlord Tours from LaHarve three years ago with a group arranged through cruise Critic. As others have stated they are top notch and highly recommended. We had eight in our group and didn’t feel crowded at all in the van. We stopped at Normandy and American Cemetery, Utah Beach, Point Du Hoc, and St. Maire Eglise. It was a fabulous day and emotional. I did a video if you would like to see. 

 

What a great video, thanks for posting it. I will be doing this tour in May of 2020

[Cruisin4US]

Thanks to everyone for all the information and helpful comments!

 

Since posting this question, the itinerary for the July 1, 2020, Enchanted Princess sailing changed, and no longer includes a stop at Le Harve! So we have also changed our plans and booked a personalized tour with Overlord's on June 27, 2020, well before our cruise begins. We'll be staying in Bayeux for two nights since the tour starts at 8:30 am and ends at 5:30/6:00 pm.

 

Guess we don't need to worry about a crowded van, even though there will be room for more people, as the chances of anyone from our cruise  wanting to do this is slim (it is posted on our roll call). There will be more time now on the actual tour,  no long drive to and from Le Harve, or worry about getting back to the ship on time. 

 

Overlord's changed our reservation quickly  - no problem at all!

 

Thanks again!

[b7440]

We were on Overloards tour about 6 weeks ago. Very well run. My wife and I sat in the front with the driver. It was tight, my wife is tall and I am 6”3 and pretty big.  We were ok, and since we were next to the drive we spoke with him all day. 

I have to say, this was one of the best private tours we have ever been on.

[MVPinBoynton]

We did the Overlord tour in September and just loved it.  A perfect mix of history and lovely French cities.  The van we had was quite comfortable.  I am putting photos of it below.  You can read about the tour and see photos from it on my review website that is linked to in my signature.

 

 

 

[b7440]

We did this tour last Sep, one of the best tours I have ever been on. I think we had 4 or 5 vans full from our Celebrity cruise. Worth every penny!!