Bringing History to Life

CEO
SEVERINE DIAZ
General Manager
CEO
ED DIAZ
President

I was born and raised in Normandy, France, which undoubtedly influenced my fascination with this subject. I pursued this passion in my education at the University of Caen, where I studied English language, history and tourism. Both of my grandfathers were prisoners of war in Germany. The challenges they faced provided another foundation for my interest in the WWII era, which has always been a strong focus of mine. Having grown up in Normandy, I couldn't help but explore the stories of American heroes in WWII. My European background provides a special perspective, and I knew I could find a way to bring those experiences to life for others who share my respect for this subject. As a result, I worked at the Utah Beach Museum in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont for twenty years before we founded this company. In my last seven years at the museum, I had served as General Manager, and I quickly found my passion in this work: the joy of community and shared interest in historical tourism, which has been an incredible inspiration. That unique connection, and the chance to exchange stories of heroism and sacrifice through collective experiences, have been the driving force behind this new initiative. As of January 1, 2024, I devote all my time to Beaches of Normandy Tours and to preserving the legacy of the Greatest Generation.

My husband, who serves as the President of our new venture, shares this passion. He chased his interests abroad, expanding his horizons in higher education in the United States before coming to France to put his experience to work. He shares my excitement and motivation for connecting people with history and engaging with like-minded people who share a dedication to history and an appreciation for the heroism of men and women who came before us. We worked together at Utah Beach Museum for several years, where we realized we wanted to grow our work in this area and step into the field of historical tourism. Our success at the Utah Beach Museum, the joy of working together, and the realization that we made an excellent team in this field gave us the final push we needed to establish this company in 2021.

As the 2020 pandemic has changed the historical tourism landscape, we recognized the need for full-service tours that help Americans connect with their history around the world in a reliably secure and comfortable manner. I gathered a multinational group of my most passionate peers to create a heritage-driven project based on relevant experience and dedication to this goal, and thus began: Beaches of Normandy Tours. Our mission is bringing history to life and to celebrate the men and women who came before us, with the aid of local experts and historians.

"The tour exceeded my expectations” - this is what we hear from most of our Passengers after they completed one of our tours. To prove that we provide the best service on the historical tour market, we encourage you to read reviews from our customers. One can find written and video reviews on our website, our Google and Facebook pages. Over the years, we have already achieved many of our objectives, the satisfaction of our Passengers being the most important among them.

Severine Diaz
General Manager of Beaches of Normandy Tours

The untold story of Brecourt Manor & The Utah Beach Museum

The untold story of Brecourt Manor & The Utah Beach Museum

Watch this video featuring  Severine Diaz, the Founder of our company and former General Manager of Utah Beach Museum, produced by History Underground Channel in partnership with the Gettysburg Museum of History. You will learn about the story of the Vallavieille family who owned the famous Brécourt Manor on D-Day and still owns it. The founder of the Utah Beach Museum was Michel de Vallavieille. He was at Brécourt Manor with his family when soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division, led by Lieutenant Dick Winters, destroyed a German battery in the vicinity. According to this son, Charles de Vallavieille, he was probably mistaken for a German soldier and was shot by a trigger-happy paratrooper. In addition to the story of the family, the video will also introduce the Utah Beach Museum. Don’t forget to read our articles about the museum and other topics on our website in the newsletter archive.

What makes the difference

ONLINE ACCESS TO PERSONALIZED MYTOUR ACCOUNT
MyTour is your one-stop destination for all your tour documents, which you can access online anytime and from any device. A short “to-do list” with clearly defined deadlines guides you through tour preparation and provides you with a place where you can relay vital tour information to us while keeping personal information, such as flight itineraries and passports secure and private. The “tour documents” section is your online tour packet with everything you need before you go, from a list of recommended reading right down to a packing list.
24/7 TOUR DIRECTOR
Our dynamic, knowledgeable tour directors are with you from your arrival at the airport to departure on the final day. They proactively smooth the way for your entire tour experience. They are there with you at your hotels, dining locations, tour sites and on your bus as you travel from place to place. Their expertise and language skills enable them to give you insider information at each place you visit. Our tour directors stay alert and proactive about the safety and needs of each individual, while bringing travelers of all ages together to make the tour group feel like a family.
TOUR-ASSIST HEADSETS
We use the most advanced technology to provide each of our passengers with the best experience possible. Our tour-assist headsets allow you to explore and roam each site without missing any of the information from your tour guide. The device has a range of 200 feet, so you can snap all the pictures you want without missing out on the wealth of information our guide is sharing.
PRICES AND DEPARTURES GUARANTEED
You will not have to worry about your costs going up unexpectedly. The prices we publish on our website never increase, regardless of economic events. Additionally, all of our departures are guaranteed, meaning there is no minimum number of participants that need to sign up for a given departure date. This means you can book your flight, put in for your vacation time at work, and rest assured that your tour will definitely take place.
HIGH QUALITY MOTORCOACH TRANSPORTATION
Ride in style in our motorcoaches complete with climate control, video entertainment and extra leg room. Our skilled, professional drivers maximize your tour time by navigating the busiest highways and tightest country lanes, giving you more time at sites and less time subjected to the inflexible scheduling, delays and crowded areas that accompany public transport.
FREE WI-FI ON BUS AND AT HOTELS
For those who want to stay connected, Wi-fi is available at all of our hotels and on all of our buses, so that you can update your friends and family about your trip of a lifetime.
WELCOME DRINK AND TOUR ORIENTATION
First time to the region? New to our tours? Traveling solo? A welcome drink and orientation before your first dinner will give you the chance to get your bearings and learn about what lies ahead on your journey. You can start to get to know your fellow travelers; initiating the camaraderie and friendship that characterizes our tours.
LOCAL EXPERT TOUR GUIDES
Our handpicked, trusted local guides are fluent in English and expert historians, who deliver their impressive wealth of knowledge, anecdotes, and local insights with skill that shows their years of research and experience. They always address topics onsite so that you get to experience history where it happened as they guide you to both popular destinations and obscure locations only the locals would know.
ACCOMMODATION
You will sleep soundly each night at our hotel accommodations. We even go so far as to arrange pre-check in for your group, allowing you to head straight to your room after arrival. Every morning, a full continental breakfast gives you insight into what the locals would typically eat in the morning.
iOS App
iOSiOS App
Beaches of Normandy Tours review
"It was truly amazing, I would definitely recommend BoN"D-Day Anniversary Tour, 2023
Beaches of Normandy Tours review
"It was everything I could have hoped for and more"Band of Brothers Tour, 2023
Beaches of Normandy Tours review
"I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history that changed the world"D-Day Anniversary Tour, 2023
Total:
4.9 - 225 reviews