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Art & War: Military & Impressionist History

A Special Program for Military Veterans
September 28 - October 6, 2023

This special date of Road Scholar’s popular program “The Best of Northern France: Paris and Normandy” is being offered exclusively for military veterans and their travel companions at a 10% reduced price. Over the course of these nine memorable days, you’ll bond with other American military veterans over your shared experiences and sacrifice as you learn together about the military history of Paris and Normandy, with a particular focus on WWII.

SPECIAL MILITARY SAVINGS

A special 10% discount is being offered for this program date!

Original price: $2,999*

Price with 10% savings: $2,699*

*The listed price is per person in a double room. Military veterans or active military may enroll as a single or with a maximum of one non-military travel companion. Limited solo spots are available with an additional single supplement of $530.

Program Highlights

  • Experience two faces of French history on field trips led by art and military history experts
  • Begin in Paris to study the city’s Nazi occupation, hear heroic stories of French resistance, and learn about the liberation.
  • Find out about the famous impressionist painters who lived in Montmartre and Normandy during the war, and hear the harrowing story of the French art and artifacts that were protected, hidden, lost, and destroyed.
  • Walk with your fellow veterans in the footsteps of American soldiers on Omaha Beach, and, together, pay your respects to those who sacrificed their lives for liberty during a special ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery.

Note: Some details of the itinerary have been changed from the original Best of Northern France: Paris and Normandy itinerary as this exclusive date will focus more on the military history of France.

 

Itinerary

  • Day 1: Transit to program.
  • Day 2: Orientation and welcome dinner: meet your fellow vets and their travel companions.
  • Day 3: Walking exploration on L'Ile de la Cité, with a visit to Sainte Chapelle; expert-led visit at Musée de l'Armée; and a study cruise on the Seine.
  • Day 4: Field trip to Versailles and walking exploration in Montmartre.
  • Day 5: Transfer to Bayeux, stopping at Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny and Normandy’s capital city of Rouen on the way.
  • Day 6: Field trip to the town of Arromanches for a WWII lecture before a special ceremony to honor the fallen at the Normandy American Cemetery. Then visit Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, and the Château d'Englesqueville, where the first monument to honor American soldiers who fought here during WWII was built.
  • Day 7: Head to Mont Saint Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore the Saint Michel Monastery independently with personal audio devices and lunch at a local farmhouse inn with Normandy specialties.
  • Day 8: Field trip to Mémorial de Caen, a museum that tells history through the lens of war and peace, lunch and some free time in Honfleur to see historic architecture spared by WWII, and farewell dinner to toast to a remarkable week— to sacrifice, honor, friendship, and peace.
  • Day 9: Breakfast and departures.

This program is based on the itinerary for The Best of Northern France: Paris and Normandy (Program 21095). You can find more details about the full itinerary here, but please note two major substitutions: the Army Museum will replace the Orsay in Paris, and the Caen Memorial will replace the Eugène Boudin Museum.

What's Included
  • 13 expert-led field trips
  • 7 nights of accommodations
  • 15 meals (7 B, 4 L, 4 D)
  • An experienced Group Leader
  • Customary gratuities throughout the program
  • Road Scholar Assurance Plan
  • Taxes

Optional Trip Protection Plan

Activity Level: Let's Go!

Walking up to 3 miles per day during scheduled activities; cobblestone street, uneven ground and hilly terrain. Use of the metro in Paris; walking up/down stairs with railings as elevators/escalators are not always available at each station. Must be prepared for large crowds in Paris.