Normandy American Heroes

I brought my family of 5 to relive what my father experienced with the 2nd Armored Division in June of 1944. Our tour guide was not only a tour guide but a historian who brought the battles and individual acts of heroism alive. We were not disappointed. Look at no further reviews. Do not go to Normandy without Normandy American Heroes. We ended our tour day at the Colleville sur Mer, American cemetery. This tour day will remain with me the rest of my life.

Rudy is a masterful planner and guide. We had an extended tour with him (7 days). He did a perfect job putting together an itinerary that saw the more important sites for the right amount of time, not too mention selection of good restaurants and hotels to stay at. It was a lifelong goal to visit Normandy and the surrounding areas, following my grandfather's footsteps throught Europe during WW2.

My dad and I have been talking about going to Normandy, France since I was just a wee lad. To seethe landing beaches, battlefields, & “Bocage” country where so much violence took last century andpay our respects to the American men (many just boys really) at “Colville-se-Mur”. Finally in May 2018we put or trust in “American Normandy Heroes” and they absolutely hit a home run with a tour package designed just for us. My wife made the travel arrangements on the U.S. end and Mr. Steve Judd could not have been more accommodating and professional to work with (my wife would know: she is a 25 year veteran F/A for a major airline and a “travel expert” par excellence). The real fun began once we got to Arromanches and then Bayeux for we were in the hands of an expert historian & tour guide named “Rudy Passera”. My dad and I spent (5) incredible days with Mr. Passera who satiated our thirst for all things history not only the events of June 6, 1944 and the Normandy Campaign but World War II, World War I, French and History in general! I myself am passionate about history in particular World Wars I & II (my grandfather, uncle, and a good number of friends were WW2 ETO Veterans and I’ve had a deep, life long desire to understand the “why” of such a cataclysmic event). It was sublimely refreshing to have someone like Mr. Passera who could add so much depth and color to the sites we visited. Mr. Passera was able to elaborate in detail the experiences of many American soldiers who are buried at Coleville-se-Mur” above “Omaha Beach” and the day we drove out to Falaise - Argentan (and the superb “Montremel Museum” which should not be missed by any serious WW2 enthusiast) where the “Normandy Campaign” ended in August of 1944 was utterly humbling to say the least. To say that Mr. Passera brought history “alive” would be an understatement! My only complaint was the fact that we spent (4) days in Great Britain (after Normandy) at the “Imperial War Museum” which was fantastic but we should have spent our entire time in Normandy. One could easily spend a lifetime exploring all the history that abounds in France. I am certain we will return very soon and we will definitely once again put our trust in “American Normandy Heroes” as they truly helped bring history “alive” and the experience of a lifetime! Thank you American Normandy Heroes!

Très belle journée et parfaite d'un point de vue historique. Pierre a la facilité de raconter des anecdotes que la journée est passée trop vite. Si vous êtes en Normandie et que vous désirez visiter les sites historiques autrement, allez-y et foncez, vous ne serez pas déçus. Encore un grand merci à Rudy et Pierre.

I do not recommend this company . The tour guide was extremely sarcastic about the Americans efforts during D Day. His version of the D Day efforts by American troops was that they were just lucky they weren’t fighting Germany’s best troops and teenagers vs American adults. He is as more concerned about making sure that only those that paid for the tour could hear him even to those that were just walking by. Rude and arrogant .

I toured the Normandy beaches and surrounding area with Normandy American Heroes in November 2017. Rudy Passera’s vast knowledge of the American involvement in the European Theatre of Operations during WW2 was very apparent from our first outing. I requested a day and a half custom tour of my fathers journey with the Big Red One,16th Infantry Regiment, 'A' Company from Omaha Beach to La Chapelle, where he was injured seven weeks after D-Day, which Rudy delivered with enthusiasm and excitement. In order for me to understand this massive undertaking, our discussions often included the D-Day preparations in England, and my fathers involvement in the North Africa and Sicily campaigns. Rudy also included additional sites along the Normandy Beaches, the town of Bayeux, and surrounding area. Prompt, courteous and thorough, this is a man who loves what he does each and every day! I would highly recommend Normandy American Heroes.

This was the highlight of our trip. Rudy kindly put all that he could into one day, while doing everything so perfectly to engage my three boys, who have 3 totally different levels of interest in history (from completely obsessed to why are we here). All 4 of us returned to our hotel happy and exhausted- this tour was amazing and so much more than a tour. Rudy engaged us with stories about D-day set in place, introduced us to french farmers, told us about the men and boys who took part in the action that day in a way that made us feel that we all cared about what happened to them individually. Even lunch was fabulous. I know that this is an experience my teens will draw on when they return to school, and never forget. Neither will I.