Liberation Grand Tour — Victory Edition

FROM ENGLAND TO NORMANDY

Every Grand Tour needs a beginning.

For the Victory Edition, ours begins on England's south coast — the same coastline from which thousands once departed for occupied Europe.

Today is deliberately easy.

We meet, introduce the group, get the motorcycles together and begin the journey south towards Portsmouth. For those joining us from overseas, it's the chance to settle onto the hire bikes before we reach Europe. For everyone else, it's the moment a collection of individual riders starts becoming a touring group.

There'll be time for our Boss Hogg welcome, tour briefing and something to eat before we head for the port.

And somewhere in today's journey — or tomorrow's arrival in Normandy — we hope to encounter the extraordinary Standing with Giants installation. Its location changes, so we'll follow it to whichever side of the Channel it calls home in 2027.

Then we board the overnight ferry.

Motorcycles strapped down below decks, bags in the cabins and the first drinks of the tour in our hands.

Tomorrow morning, when the doors open, we'll be in Normandy.

And that's where Liberation really begins.

NORMANDY — PEGASUS BRIDGE TO BAYEUX

We wake in France.

After breakfast aboard the ferry, the motorcycles roll onto French soil and our Liberation Grand Tour begins for real.

And we don't have far to travel before reaching one of the places where the story began.

Our first stop is Pegasus Bridge.

In the opening minutes of D-Day, British airborne troops landed by glider only yards from the bridge with orders to capture it intact and prevent German forces reaching the beaches.

Today we'll visit the bridge site beside the canal, where the gliders landed, and hear the story of its capture in the first minutes of D-Day.

From there, we turn towards the coast.

We ride through the villages and countryside behind Sword, Juno and Gold Beaches, following roads once filled with men, vehicles and equipment moving inland from the Normandy landings.

We stop at Sword Beach in Hermanville before turning inland to Station Radar 44, where the bunkers and radar equipment tell another part of the story.

Then we make time for quiet reflection at Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, return to the coast at Juno Beach and visit the British Normandy Memorial overlooking Gold Beach.

But today isn't about rushing from memorial to memorial.

This is Normandy by motorcycle.

We'll make time for coffee, find somewhere good for lunch and ride the smaller coastal roads whenever we can, with the Channel appearing beside us as we work our way west.

Eventually we reach Arromanches-les-Bains.

More than eighty years later, sections of the extraordinary Mulberry Harbour can still be seen offshore — the remains of the temporary harbour that helped supply the Allied advance across France.

We'll park the bikes and give ourselves time to explore.

Then, as the afternoon begins to fade, there's one final short ride inland.

Our destination tonight is Bayeux.

The motorcycles are parked, the luggage comes off and Normandy changes pace.

Tonight isn't about military history.

It's about finding a table, ordering something good, raising a glass and enjoying our first proper evening in France.

Tomorrow, we ride west.

And the story becomes American.

FROM OMAHA TO SAINTE-MÈRE-ÉGLISE

Yesterday, we followed the British and Canadian landings.

Today, the story becomes American.

Leaving Bayeux behind, we ride west through the quiet Normandy countryside towards a coastline whose name has become known around the world.

Omaha Beach.

Today it is an enormous sweep of sand, backed by peaceful villages and green hills.

On the morning of 6 June 1944, it was anything but.

We'll ride the coast before climbing to the Normandy 

American Cemetery, overlooking the beach where so many of the men buried here came ashore.

Nearly 10,000 white crosses and Stars of David stretch across the immaculate lawns towards the sea.

This isn't somewhere we'll rush.

We'll park the motorcycles and give everyone time to experience it in their own way.

Then we ride on.

Our second major stop couldn't feel more different.

POINTE DU HOC

Standing high above the Channel, Pointe du Hoc was one of the most formidable German positions along the Normandy coast.

American Rangers scaled the cliffs under fire on D-Day to capture the position.

More than eighty years later, the landscape still bears the scars.

Bomb craters remain scattered across the headland. Concrete bunkers lie broken amongst them. And standing on the cliffs looking down at the sea gives a perspective no photograph really can.

Afterwards, it's time to ride.

We'll leave the main roads where we can, find somewhere for a proper French lunch and spend the afternoon crossing the countryside of the Cotentin Peninsula.

Because our final destination today isn't another battlefield.

It's a town.

SAINTE-MÈRE-ÉGLISE

In the early hours of D-Day, American paratroopers descended into and around Sainte-Mère-Église.

The town would become one of the first in France liberated by American forces.

Its church remains famous for the story of paratrooper John Steele, whose parachute became caught on the church tower, leaving him suspended above the fighting below.

Today, Sainte-Mère-Église still embraces that history.

But importantly for us, it's also somewhere to finish a day's ride.

We'll park the Harleys, find the hotel and let the pace change again. A wander around town. A drink. Dinner together.

And probably a few stories about what we've seen during our first two days in Normandy.

Tomorrow, we leave the beaches behind.

Liberation starts moving inland.

THE SEINE VALLEY, GERBEROY & AMIENS

For two days, we've ridden the beaches and countryside where the liberation of Western Europe began. Today, the Harleys turn east and the road itself becomes the day's attraction.

Leaving Sainte-Mère-Église, we make steady progress across Normandy before stopping in Pont-Audemer for coffee and a wander beside its canals and old timber-framed buildings.

Then the pace changes. Through Aizier and Vatteville-la-Rue, we follow the Seine valley and the Brotonne countryside before crossing the river at Pont de Brotonne. Our route keeps us west and then north of Rouen, heading through Yvetot, Tôtes and Saint-Saëns towards Forges-les-Eaux and the Pays de Bray.

Small towns. Open farmland. Woodland. And time to enjoy the roads between them.

Gerberoy is our main afternoon stop. We plan time for lunch and a wander through its cobbled lanes and colourful old houses — a chance to get off the bikes and enjoy a very different side of France after our two Normandy history days.

From here, around an hour's riding takes us towards our overnight stop in the Amiens area. We aim to arrive in the late afternoon, park the motorcycles and settle into another Boss Hogg evening: good food, a few drinks and plenty of conversation around the table.

Today's route is approximately 220 miles, with around five hours of riding plus our stops.

Tomorrow, we continue through Avesnois towards the Ardennes and Bastogne.

THROUGH AVESNOIS TO BASTOGNE

We leave Amiens and head towards Guise, then ride through the wooded Avesnois countryside around Trélon. Chimay is our planned lunch stop, with time to stretch our legs before continuing east.

The route takes us across the Meuse at Givet, then through Rochefort and Saint-Hubert towards Bastogne. Open farmland gives way to the hills and forests of the Ardennes, with the roads between the towns becoming part of the day’s enjoyment.

In Bastogne, the story turns to the Battle of the Bulge. We aim to arrive during the afternoon, protecting time for a historical visit before settling into our hotel and dinner together. The particular museum and memorial arrangements will be confirmed before departure.

Today’s route is approximately 180 miles, with around four hours of riding before lunch, stops and group movement.

Tomorrow brings another day in the Ardennes, lunch in Monschau and a special hotel night in South Limburg.

THE ARDENNES, MONSCHAU AND SOUTH LIMBURG

Leaving Bastogne, we ride through Houffalize, Vielsalm and Trois-Ponts towards La Gleize, where a short stop keeps a connection with the Battle of the Bulge.

Our route then heads towards Spa-Francorchamps and the High Fens at Signal de Botrange. A short circuit stop is planned only if visitor access permits; circuit entry or a tour is not included as a confirmed visit.

Across the German border, Monschau is our lunch stop. We allow time to enjoy the old town on foot before continuing through Aubel and Slenaken into the hills of South Limburg.

We aim to arrive around 3 pm, leaving time to settle in and enjoy the hotel before dinner. For this special night, we look for a characterful country-house or estate hotel: a peaceful setting, comfortable rooms and a memorable dinner together.

Today’s route is approximately 112 miles, with around three hours and fifteen minutes of riding before our stops. Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands in one day, with time to enjoy the places between them.

Tomorrow we continue to Wageningen for the evening of remembrance on 4 May.

ARNHEM, OOSTERBEEK AND THE CITY OF LIBERATION

Leaving South Limburg, we ride north to Thorn, whose white houses and quiet streets make a lovely setting for our morning coffee. Through Arcen and Gennep, the journey continues towards Arnhem.

At the John Frost Bridge, the story returns to Operation Market Garden. We stop by Airborne at the Bridge before continuing to the Airborne Museum at Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, taking time to explore the Battle of Arnhem through the stories of the people who experienced it.

A visit to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery gives us time for quiet reflection before the final ride into Wageningen. Today’s route is approximately 112 miles, with around three hours of riding plus our visits, lunch and breaks.

We arrive during the afternoon, park the motorcycles and settle into our hotel for two nights. There is time to change and enjoy an early meal before we head together into the City of Liberation for the remembrance evening.

The evening centres on Wageningen’s Silent March and the national remembrance. At 20:00, the Netherlands falls silent for two minutes in remembrance of those who lost their lives in war and conflict.

Later, guests who wish can stay for the Freedom Fire activities around 5 Mei Plein, outside Hotel de Wereld, as the city prepares to welcome Liberation Day. We’ll share the local programme and meeting arrangements before our visit.

Tonight we remember. Tomorrow we celebrate.

TODAY, THE BIKES STAY PARKED.

Today we are in Wageningen for Bevrijdingsdag—Liberation Day. After following the story of liberation across Europe, we have timed our journey to join the Netherlands as it celebrates its freedom.

Over breakfast, we share the day’s programme and our meeting points before heading out together for the commemoration and Freedom Parade. We choose a public viewing point so the group can enjoy this central moment of the celebrations together.

The afternoon is yours to enjoy the music, food and atmosphere around the city. Belmonte Arboretum’s veterans’ Meet & Greet is an optional visit when included in the event programme, with time afterwards to explore at your own pace.

We stay in touch during the day, with clear meeting places and help on hand whenever you need it.

In the early evening, we come together for our farewell dinner: good food, a few words from Julian and a group photograph to remember the journey. Afterwards, there is time to pack and rest before our early start for Bruges.

A day to celebrate together, with room to make it your own.

BRUGES AND ONE LAST RIDE

We leave Wageningen early, with something special to look forward to before we cross the Channel.

Our first proper stop is Bruges. The ride through the Netherlands and Belgium is straightforward, with a brief motorway services stop for fuel, a stretch and refreshments along the way.

Our visit falls on the city’s annual Holy Blood celebrations. We arrive for the morning ceremony in Burg square, as the bells ring and the shrine is carried towards St Saviour’s Cathedral with a band accompanying the procession.

Afterwards, there is time to enjoy the historic streets, squares and canals before an early farewell lunch together. It is a chance to linger over the places we have visited and the friendships made along the way.

We continue to Calais after lunch, leaving the main afternoon procession to the city’s celebrations as we head for our ferry to Dover.

On the crossing, there is time for photographs, stories and a final look back at our journey from Normandy to Wageningen.

Once back in England, we say our farewells as guests head home. The motorcycle return point and onward transfer arrangements will be confirmed with the rental provider before a real booking.

Nine days of shared roads, remembrance and celebration—and one final morning in Bruges to take home with us.