France's Trip
The 2024 Franco-American Friendship Contest highlights the strength of the ties that unite France and the United States by celebrating their history through two significant dates: the 200th anniversary of Lafayette's last trip to the United States and the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. The symbolic significance of these dates is reflected through the organization of a 7-day trip to France to reward the three winning groups and their teachers. During this trip, the winners will have the chance to visit some of the capital's most emblematic places, discover spaces steeped in history and participate in the commemorations of June 6, 2024, in Normandy. The program of the stay has been developed in collaboration with our service provider The Learning Adventure.
Stay in Paris
Day 1
Morning:
Travel by flight from Boston to Paris. Arrive Charles de Gaulle airport. Private transport to the accommodation
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Once you checked into the accommodation, it’s time to start exploring! Take a boat ride along the River Seine.
Evening:
Enjoy the view of the iconic Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero esplanade at sunset and watch it twinkle as it lights up. End the day feasting on a well-earned welcome dinner of Parisian food such as a hearty gratin.
Day 2
Morning:
Don't miss the chance to visit one of the biggest museums of military art and history in the world, Musée de l'Armée. Its Contemporary Department retraces the story of the French Army from the period 1871 to 1945 and thus covers both World Wars.
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Afternoon:
Visit the Musée de la Libération and learn the story of Free France from 1940 to 1945, through portraits of the Companions of the Liberation. The Museum invites you to learn all about the Second World War through these exceptional destinies.
Stay in Normandy
Day 3
Morning:
Private transfer by coach to Normandy.
Afternoon:
Visit the Caen Memorial Museum, with its exhibitions of the terrible history of the 20th century. Caen became a major strategic objective to the distress of its population which fled the bombardments.
Day 4
Morning:
Built on the very site of the British artificial port of which the traces can still be seen a few meters off shores, the Musée du Débarquement tells the history of the incredible challenge that the construction and running of this port represented, a key element in the Allied victory in Normandy.
Arromanches 360 circular cinema looks over the remains of the artificial Mulberrry port built by the Allies. Unique in France, this film plunges spectators into the hearth of the Battle of Normandy.
Afternoon:
The German Gun Battery of Longues-sur-Mer offers an extraordinary panoramic view over the Landing beaches. The only battery to be listed as a Historic Monument, it notably includes a firing command post and four reinforced concrete pillboxes each housing a long-range artillery piece of 150mm.
Day 5
Morning:
The Airborne Museum lets you experience the invasion alongside the American paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions with spectacular and realistic displays. Pointe du Hoc was a strategic point in the German defences on the Normandy coast. Today the site still bears the traces of the German artillery battery as well as deep scars from the fierce fighting which took place here on June 6th and 7th 1944.
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Afternoon:
Located on the beach where Canadians landed in June 1944 at the side of the other Allied forces, the Juno Beach Centre details of the role which Canada played during Second World War, particularly in Normandy.
Day 6
Morning:
Free day to explore the D-Day festival and meet with local authorities.
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Afternoon:
Time for a farewell dinner to share your memories and experiences, ready to tell everyone back home what you've learned!
Day 7
Morning:
Travel from Normandy to Charles de Gaulle airport.
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​Travel by flight from Paris to Boston. Welcome back!