I traveled to Normandy with three companions -- the first time for all of us, and we soon discovered that we had made the right decision to hire a private guide to drive us and deliver historical and anecdotal color to our three days of intense sightseeing of Normandy's battleground beaches and to Mont Saint Michele. First of all, Normandy is gorgeous in springtime, especially if you have good weather as we did. I know that Mike was not responsible for that but it allowed him to make the most of outdoor viewing. Our first day was spent on Omaha and Utah beaches where Mike not only delivered facts and figures surrounding the battles fought there, but wove in wonderful stories from both sides of the battle lines. We felt fully immersed in D-Day thanks to Mike's delivery and insight. On day two, we visited the British and Canadian beaches and had an experience that I am sure would not have been possible without the background descriptions that Mike offered through his interest in, extensive study and passion for this event in history. Our third day traveling to Mont St. Michele and viewing the Bayeux Tapestry didn't begin to compare to the previous two. Mike did not have access as a guide to Mont St. Michele so we were on our own, and frankly, we decided that going there was somewhat of a waste of time. The glory of the Mont is to see it from afar and possibly approach it from the causeway (good exercise) but the site itself is swarming with tourists and full of souvenir shops and steps upon steps. We would suggest if you have three days hanging with Mike and want to see Mont St. Michele that doing a drive-by of the Mont followed by visiting some of the villages in that area that were under Nazi occupation would be time better spent (and you will get your photos!). Our final stop at the Bayeux Tapestry was well worth it, and Mike set us up with the audio guide which was quite good and efficient. All in all, we had a most memorable and extraordinarily thorough and entertaining tour of Normandy and its WWII history thanks to Mike's thoughtful guidance, sense of humor and obvious passion for this important moment in world history.

Mike was a great of a guide as we could have asked for. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area and the events surrounding it, along with being an absolute delight to spend time with. My group and I had such an excellent time on his tour. We would strongly recommend him for anyone seeking a great educational experience in Normandy.

Mike is a kind, warm, engaging, thoughtful man - just the type you'd like to spend the day with. Although Mike is willing to customize tours for customers, we took the "standard" American tour. It was just what we wanted. We had four adults with varying levels of interest and knowledge in D-Day. Each of us came away inspired by what we had seen and learned. We had a fantastic trip to France, and traveling with Mike was undoubtedly one of the highlights.  The tour was a good balance of riding in the van and walking. We had a chance to visit chapels, walk on the beaches, and explore the American Cemetery. Mike timed the trip so we could watch the flags being lowered at the end of the day—very moving. At times, Mike thoughtfully stepped back to allow us time to reflect and commune with sacred places. Would we tour with Victory Allied Tours again? Yes! Mike has a profound interest in and detailed knowledge of WW II. He is easy to listen to and understand, and he has great stories to tell. Book it!

As we were walking around the sites of Normandy, my teenage kids had the opportunity to see and listen to all of the tours around us at the same time. They both came up to me as we were walking and both said, "our tour guide is so much better than all the others here!" It's as simple as that, Allied Victory Tours was vested in the history and relaying that experience to us. Don't go anywhere else for a tour!

Mike’s knowledge and passion was amazing. Thank you for sharing! We had a great experience that we will never forget! Thank you

Received a recommendation on FB to contact Mike at Allied Victory Tours and I am so glad I did. Don’t be intimidated about getting out to Bayeux on your own. Buying train tickets is easy. Set up a private day-long American D-day tour for my family and we had a fabulous day with Mike— so much better than sitting on a bus with 50 other people. My teenage son who is a huge history buff (like me) could not believe he was seeing where all this amazing history took place. It’s not every can you step back in time and walk through a WWII German bunker or walk along Utah and Omaha Beach. Mike was wonderful—easy to communicate with in setting up the tour, prompt in picking us up at the Bayeux train station and so very knowledgeable about D-day! Highly recommended Mike and Allied Victory Tours. You will not be disappointed.

Our two days with Mike from Allied Victory Tours were incredible. From the moment we started to our final minutes together, our guide was friendly and informative. There is a lot of ground to cover, but Mike creates a fun and exciting environment where learning is easy. He respectfully opened up a very special conversation with a Navy Veteran from WWII, and even showed us ways to research our own families histories during the war. He is a walking encyclopedia, a man who obviously loves his job and enjoys people. We would book him again in a heartbeat, but next time will stay at his B&B!!

Mike tailored the trip for us so we combined a Canadian beach (Juno) with the American beaches to accommodate a Canadian friend. Mike is amazing. No one could be more knowledgeable or have more interesting stories. Our Canadian friend's father was a photographer on D-Day and Mike found the places that matched his photos. That took a total knowledge of the whole area. My friend was touched beyond words, all because Mike was so caring and knowledgeable and so willing to accommodate our special needs. Mike is the best. Sunny

We were very fortunate to have been referred to Mike of Allied Victory Tours for a private tour of Normandy by a close associate . Mike took us around the Normandy area from Bayeux and we saw and did more in 8 hours than a normal tour would have done in 3 days . His knowledge of the locations and military activities was excellent. We were able to see multiple beaches , multiple cemeteries, churches that played a role in the invasion, garrisons and heavy gun placements….Mike also has a Bed and Breakfast that sleeps 10 and a museum dedicated to the women soldiers of Normandy Invasion.

Mike is a kind, warm, engaging, thoughtful man - just the type of guy you'd like to spend the day with. Although Mike is willing to customize tours for customers, we took the "standard" American tour. It was just what we wanted. We had four adults with varying levels of interest and knowledge in D-Day. Each of us came away inspired by what we had seen and learned. We had a fantastic trip to France, and traveling with Mike was undoubtedly one of the highlights.  The tour was a good balance of riding in the van and walking. We had a chance to visit chapels and walk on the beaches and around the American Cemetery. Mike timed the trip so we could watch the lowering of the flags at the end of the day. Very moving. At times, Mike thoughtfully stepped back to allow us quiet time to reflect and commune with sacred places. Would we tour with Victory Allied Tours again? Yes! Mike has a profound interest in and detailed knowledge of WW II. He is easy to listen to and understand. And he has great stories to tell you. Book it!

My wife and I did a private tour with Mike on June 19, 2023. He is a dashing Dutchman with a pencil-thin mustache who speaks perfect English. He is a virtual walking encyclopedia of the D-Day invasion. Highest recommendation!

I booked this private tour for my husband but it ended up being a treat for us both. Mike is an exquisite storyteller with a gift for bringing history to life. He kept us thoroughly engaged throughout the day. I laughed, I cried and I learned. I found our time went by much quicker than I expected (and that is saying a lot for a 9 hour tour) and we were sad to say goodbye to our new friend when he dropped us back at our hotel. I would unreservedly recommend Mike's tours to ANYONE.

Mike is extremely knowledgeable about WW2 and the historical events in and around Normandy. We enjoyed our tour, learned a lot and highly recommend going on a private, guided tour with Mike. If you want to have the full experience, stay at their bed and breakfast, which is uniquely decorated in 1940's decor. Deborah serves a full delicious breakfast and in addition to being a lovely hostess, she is curating a museum dedicated to women of the armed forces during WW2.

My son (much older than a teen) and I spent the day with Mike on a private tour of Normandy in early April, 2023. We had taken the train from Paris to Bayuex the day before, saw the Tapestry, ate a great meal at a restaurant Mike recommended and stayed at the Churchill Hotel (recommended by Rick Steves and Mike). Mike picked us up at our hotel the next morning, and began our tour. Mike is the best tour guide we have ever used - he is unbelievably knowledgeable, passionate, articulate, personable and humorous. His English is excellent. My son and I are convinced "Mike knows everything". For me, the trip was mainly about visiting my uncle's grave at the American cemetery at Normandy, so I had asked Mike to leave more time for that. I was somewhat surprised when Mike announced at the start that we needed to make a short detour. But even more surpised when it turned out to be a trip to the air field that my uncle had been at in France before his death. I had only mentioned my uncle's unit two days before we left for France, and Mike took the time to research him and then add this meaningful side trip to our itinerary. There is much more than I can add in a short review - like Mike went and knocked on a door and asked for permission to walk the actual field! He then talked about going to the actual crash site, since oft times, there is a monument to the pilot/plane at those sites. But he explained that his research ahd uncovered that a quarry was now at that site. I actually think Mike was more disappointed then we about not being able to visit the crash site - I must admit that I was still in shock and awe over the trip to the airfield. Totally unexpected, totally awesome, and from what I can tell, totally in character with the way Mike does his tours. I cannot recommend Mike highly enough! As a another reviewer put it, five stars is unfaily limiting and not enough. The rest of the day was full of history and emotion, Mike's amazing talks bringing in stories of lesser know actual people at Normandy, infromation on The Longest Day, Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, NY Yankee baseball (Yogi Berra was at Normandy landings) and much more. The grave site visit at the end of the day, with Mike's assistance and that of the ABMC escort, Guillaume, had us in tears (good ones). My brother and his son had to cancel joining us on this trip to France, and now want me to keep in touch with Mike. My cousin (who is named after my uncle), also. They all want to go take a similar tour in the near future. My son and I will gladly join them. Mike is absolutely the best!

My husband, 17-year old son, and I spent the day with Mike. He is incredibly knowledgable, and he brought the day to life through his fabulous story telling. I would recommend him to anyone traveling to Normandy as he is a wonderful guide.

Mike is the go-to guide for Normandy - he's super knowledgeable and has a ton of energy to keep everyone engaged (teens included) throughout the day. We had a particular interest in Easy Company's travels and Mike pivoted on the spot to accommodate our requests. This was a dream trip. Mission accomplished!

My husband and I were told by my sister and her husband that Mike was the man to see when we got to Normandy. We wanted a private tour, and we only had a half day to see the historic site so we spent our time at Omaha Beach. Mike was extremely knowledgeable, respectful of the topic and our time there, and made the experience come alive. We highly recommend that you see Normandy with Mike at Allied Victory Tours. He is OUTSTANDING!

Mike was amazing. His knowledge about WW 2/D Day was shared through passionate storytelling that left us feeling like we had been transported back to June 1944. I would recommend Mike and this tour as a MUST for everyone visiting Normandy.

Mike was a fantastic guide for our day in Normandy. His tour was chopped full of information and Mike a pleasure to be with that day. I would highly recommend booking Mike on your next trip.

Mike at Allied Victory Tours was a great host for our 2 days in Normandy. He did a great job of catering the tour for both those with an in depth knowledge of WWII, as well as those less knowledgable and tagging along for the ride. I can't say enough good things about our experience! Not only was Mike's expetise and thought out planning at the forefront of the tours, but his great sense of humour and personability as well. I'd recommend Allied Victory Tours to anyone looking to steer away from larger group tours and have a more unique experience.