European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Time for another invasion now it s veterans and tourists cd Muse bowmen staff writer ome .iji.iin. It s time fur the Normandy invasion and if you dim 1 have reservations already the chances of getting them Are very slim. Military incl civilian planners for the 45th anniversary commemorative ceremonies expect hundreds of veterans groups la descend on the area plus the various official contingents i Olels in the Region have been hooked for months in Advance e. There s not a room left for a Hundred  said a tourism official in Bayeux. 1 Hose interested in visiting the historic Region would be Well advised to plan a trip later after the veterans have begun moving across trance toward Germany Many following the routes their units followed in tin weeks and months after a Day. Tor the experienced european traveler getting to Normandy is fairly easy from West Germany just gel on the autobahn and head toward Saa Brucken on the German Trench Border and then to i Aris. More specifically you need to get to autobahn a i  passes near Mannheim and on to Kaiserslautern and the French Border. Check a current map of Germany for the most direct route to reach that autobahn. Depending on whether you drive just fast or very fast it should Lake about two hours to reach hit Border from Central Germany. From the Benelux countries simply Check your map or the most direct superhighway across trance to the invasion coast area or head for the coast and follow the More leisurely coastal highways. That route will Lake you  some of the most Beautiful coastal scenery in Europe hut it will  longer. From Thi United kingdom Check with your local base travel office for ferry schedules and other information on Louring in the Trench coastal areas i Arelers from Italy Greece Spain Turkey and other Loi Lions outside of enral Europe should also Check with their local  offices. One important fact or us citizens to remember is the requirement fur a in Ucli visa or Oiler travel documents. Border guards seem to have become less stringent about Hec Kirn Lor the documents than in the , particularly at the Saa Mii Ken c tossing but the visa or other travel do a meals still Are required. Gas and dolls will be a major expense particularly for Hose in Germany who Are used to toll free autobahn and the Exchange service lax exempt fuel coupons. The Best bet is to Start with a full tank at the Border which Means making a a turn to get to the Golden Breme by station on the exit Side of the French Border crossing. The Border guards generally Are very understanding if you dry 1  French just use hand signals to Lei them know what you want to do. Once Hack on the Highway head forme-l7 and then follow the signs for the i Aris Dulo route a-4, a lightly travelled superhighway that passes by Verdun site of the world War i Battleground and reims known for its Cathedral and Champagne. About 15 Miles inside i ranch is the first tourist information Center win re you also can Exchange Money and Pic k up Broc Hures. You la need about h 5 Trench francs about $25 to cover the dolls for the trip one Way. Fuel costs also can put a Drain on your Wallet particularly if you Only Gas up while on the autoroute where prices can be As much As 6 francs per liter or super or roughly $3.50 per gallon. Regular is a Little less per liter while diesel fuel runs about 3.75 francs per liter. One potentially Money saving option is to get off the autoroute near a fair sized town and track Down a supermarket most of which now feature self service fuel stations with prices thai Are frequently As much As 1 franc below those on the autoroute. Ust look for signs directing you to the local is pc Murcie  or the equivalent. If you stick to the superhighway and Don t speak French simply write the number of francs Worth of fuel that you want and show it to the attendant. If you want a fillup the word is be a pronounced f leh. Or write on a card Leslein f in Vous Plait. A French  Paris Anc a loll collector it work. As you near Paris you la pay your last loll in preparation for the run Inlo the City and the experience of a lifetime. I e i Eri Herique is for  of a More descriptive term the Mulligan de Road that i in Les the French capital. It is to big City Bellway what the oktoberfest is to Beer buses Hig. Busy and filled with just a Little craziness. Tighten your seashell. And prepare for whizzing motorcycles oils and trucks lashing lights and blaring horns. You want to head South i trip Herique Sud. Depending on the Lime of Day or night traffic will either be completely stalled or moving at Breakneck Speed with Kamika a intensity. Your Best bet is slay to the right and  Calm. If your Luck holds and you Don t Flash past tin exit you re Only on this quasi Racetrack for about a fourth of its Loop around the City. If you think of the Bellway As a c lock dial you la gel on at about -1 o clock if coining from Germany and exit at around and with Luck hopefully it won t take thai amount of time. 1 ook for the Exil for aul mule Al 3 heading for Rouen and Caen. Once on that Roule you can Are ale again and Lei your nerves Settle. Hut if you Don l find the idea of testing the be Tori Herique so terrific there is an alternative lust bypass i Aris. Following the same Start from Germany Cut off the autoroute at reims and head North for Soissons on Highway in and then on to Beauvais and Rouen where you can rejoin the autoroute for Caen. Caen Marks the end of the aul Roule and in general. The beginning of the Normandy invasion area. The City was devastated in the weeks following the invasion and last year became the site of the biggest and most modern of the Many invasion oriented museums that Dot the Region. If you Haven t done so already Caen is a Good place to Slop and pick up brochures and guides in Normandy. 7vie Mill Jilin Cree i guide to , available in English is a Handy Louring Book for the Region providing a Brief rundown on the invasion with numerous maps of principal areas. Another Michelin product Hal makes a Nice souvenir is a reprint of the 19-17 map to the invasion area Hal was published to commemorate the 4 the anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. The map is no. 102 and includes a historical recount of the key events and principal cities affected by the Battle. Tor current information Michelin map 54 covers the Normandy Region but tourist offices generally have free maps that Are not As detailed Bill serve the purpose of helping you gel around. Consider Caen As the starting Point of your Visil to the invasion beaches. You have a couple of options. You can continue on to Bayeux via route no and then turn toward the beaches particularly if you Ait Only interested in the american sector and the . Cemetery above Omaha Beach. Or you can leave Caen via route d-515 toward Ouist Reham. This will Lake you past the i Eagus Bridge so named for Llie Emblem of the British commandos who look the Bridge about four hours before the landings began. From Ouis Reham pick up route d-514, which parallels the invasion beaches code named sword Uno. Gold and Omaha. You will pass numerous Small museums along the Way lots of gun emplacements and a few cemeteries. The route also passes the i tinle do i Loc where . Rangers fought to t limb a Dill and Knock out a German gun thai was hot even . The Road finally turns Back Inland and links with route 1 i for Caren Lan. In Caren Lan you can either head or Utah , the second major . Invasion Beach or continue on n-1 3 for sle. Mere Uglise which since a Day has Hec ome a sort of meter for paratroopers. 1 he Village made famous in the film the unit Tusl Day has a museum honouring soldiers of the 82nd arid 101st airborne divisions and its Church has stained Glass windows installed in their Honor. I rom there you can retrace your Steps to hit places that you might have missed or continue on to Cherbourg the port City captured on Une 27, l 44, which became the allies major Supply Point. 22 stripes Miga int Mif in 1989