On Location At The Beaches For The D-Day Landings ⎸ Juno Beach, Normandy, France (Video – Short) – Travel guides for couples; romantic escapes, city breaks + worldwide adventures

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This guide forms part of our complete France Travel Guide , featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across France.

This article is also part of our 🚗 3-Day Normandy Road-Rail Trip series, exploring Normandy Beaches and experiencing Eurostar for the first time. Read the complete itinerary here.

▶︎ Our Normandy-Eurostar Itinerary:

Juno Beach, Normandy, France.

Juno Beach is one of the five Allied landing sites of D-Day, where Canadian forces came ashore on 6 June 1944 during the liberation of Nazi-occupied France. Stretching along the coast near Courseulles-sur-Mer, Juno saw some of the fiercest fighting of the invasion, with heavily defended seawalls and strong resistance in the early hours.

Today, Juno Beach is a place of remembrance and reflection. The shoreline remains open and accessible, while the nearby Juno Beach Centre tells the powerful story of Canada’s wartime role through exhibitions, personal accounts, and coastal views that bring history sharply into focus.

As we were already spending time in England visiting family, we decided to take a two-day trip over to France and visit the D-Day Normandy beaches, as it was the 80th Anniversary of this remarkable historic event.

One stop had to be Juno Beach. It is one of the five main landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, during World War II. It was the beach assigned to the Canadian forces, specifically the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, supported by British forces. Juno Beach is located on the Normandy coast of France, between the British-assigned Gold Beach to the west and Sword Beach to the east.

The closest town to Juno Beach is Courseulles-sur-Mer. A short journey from Caen, where we were staying. It was a key town liberated by the arrival of the Canadians.

The Canadian troops faced heavy resistance from the German defenses but were able to successfully secure the beach and move inland. The assault on Juno Beach played a significant role in the overall success of the Normandy invasion, which was a turning point in the war, leading to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

Today, Juno Beach is commemorated by the Juno Beach Centre, a museum and memorial dedicated to Canadian participation in World War II. As we arrived it was extremely hard to imagine the toll on human life. People were gathering in the sunshine and visiting the Museum and some ventured to stroll along the beautiful sandy beach.

We purchased tickets to the Museum and the Bunker tour. The Centre pays homage to the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives during the war, of which 5,500 were killed during the Battle of Normandy and 381 on D-Day.

The Museum gave great insight into the soldiers participating in the war including Lieutenant Francis Carlyle Goring who enlisted in the RCAF in 1941 and became a pilot officer in early 1942 and continued through the ranks. His brother, Scotty, also served in the Armed Forces. Also featured in the Museum was Flight Sergeant Robert “Bob” K. Sheridan. His family donated his certificates, precious medals and even his boots to help tell the real story of how Canadians joined the war in Normandy.

Following the visit to the Museum we had a 1.30pm time slot to visit one of the key bunkers in the area. We reported under the Canadian flag as requested and right on time this 22 yr old Canadian commanded our attention as she was our guide. One of the goals of the Centre is to hire young Canadians.

The bunkers and Area 31 at Juno Beach are historically significant as they were part of the extensive German defensive network known as the Atlantic Wall, built by Nazi Germany to fortify the coast against an anticipated Allied invasion.

The Germans constructed various bunkers along the coast, including machine gun nests, artillery emplacements, and observation posts, to repel any seaborne invasion. During the D-Day landings, Canadian forces had to neutralize these bunkers to advance inland, facing intense fire and obstacles.

“Area 31” refers to one of the specific bunker complexes at Juno Beach, located in Courseulles-sur-Mer. This area housed a strategic German command post and artillery positions that were crucial to the German defense of the beach. Canadian troops faced significant resistance from the forces occupying Area 31, and its capture was vital to securing the beachhead and facilitating the Allied advance.

About a dozen of us signed up for the tour and we proceeded to the bunker. Going down a few steep steps we found ourselves inside a solid concrete box, underground. It was a little claustrophobic. There were multiple rooms with the roof and walls still in tact. Hard to imagine Canadian troops being able to approach such a well-defended location. The good news is that they did. Our troops from Canada played a decisive role in the D-Day victory and Juno Beach will be remembered.

Key Beaches taken by D-Day troops included; Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach. Collaborative forces leading the invasion – UK, USA and Canada.

My Return Ticket – Discovering the Normandy Coast (D-Day) Tour Guide

Downloadable PDF

What this guide includes

All five D-Day landing beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword)
Key points of interest at each beach
Nearby towns directly impacted by the invasion
Major museums and memorials with:
- Admission costs
- Typical visit durations
Practical planning tips (timing, pacing, guided vs self-drive)
Designed for 1–2 days on the Normandy coast

The My Return Ticket guide offers;

Historically accurate but easy to follow
Emotionally respectful, not overwhelming
Ideal for:
- First-time Normandy visitors
- Self-drive travellers
- Educational or commemorative trips

More photos of Juno Beach

The Five Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches

Listed geographically from west to east:

Utah Beach: The westernmost landing sector, assigned primarily to American forces.
Omaha Beach: The American landing sector that experienced some of the fiercest fighting and heaviest Allied casualties on D-Day.
Gold Beach: Assigned primarily to British forces, with the capture of Arromanches helping establish the artificial Mulberry harbour.
Juno Beach: The principal Canadian landing sector, extending approximately nine kilometres along the Normandy coast.
Sword Beach: The easternmost landing sector, where British forces and Free French commandos came ashore.

The five landings took place on June 6, 1944, as part of Operation Overlord. Pointe du Hoc was another critical D-Day objective between Utah and Omaha, but it was not a sixth landing beach.

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