lori_f

Hello. I'm delighted to find this excellent travel forum. I've been lurking for some time and am hopeful I can get some good advice here.

My father has always wanted to see Europe, especially the US military sites from WWs I and II. He is retiring in December and I would love to give him this trip as a gift. I've searched the internet and found some companies that specialize in military tours. The tours sound excellent (and for $4000, the should be!) but I'm wondering if they are the best match for our needs.

Since my father has never been to Europe, I'd like to plan a trip that includes the best of these sites but is not exclusively devoted to them. Because of this, I wonder if it might be better to plan and book the itinerary myself.

Here's what I know for sure: I and a brother will accompany my parents (who are in their 60's), so there will be four of us. We'll depart from Atlanta or New York; the dates are flexible---maybe March or April 2004? We have about three weeks to travel.Finally, because of a heart condition, strenuous walking/climbing is not possible for my father (though normal walking for moderate periods is fine).

Any advice you can offer as I plan this trip would be greatly appreciated. What American military sites do you recommend we see? Do you have sources of information that might be useful? Suggestions for accomodations nearby? Ideas on the best way to order the desinations efficiently? Have you used a car rental company that you'd use again?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Lesli

You might want to use some of the package tour info you've already obtained as a guideline for the locations you wish to visit. Once you've narrowed that down, there is absolutely loads of information here.

One of the first places that comes to mind for me is the landing beaches in Normandy. Type "landing beaches" in the text box at the top of this page to see how much you'll find! (Retired) Col. Chilcott's tours come highly recommended (he also has a B&B which you can stay at without the tour.) Here's one thread I found by typing "chilcott" which has many ideas:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34399819

autoeurope.com is a rental broker that often has the best rates for cars in Europe. They are based in the US, and if you prefer, you can call and speak to a rep.

indytravel

You might consider visiting one of the American cemeteries in Europe. I've been to the one on the edge of Cambridge, England and Fere-en-Tardenois about an hour outside of Paris. They're fascinating, moving and well worth a visit. You might be able to fit one or two in on a drive between two stops. This web site lists them:

www.abmc.gov

Russ

A tour that includes Normandy, the Belgian Ardennes (Bastogne, La Roche en Ardennes), the Rhine (Remagen Bridge Museum) and Verdun would also take you near many other places that merit a visit and would be sound, geographically, on a 3-week jaunt beginning and ending in Paris.

I'd suggest April over March, if possible, so that the things most visitors want to see will be open and the countryside is at its prettiest.

Rich

If possible, the D-Day museum in Portsmith is really worth seeing . . as is the War Room in LOndon. . but you have to go to UK.

rich

McBetsy

If you're not sure about a packaged tour, why not narrow the areas to visit as suggested and then take specialized day tours of the sights? They are available for all the major sights. For example there is a wonderful day long tour of WWI sights outside of Brugge, Belgium given by Qusimodo Tours ( he has a website) that is fabulous. The guy that does it is actually quite young but he knows his stuff. He impressed my dad, an expert on both wars, with his knowledge. There are local tours availble to see the D-Day Beaches as well as Verdun, and in Luxemburg to see the area of the Battle of the Bulge. Along the way you can also see other historical sights unrelated to the wars. Whatever you do, please make time to stop in Caen, France to see the Caen Peace Museum. It is devoted to the study of WWII and it is an unbelievable experience and is worth a half day. Go online and contact local tourism offices to get information about day trips in English to these sights. They are highly popular places to visit so finding English tours shouldn't be a problem.
Finally, I second visiting in April if possible, better weather.

curmudgeon

If this is a first trip to Europe, you should definitely plan to include London as well. It makes a nice transition to "foreign country" while everyone still speaks English. The British are great for military museums - the Imperial War museum in London is excellent, as is the Armor museum (it's south of London, don't remember the town).

Later spring gives better chance on pleasant weather. I would do it on your own, and rent a car (for everything but London). Hertz has worked pretty well for me; they often have "tourist specials" if you pre-book from the US.

Kascha912

You posted this in the Germany-section also and I guess I'd have two suggestions:
The Konzentrationslager Buchenwald in Weimar somewhat close to Berlin.
It's a place where you become very much aware of the just about not imagineable horrors of the holocaust. Hard on the soul but a central point of the Nazi-regime.

And perhaps as a second suggestion one of the towns the American airforce spared from bombing because they wanted to have their headquarter there after the war: Heidelberg.

lori_f

thanks, everyone, for your good help. i'll post again when i'm further along with the plans.

Bob1

I agree with the one poster on the time of your trip. Later April/May would be better than March probably.

You simply have to see Normandy. All other areas pale when compared to this. No matter what else you plan, it must include Normandy, the beaches, the towns and the cemetaries. You will be impressed.

Germany has many interesting areas. Bavaria and Berchtesgaden is a good area to visit to see Hitler's Eagle's Nest and the Obersalzburg area. Plus, the area is beautiful in it's own right.

The underground War Cabinet rooms where Churchill ran the war is also a nict visit. Located in downtown London across from Parliament.

I think you really need to do some study to pick out areas that really interest you and plan from there. I enjoy WWII sites but have been going to Europe for 33 years and over 25 trips and have still not visited all the ones I want to see. For a three week trip, you really need focus.

vcl

Outside Cambridge is Maddingly, the American cemetery which contains the remains of many killed during World War II. It is a beautiful and moving experience to visit. Also handy from Cambridge is Duxford Air Museum, which includes a complete American wing and often offers rides in vintage airplanes.
The Cabinet War Rooms are a must and serveral other museums in London offer a glimpse of the city during World War II complete with a blitz reenactment.
Check out the British Tourist Authority's website and search on military museums and you'll find many more, all easy to do as daytrips from London.
V.

spacea

We have included many ww2 sites in our visits to Europe. We stayed at Col Chilcott's b&b while in Bayou. He wife is charming. It is a restored French Chateu. We rented a car for three days and drove to the sites. However he does do tours also. The French resistance museum is excellant. It is in Grenoble. We found also the camp Sachinhousen just north of Berlin was a place you could spend many hours in. The military cemetary at Luxemburg was very impressive. Also the "nuts" museum in Bastogne. There were tanks on every corner. Our grandson liked the Patton museum. We always look for new sites to go to. There is so much history.

Maira

Try the following website: http://www.warplaces.net/

It offers quite a vast list of museums in Europe and the US with a relation to WWII. It also offers an e-mail address.

circa

The Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon...just a short tube ride in North London.........
tube staion....Hendon Central....History of Royal Air Force...good coverage of English and U.S. in WWII.

anissa

I second the other poster that mentioned Luxumburg City and the American cemetary there (where Patton is buried), for contrast go to the nearby German War Cementary... very different atmosphere! The other good thing about Lux city is it is near Vianden (great castle) and Trier (for Roman History). The Benalux area is ripe with old battlefields from the Battle of the Bulge (I'm sure that I'm spelling that wrong) and you can see old bunkers just about everywhere in the woods.
The Eagle's Nest and the surrounding areas are great to see some old Nazi stuff... there was an American hotel just below the Eagle's Nest. It was run by the Armed Forces Rec Office, and I think that it has recently become open to the public, but I forget the name of it. Anyway, it is where the high ranking Nazi troops stayed when they visited Hitler at the Eagel's Nest.
Berlin, vist Check Point Charlie.
I would imangine that Verdun in France would have some sort of museum for WWI, but I don't know for sure...

jody

Yes Verdun has many WW1 sites, including a museum, and Ossuray, the fort at douamont..in fact it is one of the best WW1 sites in France.

jody

Ypres( Ieper) is also another good center for WW1 visits..Flanders Field museumm there is exceptional

Bob1

The comment from Anissa on the cemetary in Luxembourg brought back old memories.

I was married, in the Army as a draftee and stationed in Germany in 1970-71. My wife and I took a winter driving trip to Belgium/Luxembourg. We saw the signs to this cemetary very early one crystal clear blue sky winter morning. We decided to visit. The graves were covered in pristine snow from the night before. No one was there but us. It was mognificient.

Then I saw one cross standing alone at the head of the rows. That was George Patton. I read later he wanted to be buried with his men. There was no special monument, just a regular stone.

We still remember that day and that place 33 years later.

MichelleY

WWI battlefield and cemetary is at the Belleau Wood near Epernay. Small, but very peaceful.

flsd

Just ran across a great site for maps and other info about WWI sites in France: www.webmatters.net