World War Battlefields: 2009
This June 6th marked the 60th anniversary of World War Two's D-Day landings in Normandy. This summer was the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One. Both wars engulfed Europe for years and traces of the battles can still be found. What evocative European sights have you discovered that bring these two conflicts to life?
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Normandy Battlefield Tours
In September my husband and I took two Battlebus Tours in Normandy -- the Band of Brothers Tour and the American Highlights Tour. Both were fantastic. Dale did the Band of Brothers Tour -- he is bright, funny, interesting and knowledgable. If you saw and loved the Band of Brothers video, you will love it. Stuart Robertson did the American Highlights Tour. He is warm and engaging and and tells the stories with emotion. Stuart is on his own now, so if you want a customized tour, he would be an excellent guide. He also operates a B&B with his wife.
Carroll
Pittsburgh, PA USA Thu 12/31/2009
Battlebus- American Experience Tour
Having found Battlebus on Rick Steves site, my brother Jeff and I took the American Experience Tour on Dec 02, 09. Being frequent travelers in Europe with an inkling toward military sites as Veterans, this tour was absolutely incredible, and the absolute best by far. Mr. Dale Booth was our guide who punctually arrived at the pick up site in Bayeux and swiftly set us on our journey to Angoville, Utah Beach, Point Du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetary plus a few other critical stops along the way as he painted the picture of all transpired, although almost a month has past now I think of it every day in efforts to remember the unique facts of the places we visited. We both agree the tour was worth every penny and planning our future trip. Thanks to to Battlebus for their expertise and professionalism, also, planning a tour with them couldnt be easier.
Clancy
Roy, UT USA Sun 12/27/2009
Omaha Beach/Band of Brothers tour with Overlordtour
On July 27, 2009 we did a single day tour with Overlordtour. It was a very worthwhile experience ! Our guide Olivier showed many details, maps and photo's and could answer the most detailed questions from the WWII buffs in our pack. Recommended! I posted my video impression of this day on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3MCBRWabXY (copy paste as link).
Just van den Broecke
Amsterdam, NH The Netherlands Wed 12/23/2009
In praise of Roel, Victory Tours.
I took a private tour with Roel Klinkhamer of Victory Tours in May 09 and we stayed at his wonderful chateau near Bayeux where we were well looked after by him and his lovely wife Pia. Roel is a colourful and engaging guide who is highly experienced and knowlegable in his field. We hired Roel in his more expensive role as a private guide rather than as individuals in a group tour and thus we had his flexibilty geared towards our personal interests. Roel could not have been more accommodating showing and describing to us exactly what we wanted to see and where we wanted to go. Roel is not a man just to give the statistics of D-Day; he also gives you the story in an expert and masterful manner. I have no hesitation in recommending him. Jim Spencer, Dallas, Texas.
Jim Spencer.
Dallas, Tx. USA Sat 12/19/2009
normany-d-day-historical-association
I am American and live in Bosnia where Philipep Guerin used to live for many years working for the US army. He told me several years that he was now a tour guide in Normandy, and I took a tour with him while visiting Normandy. I have had many tour guides in my life but for sure, Philippe is the best among them! His english is perfect, he brings History back to life and he is also a welknowm author! I highly recommand everyone to book a tour with him.
Brown Mark
Sarajevo, USA Tue 12/15/2009
Overlord Tours Nov 24, 2009
We enjoyed the personalized tour with Oliver of Overlord Tours. He picked our group up and returned us to our ship in port at LeHavre. He took us where we wanted to go and is very knowledgeable about the places. We would definitely recommend Overlord tours and I would sign up again to see different places next time.
Susan & Henry
Colorado Springs, CO USA Tue 12/15/2009
Overlord Tours
We had a fantastic day with Oliver from Overland Tours. There were eight of us on the "Band of Brothers" tour and it was the highlight of our trip. Oliver was very knowledgeable, personable, helpful and efficient with our time. I would have to say that this was one of the best tours we have ever had in Europe. We highly recommend it. We learned so much and we thought we had Band of Brothers memorized. Also, it was exactly what was advertised, no surprises.
Annette & Wayne Dahlke
Bradenton, FL USA Sun 12/13/2009
Victory Tours- Wish we had not booked a tour w/ him
Based on guidance from here, we booked a full day D-Day tour with Roel Klinkhammer from Victory Tours. While Roel was knowledgeable, he had an abrasive and rude personality and ran his tour like a drill sargent. My husband is a WWII/ Omaha Beach buff and really wanted to spend a lot of time at Omaha Beach and not go to Utah Beach. He expressed this to Roel at the outset but it did not sit well with him and Roel nevertheless made us drive all the way to UB (even though it used up more of Roel's time for him to take us to UB and then back-track to Bayeux where we had to catch the train back to Paris that evening). I was really disappointed in this behavior – we were the only people on Roel's tour that day so I would have hoped for a little more "whatever the customer wants to do" attitude. When we got to Omaha Beach, my husband was taking his time in exploring the beach and the bluffs, just trying to soak everything up since this was a life-long dream for him. This irritated Roel and he shouted to my husband that we had to leave to go see the Cemetary. Another annoying aspect of the Tour was that we were only allowed to ask questions of him at certain times. Any questions or comments about things Roel wanted to talk about later were met with a frown and a "look" to silence us. Also, he would not answer certain questions at all- such as one I asked which was "how many Americans were killed during the D-Day Operations?". He said he did not want to think about that and said I could "look it up in his binder". Roel also made numerous negative comments to us about his customers – ie tourists from certain places that he thinks are stupid (Southern Californians are #1 on his hit-list). I really wished we had booked our tour with Overlord instead.
SH
Houston, TX USA Wed 12/09/2009
Overlord Tours
On the 9th of Nov. our group of 6 had a private tour of the D-Day sites conducted by Olivier Coulon of Overlord Tours. Owner Alain Chesnel and Olivier did a great job with the booking and conduct of the tour. I have studied WWII history for many years and consider myself somewhat knowledgable about D-Day and the Normandie campaign.
Having said that, I was amazed at the amount of information I received during our tour. It's one thing to read about these events and yet another to be standing on the very site and hearing about how those events unfolded.
I plan to return to Normandie, as it is a very beautiful place and there is so much more than one can see in one visit.
Thank you Alain and Olivier. Looking forward to seeing you again.
Al Meyer
Salt Lake City , Utah USA Wed 11/25/2009
D-Day Tour in Normady area
My wife and I along with 5 other people booked Philippe Guerin for a private 1 day tour of the D-Day sites and it was amazing. Philippe really brought the history home. He had a binder with photos from that morning and you would stand where the picture had been taken and really get a feel for what must have transpired that morning. His knowledge of the Canadian Forces and battle plan were very impressive. As a Canadian, Juno beach and the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery were very moving. I learnt more about Canadian military history that day then all my years in school. He is available thru the Normandy D-Day Historical Association.
Paul Beaudry
Winnipeg, MB Canada Sun 11/22/2009
World War Battlefields
Stuart Robertson was absolutely fantastic. I have to admit, I wasn't keen on visiting the D-Day beaches and surrounding areas, but felt I had to, in homage to those who had sacrificed so much. Stuart put a human face on the massive D-Day undertaking. He has made a point of befriending D-Day veterans, and has a wealth of stories and pictures to make dry statistics come alive. I bless him for warning us that "Taps" was played at the American cemetery at 4:30 - I totally lost it. And I thank him for making the D-Day events painfully real.
Jo Farnham
Kirtland, OH USA Sun 11/15/2009
www.normandybattletours.com
As Head of History of a high school I regularly take school groups of 30+ students down to a handfull of adults on tours to Normandy. Stuart is the man to ask for to be your guide; you get an expert but one who is as capable with students as he is with adults. Stuart has that qualitty where he can explain the same event to students as he can to adults and still hold their attention. I have seen Veterans [of the Normandy Campaign] stand back to listen carefully to what he has to say as I do [and having read for years on the subject I do know my Normandy 1944]! He is always keen to assist and we have explored various aspects of the Campaign on my whim and his background research.
Jenny is the most excellent hostess; the accommodation (17th century farm cottage) is first class - the rooms are spacious, comfortable and warm. The accommodation is excellent as are the meals. The tea is real tea and the coffee as anyone would wish it!
Seriously, a great place to stay; the views are quite something else - overlooking the Marais where many of the US 82nd Airborne landed. The laneway out the back is a must for everyone - military buff to nature lover; and do not forget to ask about the history of the house on that night of nights.
Colm Murphy
St Johns School, Gravesend, London UK Tue 11/10/2009
WW2 Normandy - Falaise Pocket
We recently returned from Normandy and while there, stayed in a Gites right in the middle of "The Great Encircelment where approximately 50,000 German soldiers were captured in August 1944. the house was west of Falaise, southwest of Vimoutiers and near Trun.
It was interesting to me to learn more about this pivotal battle.
Bill
Springport , MI USA Thu 11/05/2009
Overlord Tour-Normandy-
We recently did the Omaha/Utah full day tour with OverlordTour. It was absolutely fantastic. Our guide Olivier was extremeley knowlegeable and made the tour interesting for the entire group (which also included my 11 and 8 year old children). I would highly recommend their services.
Dave Buchanan
Geneva, USA Tue 10/27/2009
Victory Tours - A Great Way to See Normandy
Just returned from a wonderful trip to France. The highlight of our trip was a tour of the Normanday D-Day invasion sites with Roel of Victory Tours. Roel's small group tours are great and provided a wonderful way to see the area and gain a better appreciation for what actually happened on June 6, 1944. Roel's knowledge of the area combined with his energetic style made for a perfect tour. I cannot wait to return to the area again and take another tour with Roel. Highly recommended!
M Rowe
Greenville, SC USA Thu 09/24/2009
Band of Brothers - Overlordtour
Thanks to our guide Alain Chesnel for an amazing experience. His expert knowledge and attention to detail really made it a memorable day. Thank you very much!
Jason Leppin
Melbourne, VIC Australia Mon 09/21/2009
overlordtour
We thoroughly enjoyed our Normandy Tour that Overlord provided. Our tour guide Stefan was great. He was very knowledable and we really enjoyed spending the day with him. We were very fortunate to have found this company as it made our Normandy experince fantastic. I would highly recimmend overlordtour to any none who is interested in going to Normandy. Please thank Stefan for us as he was able to relate to all of us including my 17 year old son and 12 year old daughter.
Thanks again and regards,
Cindi, Tom, Sam & Alana Gans
Cindi Gans
90803 Long Beach, CA USA Mon 09/07/2009
Victory Tours
Just got back from Normandy, France-Roel Klinkhammer was kind enough to do a half-day tour of D-Day beaches. He is fun, funny, and a fount of information! He had many stories of people who fought, and helped me understand so much more about this time in our ccountry's history! I recommend him highly!
anski
Humble, TX USA Wed 08/05/2009
D-Day Beaches Tours
Because of time constraints, we stayed in Caen and visited the excellent Memorial museum in the afternoon and took a tour from the museum the next morning. My husband had done a similar jaunt two years ago and had an excellent tour guide (also the minibus driver) who walked with them at all the stops and shared a great deal of knowledge. This time around, we had a 20-something German girl (who spoke English) as our guide following a script more or less. She was very nice and interested in what she was doing, but just didn't have the knowledge that the other guide had had. From the comments of others about the other tour options, they might be better to consider if they work in your schedule
Ann
Thiensville, WI USA Sun 07/26/2009
Overlord Tour on June 5th, 2009
Just a little late in adding my comments, but thanks again Olivier for another great tour last month. This was our 2nd tour in the past 3 years with Olivier and my wife and I enjoyed it very much.
Jeff
Dallas, Tx USA Fri 07/10/2009
A fantastic day with Roel (aka Victory Tours)
The highlight of my trip to Paris was the (long) day trip to Normandy and the fantastic tour provided by Roel at Victory Tours. Roel was able to use words to paint vivid pictures that took me back to D-Day; describing the amazing level of effort that went into the planning and execution, the intimate stories of soldiers he has met through the years and the hell on earth that the American Soldiers faced on Omaha Beach.
I hope I can make it back to Normandy to take a multi-day tour with Roel and find out what other stories the beautiful countryside has to tell.
Adam
Loveland, Ohio USA Mon 07/06/2009
OVERLORDTOUR
Our tour with Stephan was wonderful. My husband, three teenage children and myself all thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned so much. It was a very moving and special day for us.
Debra Klebanoff
19119 Philadelphia, USA Thu 07/02/2009
Overlord Tour Guided Tours.
I would like to recognize Mr.Alain Chesnel for conducting a superb tour of the Normandy Coast as part of the Overlord Tour Guided Tours.
My wife and I took the full day tour on 9 June 2009.
We were in the London area on holiday and I fulfilled a lifetime dream in taking this tour.
Alain's insightful commentary along with a vivid historical perspective was fascinating.
Even more impressive, was his ability to describe in detail factual accounts of battles as related from veterans he has ongoing contact with.
Visiting all of the places on the tour is,simply an awakening look at D-Day history.
My wife was mobility challenged due to a recent knee surgery,but Alain made every attempt to accomodate her on as many of the destinations as possible.
Thank you Alain,for a most memorable day.
Bill & Marilyn Hanson
Tucson,Arizona~USA
Bill & Marilyn Hanson
Tucson, AZ. USA Sun 06/28/2009
Cambridge American Cemetery
On a flight to London I had a conversation with a lady regarding my destination of Cambridge.
She told me of the American Cemetery there.
I was visiting my son-in-law who is stationed at RAF Lakenheath.
We agreed to take the trip over there on Memorial Day 25 May 2009.
We were originally only going over to have a look around and pay our respects.
But,to our suprise the Madingly Memorial Ceremony was beginning.
The Memorial and the 30 acre site was breathtaking.
If you're nearby,I would highly recommend a visit.
Very rewarding!
Bill Hanson
Tucson,Az.USA
Bill Hanson
Tucson, AZ. USA Sun 06/28/2009
Normandy Battlefield Tours
Had the most amazing Normandy battlefield tours with Phillipe Guerin. Spent one day touring British battlesites, one day Canadian and one day American. He is equally knowledgeable about all Allied (and German) participation and battlesites of the Battle of Normanday and D-Day. Was with a small group that included a mixture of people with varying degrees of previous knowledge about the war and the particular battles, yet he was able to make it interesting and educational for all. He will outline the overall battles and objectives and their importance in the grand scheme of the war but will personalize it with stories, photos and audio accounts that filter down to company and individual contributions. As a true Norman with local ties going back many generations, he has an incredible knowledge of the geography of the entire Normandy region and has personal stories and accounts that you will not find in any history book. I would highly recommend him as a tour guide if you are going to the region.
Ally Ramsay
Ajax, Ont Canada Tue 06/16/2009
Normandy WWII
Just back from 65th Anniversary of D-Day activities in Normandy. Roel Klinkhammer of Victory Tours made this a great experience. He researched activities of a relative and showed us those sites -- plus the main beaches. Outstanding service by a very congenial person.
Bob
Scottsdale, az USA Mon 06/15/2009
Normandy D-Day Tour + B&B
Rick: June 6th seems to be the right date to send you a thank you for recommending Roel & Pia Klinkhamer's Chateau de Lignerolles and Roel's Victory Tours. We were in Normandy last October, and our day with Roel was the highlight of the trip. All of the news coverage for the 65th D Day Anniversary brings back memories of our visit to those beaches. Roel's information, passion for the story, and reverence for the places we visited are all unforgettable. Pia's welcome and fine breakfasts were pleasant additions to our stay at their chateau. For personalized history, on the spot, the Victory Tour was terrific.
Jack and MaryAnn Thompson
Jack & MaryAnn Thompson
Valparaiso, IN USA Sun 06/07/2009
Juno Beaches
Philippe Guerin made our tour of Juno very real. He made me feel the wonder and question why this happened. This man is extremely good as a guide, very accurate with his knowledge and communicates with a passion. He never made us feel rushed and is very patient with us older folks with questions I'm sure he's answered many times. Highly recommended.
Douglas McKay
Bowmanville, near Courtice, Ont Canada Mon 06/01/2009
Overlord Tours - Normandy
I spent the day on an Overlord tour with Oliver as our guide. My friend was having difficulty walking so he came to our B&B to pick us up which was a wonderful gesture.
We saw so many sights dealing with the D Day invasion and it was a very humbling adventure. I would highly recommend Overlord Tours. They were recommendedby many on the graffitti wall and we were not disappointed. We took the one day tour and we had a party of 6 which was the perfect size.
Vicki Blake
Spring, Texas USA Sat 05/30/2009
Battle of the Bulge personal tour
We spent the day with Henri Mignon as our guide for the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium.
Henri was a young boy during the battle and listening to his remembrances of the time was fascinating. He spent his working years in the Belgium Army and was called on after retirement to escort visitors to the area.
It was an absolutely fascinating day and one of the highlights of my trip. Highly recommend you contact Henri at henfi_mignon @swing.be.
Vicki
Spring, Texas USA Sat 05/30/2009
American Cemetery Cambridge, England
If you are in the Cambridge, England area it is worth your time to stop at the American Cemetery. I was there at the request of a friend whose father died in WWII and whose body was never found. There is a wall dedicated to those unrecovered soldiers. The director of the cemetery was extremely helpful to us finding information for our friend and took us to the wall and proceeded to work sand into the name so it could be photographed easier.
Vicki Blake
Spring, Texas USA Sat 05/30/2009
Normandy
We recently had a tour of Juno Beach with Philippe. He was extremely knowledgable and made the morning an experience we will not forget.
He was interested in the typhoon pilot reunion, here is all thr information I have.
Jacques Brehin has advised me that ASAVN plans to hold the 2009 Typhoon Pilots Reunion on 30 – 31 May in and around Noyers-Bocage (site of our Monument). The programme will include commemorative ceremonies for RCAF pilots:
F/L Clifford Hicks, 440 Sqdn, killed 8 Aug 44 at Ussy
F/O John Kalen, 439 Sqdn, killed 18 Jul 44 at Cagny
F/O Frank Thomas, 439 Sqdn, killed 8 Jul near B4
It will be a truly Franco-Canadian affair.
The RAF Eurofighter Typhoon Squadron, Conningsby, is now involved in the annual Normandy Reunions (to carry on the Typhoon torch).
This may well be the last reunion many of we Canadians can manage to attend.
Karen Gardner
Oakville, ON USA Thu 05/28/2009
Normandy-D-Day-Historical-Association- Philippe
We had a great tour with Philippe of the wwww.Normandy-D-Day-Historical-Association.com last month, it was just great!!!!! He drove us to British, Canadian and American D-Day spots where no one else could have drove us to! He's a real Norman, fluent in english, and will guide you to many amazing places he's the only one to know about!!!!! I, and my husband, would highly recommend Philippe, as your guide in Normandy!
Brooke
Ipswich, mass USA Thu 05/28/2009
Juno Beach D Day Normandy
We recently had a tour of Juno with Philippe Guerin. It was overwhelming. His knowledge of Canadians at D Day was beyond all expextations.
05/17/2009
Roy T. Vopni
Kingston, Ontari Canada Wed 05/27/2009
Battlebus-Henri Mignon Tour Guide
My husband and I did a day tour of Bastogne with Henri Mignon. I found him through Battlebus tours. Henri was very professional and informative. He meet us at our hotel and directed us to differnet sites in Bastogne and Grand Duchy. The day went quickley hearing the stories of our fallen soldiers. We visited a few museums and the American cemetary. I highly recommend Henri and a visit to Bastogne.
Darla Parris
R.S.M., CA USA Mon 05/25/2009
Normandy - Victory Tours - Chateau de Lignerolles B & B - Roel & Pia Klinkhamer
On 4/29/2009 my husband and I were on a fantastic all day tour of the D-Day Beaches and surrounding areas with Victory Tours led by Roel. What can I say? It's a must DO if ever in that area. It was quite moving and very informative and he kept your interest all day long, not wanting it to end. Roel gave you plenty of time to "Clicky Clicky" to document your trip. Roel has a passion and deep knowledge about WWII and it is evident by the wall of bookcases and books on WWII in the Chateau where we stayed for two nights. Roel shared personal stories that he has gleaned from visiting with the Veterans each year and is looking forward to the 65th anniversay this year and getting to visit with the Vets that come back. As he said, unfortunately, fewer and fewer come each year. Highlights - too many to list all but some are...Arromanches, Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Point du Hoc, US Cemetery, Ste. Mere Eglise, Bayeux, Caen. Must say Pia served a great breakfast and was very accommodating and informative and made you feel at home. Thanks Rick for listing this B&B Chateau and Victory Tours. Other than being outside of town as stated in the Guidebook and having to go into town for dinner, the 278 year old Chateau was very unique and comfortable and had wireless access in the "Grand Salon", if you have your own computer. You need a car if you are staying at the Chateau. I would not hesitate to go back tomorrow, if given the chance, and stay in the Chateau and take Victory Tours all day tour again led by Roel. It was GREAT!!
Elaine Ownby
Rockwall, TX USA Sat 05/23/2009
Battlebus Tour with Dale
My husband and I took two Battlebus tours with Dale. He has a wonderful style of recreating the Battles of World War II. I enjoyed both tours and the way he presented the information was very helpful. I felt like I was taken back in time. The stories of our fallen heros were special to hear about. I was just speechless at times, I can't even imagine what our troops went through. It was a highlight of our trip for myself and my husband. We did the two day experience and the Band of Brother tour.
Darla Parris
R.S.M, CA USA Mon 05/18/2009
OVERLORDTOUR
I just wanted to take a moment to send you a note regarding our tour on May 2nd. Our tour guide, Stefan was wonderful. He was extremely knowledgeable about the subject of WW II. He showed us pictures and maps and made it very real. Seeing the back roads of France was great. This was a dream come true for Larry and he got to experience everything he wanted and much more.
Also, thanks for accommadating the other 6 people who joined our group. The ship didn't offer a tour of Normandy and these people were very glad Larry decided to share his tour with them. It all worked out great for everyone and we all had a wonderful time. I will highly recommend Overlord Tours to anyone who may be in France and need tour assistance. Again, thank you for this great opportunity and making my husband's dream come true. And, thank you for having such knowledgeable tour guides. They really make the tour successful.
Terrye Parker
Terry Parker
USA Fri 05/08/2009
RAF Museum in NW London
For those interested in World War history, and specifically aviation history, we recommend the RAF Museum in Colindale in NW London. We were there in May 2008. There are a number of rare planes and many other planes and artifacts - it's a rather large complex. Plan on a half-day or for those really into aviation history, a full-day visit. Very educational and informative. Also good for school-age kids. An easy ride on the Tube (Colindale Underground on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line) - then a short walk from the station to the museum.
See the website to plan your visit: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/index.cfm
Terry & George
Austin, TX USA Wed 05/06/2009
Good pace to stay in Bayeux, near Normandy beaches
If you are visiting Normandy, a good place to stay is Bayeux - about 3 miles from the beaches.
We spent 3 weeks in Normandy in May 2008 and can recommend a wonderful place to stay just on the outskirt of Bayeux.
The Relais de L'Aure has B&B accommodations (several large rooms with private baths) in the main house AND also a very spacious 3-bedroom detached cottage across the courtyard from the main house. The cottage was quite roomy and private. The owners - Rene and Christine - live on-site so are available as needed. They are extremely friendly and accommodating. The cost is quite reasonable - less than a hotel - and about 1 mile - easy walk- from supermarket. About 2 miles to center of Bayeux - with many restaurants and shops. Also a very nice farmers market in Bayeux on Weds and Saturdays.
Their website is: http://www.relaisdelaure.com/
Click on the American/British flag for Englsh version. If you are interested in the detached cottage, click on the upper left "Country Gite".
Terry & George
Austin, TX USA Wed 05/06/2009
Normandy-Victory Tours-Roel Klinkhamer
The day tour led by Roel Klinkhamer was the highlight of our trip to Europe. We always had an interest in WWII history but did not have the extensive knowledge that Roel talks about. His stories of veterans that he has met and talked with was great. He customizes his tour to allow extra locations other than just the beaches to tell stories that he knows will be of interest to the tour participants. His passion and knowledge made the day special. My favorite parts was the way he described what happened at Omaha Beach and also the church he took us to that a couple of medics used for their hospital.
I would highly recommend the all day tour with Roel and Victory Tours.
Palmer Inniger
Carmel, IN USA Tue 05/05/2009
World War I battlefields
We just toured the WWI Verdun battlefield with guide Ingrid Ferrand -she did an outstanding job explaining the battle logistics. At the same time, she effectively communicated the human aspect of the battle. But the highlight of the day was the tour of the trenches and underground tunnels of Vauquois Hill in the Argonne. This gave us a true experience of WW I warfare. We recommend Ingrid and visiting both Verdun and Vauguois Hill for those interested in World War I.
John and Nancy
Honor, MI USA Sat 05/02/2009
D-Day
We toured the American D-Day beaches with Battlebus tours and tour guide Dale - it was truly a moving experience. Highly recommended.
John and Nancy
Honor, MI USA Sat 05/02/2009
WW2 Normandy Tour & more- Overlord Tours
In 2007, my best friend and I fulfilled a dream by flying to England, touring the Imperial War Museum and American Air Museum in Duxford, then flying to France and ending up in Bayeux where we took a full day trip to Normandy with Overlord Tours. It was one of the most emotional yet exciting things either of us have ever done. There were only 8 people in our tour mini-bus (including Philipe, our NORMAN driver who turned out to be a world-recognized authority on D-Day) and it was very personal and intense. I'm headed back to Spain & Italy in about 2 weeks, and hope to explore more WW2 sites - to forget the past is to repeat the same mistakes: exploring history is virtually the most exciting thing I can think of. Just do it!
Hal Sanguinetti
Glendale, AZ USA Tue 04/14/2009
Roel's Victory Tours was awesome
My boyfriend and I took a full day tour of Normandy with Roel Klinkhamer of Victory Tours. Our train arrived a little late from Paris, but Roel waited patiently for us at the meeting point. He provided a very personal experience with describing the locations with historical detail and personal stories from the soldiers he has met over the years. Taking his tour has given us a great perspective of the men that risked their lives for their nation and humanity. As Americans we feel that visiting Normandy was something that we needed to do as a part of our trip to Europe. However, the day was in fact the highlight of the entire trip. The locations are really beautiful and sad too. It is important to honor the soldiers that fought for us and to remember a very important part of world history.
Pam Santatikul
Los Angeles, CA USA Sat 03/14/2009
Bridge at Remagen
On March 7, 1945 the US 9th tank Division crossed the Rhine Barrier at Remagen into the village I live, Erpel. There is an amazing 'Peace Museum' in the tower ruins on the Remagen side. Displays are well presented in English - we enjoy taking guests here, always an emotional day. www.bruecke-remagen.de
Anne
Erpel , Germany Thu 03/05/2009
WWII Airfields in Britain
Parham Airfield Museum is a lovely small museum in the restored control tower of one of Suffolk's 30 US airfields. Although the runways have returned to farmland you can see where they were, plus there are Nissen huts and one B-17 hangar. Watch the movie Memphis Belle before you visit if you're unfamiliar with the role of B-17s in WWII. Children must be 12 years old to visit the top of the control tower.
Martha
Rockville, MD USA Sun 03/01/2009
Victorytours
Victory Tours and B&B Chateau de Lignerolles
First, I must recommend touring the D-day arena with Victory Tours because, for me, Roel was the quintessential guide. He is extremely knowledgeable, passionate and somehow included a dash of humor while leading us through what remains (and there is much remaining) of this monumental undertaking. It was one of the most moving and eyeopening experiences I've ever had. Personally, I wish I'd done this much earlier in life...History classes would have meant much more to me. Also, I'd like to mention that Roel has a van, not a bus, and he knows the touring bus schedules. Therefore, when possible, he takes his tour where the tour buses have not arrived or they have "been and gone". This avoids large crowds, saves time and helped provide a more thorough, well paced tour. Roel's wife, Pia, does a beautiful job of operating the B&B. The chateau is quite nice, the breakfasts are delicious and Pia & Roel are very accommodating. They recommended a wonderful restaurant for dinner and directed me to a great clothing store since it was colder than we had anticipated. As a result, we recommend them for both the tour and overnight stays. Hopefully, we'll see them again.
Bill & Tricia
Bill & tricia
Fort Atkinson, Wisc. USA Mon 02/23/2009
Normandy Trip for D-Day Vet
We travelled a couple of years ago with Battlebus Tours in Bayeux, Normandy. Our father was vet of the D-Day invasion. I can't say enough good about the entire experience. From booking the tour through the tour itself, every step was made much easier by the friendliness andprofessionalism of the company. I have journeyed estensively in Europe, and I can say without reservation that our tour guide, Dale, was one of the best I've ever seen. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about his subject, and he was able to bring us all into that passion. It was the first time our father had been to France since the War, and Dale and the entire Battlebus team, as well as the citizens of Bayeux, made it a memorable experience for him.
Charlotte
Gravelly, AR USA Fri 02/20/2009