Battle of the Bulge tours

I will be in Bastogne in two months and searched all over for guides or tours and came up empty or they were booked on the days I would be there. However, I was able to plot on google maps where several of the sites are and plan to do my own self guided walking tour. I also found a really good brochure to provide me information along the way. It was produced by the Boy Scouts of America. I am sure if you googled it you would find it. I will be following this post to see if someone has any other recommendations.

We also had a tour scheduled in 2020. We were going on a full day Battle of the Bulge tour with Reg Jans (regjans.com).

Thank you. Reg is who i had booked two years ago. I appreciate the info. Also the self guided tour is a good idea and i will look into that. thank you all for the info.

Luxembourg has many Battle of the Bulge sites, including the American Cemetery in Lux City, a Patton museum in Ettelbruck and the sprawling WWII museum in Diekirch.

We spent 4 nights in Diekirch on a geneology trip but wish we had stayed in Ettelbruck. It’s a lovely little city which is also a transportation hub for all trains & buses, which I’ve heard are free now. I don’t have a hotel name but I saw one near the bus/train depot. Every train or bus we took changed in Ettelbruck so we spent lots of time wandering here. Farmers market on Friday morning was fun.

The WWII museum in Diekirch was fascinating. After the battle of the bulge, local farmers cleared their fields of military equipment & artifacts left behind — tanks, uniforms, guns, whatever. Initially stored in barns, they aggregated it in Diekirch, in a sprawling building. You can rent an audio guide or just wander. A highlight for us were the letters & photos from American servicemen who had fought there. Luxembourgers love America — after liberation, they cut up Nazi flags to make American flags to wave when Patton paraded through town.

Charlene, did you all go to Bastogne and any thoughts on staying in Ettelbrock vs Bastogne for a few nights? thank you

Reg Jans is amazing. We booked 2 days of tours in 2019. One our first day, Reg had a conflict, so Frank Gubbels gave us a tour of "Band of Brothers" sites. If Reg is unavailable, Frank is an excellent choice.

https://www.regjans.com/frank-gubbels/

I highly recommend the 101st Airborne museum, a short walk from the Hotel Melba, and a few doors away from the aid station where Renee Lemaire was killed.

https://www.101airbornemuseumbastogne.com/en/

No, sorry, we did not visit Bastogne so I can’t compare the two. Ettelbruck does have the Patton Museum, great transportation connections, great restaurants and a charming downtown area with a little piazza and even a gelato shop!

I would map out what you want to see in that area & let that guide your choice.

I’d encourage you to read Janet’s TR on her Bastogne day tour with a substitute recommended by Reg Jans. It’s a different guy than the one listed above.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/best-of-holland-and-belgium-tour

However, if you are planning this far out maybe you can book Reg Jans.

thanks for all the excellent replies