Soldiers On Leave In Europe

ETTBD is a good read. And a good guide book for where they are going would be very useful. Lonely Planet or Let's Go Europe (?) might be better guide books for their age group. I don't see any particular problems. Lots of people have short hair and I assume they will be in civilian clothes. At their age they will blend in well with the other young people of Europe.

If they go to Germany, they will have no problems, the country is used to having 1000's of soldiers here. There are Space A flights available into Rammstein and from there they can train or fly anywhere else they want to. They may even like to be close to a base simply to enjoy being surrounded by Americans for a day or two as well as shopping at the PX and Commissary. The hotels there will be a good bargain too. Bases are scattered all over Germany so they could take their pick. Wiesbaden, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, or stay at the Edelweiss in Garmisch.

Spring in Germany is gorgeous and green and lush and just what is nice on the eyes if you have been deployed in the desert. I am sure they each have their own ideas about what is interesting to see, but most of the troops that I know usually like to go to Berlin due to the history there, see the Eagles Nest, visit Normandy and the D-Day beaches, and of course Paris and Rome.

From a 'fitting in' perspective, they shouldn't have any problems. As American's we tend to be more boisterous than most Europeans, so being a little reserved definitely helps. Do keep in mind that almost everyone will know they're Americans regardless of how they dress or act. But, bottom line is to be respectful of the cultures.

As for resources, they definitely have advantages being military. First, they can stay in lodging at any installation in Europe. And, there are a lot of them. Second, there are a plethora of services for your son to tap into to help arrange trips/tours. Below are some sites to get you started.

Also, I've lived in Europe for 3+ years and found Rick Steve's books to be valuable resources.

http://www.edelweisslodgeandresort.com/home.html

http://www.usag.livorno.army.mil/OutAbout.html

http://dodlodging.net

http://old.armymwr.com/portal/travel/travelresources/lodgingcampingRV.asp

Lastly, please pass along my appreciation for their sacrifices and commitment. I was deployed to one of those 'dusty places' last year and know what it's like.

Your son and his friend most likely want to go off own their own, but if they would like to leave the planning and transportation issues to someone else occasionally, they should look into USO tours. The USO has offices on the military bases and provide tours and guides to lots of interesting places.

Jim, you might have heard the German chancellor's speech in Washington, DC, yesterday. That's really how 99.9% of Germans feel about Americans and especially about American soldiers. They can enjoy themselves all over the country - without even having their hair grow ;-)... If they're looking for party, night life they might want to spend a couple of days in Berlin, Hamburg or Cologne (the 3 BIG party cities). For relaxation the Baltic Sea coast (compare to New England) or Bavaria and the Alps might be of interest. And if they're looking to meet with fellow US military personell Stuttgart, Mannheim, Heidelberg and Kaiserslautern would be the places to go. As a matter of fact when staying at the SI-Center in Stuttgart-Möhringen they'd even feel like being in Las Vegas (well, mini-Las Vegas, but it looks like a Las Vegas type of casino, restaurant etc. and is packed with Americans)...

This is one of those rare instances where the military will buy them an airline ticket to any place in the world of their choosing (with certain obvious exceptions, like Somalia, Iran, etc). Although they could concentrate on Germany, they don't necessarily have to limit themselves to that area, just because that's where the bases are. If I'm not mistaken, though, most of the R&R flights to Europe go from Kuwait to Frankfurt, so that would be a good place to start.

I'm assuming, like most soldiers in certain dusty corners of Asia, they will have plenty of money saved up (there isn't much to waste money on in those places). Normally, I would not say Rick Steves is the best resource for young travelers because his recommendations tend to be outside their budget, but with the money saved from a deployment, they should be fine. Also, they might want to check out Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. These are little more party and adventure oriented than Rick Steves. The Let's Go series is also aimed at young travelers, but the emphasis is more for people on a shoestring budget... which as I mentioned, is probably not your son's circumstance right now.

As other posters noted, everyone will know they're Americans anyway, there's no need to hide it. To keep out of trouble, just remind them to remain respectful... and, talk in a much softer volume than they normally would in America.

I had some fun trips as a young military officer on leave. The down side for me was no one wanted to plan ahead at all, just show up and hit the ground running. The up side is you still have friends your age to travel with.

I would say rough guide and lonely planet are better suited for the younger set. They are also more exhaustive than a RS book, so they will find places to stay wherever they end up.

Thank you all for your suggestions and your support. I'll put this thread and a couple of the books you mentioned in the next package I send to him.

It might be a good idea to remind them to avoid sticking out…don’t wear any military tees, etc. They may look like soldiers, but they probably shouldn’t dress like it when touring around on leisure travel. Also, they should avoid routines if they’re in one place for several days…they don’t want to be predictable. There was a very noteworthy criminal case from 2007 in court earlier this year, whereby terrorists in Germany were targeting US military personnel and installations in Germany. They were nabbed before anything occurred, but they were well down the path of carrying out attacks. Then, there was the Berlin disco attack in ‘86…targeted US military people…stuff happens. I’m sure they’re well aware of what it means to keep a low profile.

jim,

You've received lots of great tips so far! I can't offer any specific advice on military travel, but have a few "general" comments.

To begin with, has your Son mentioned any cities or specific sites in Europe that he'd be interested in seeing?

If he hasn't been in Europe before, sending along a copy of Europe Through The Back Door is a great idea, as it provides the basics on things like rail travel, languages, etc. A copy of The Best of Europe might be useful also as it has general coverage of the main cities and attractions in each one.

I gather from the other replies that he will likely be arriving at one of the bases in Germany. If he doesn't have the option of an "open jaw" arrangement for his outgoing flight, that will limit his touring to some extent as he'll have to allow time to return to the starting point.

Two weeks is not a long time for seeing Europe, so it would probably be a good idea not to try and fit too many stops in (especially stops that are geographically distant, as that will involve longer travel times).

Cheers!

"I gather from the other replies that he will likely be arriving at one of the bases in Germany. If he doesn't have the option of an "open jaw" arrangement for his outgoing flight, that will limit his touring to some extent as he'll have to allow time to return to the starting point."

For 14 day R&R, the military pays for a civilian airline ticket to anywhere, so he can arrive in any city he wants, regardless if there is a US base nearby. But open jaw is not an option, because he has to fly out of the same city. Also for planning purposes, the 14 days does not include the transit time to and from that destination. Leave starts when his arrival plane touches down and ends when his departing plane lifts off.

BTW- He has a passport, correct? Although I don't believe he absolutely needs one (official leave documents from the US gov't are accepted in lieu of a passport for military personel), it is much more convenient to use a passport.

Tom,

Thanks for the clarification on the specifics of air transport. As I mentioned, I'm not able to offer any advice on that part of the travel planning, as I've never served in the U.S. military.

Given that "open jaw" is not an option, this will have a bearing on the touring choices as time will have to be allowed for return to the starting point.

Cheers!

My son is stationed in Iraq and he took his 14 days in Costa Rica, with his fiancée. It was really a pain in the rear to get it done. One problem was Costa Rica was a "listed" country, so more hoops to jump through and it should take about 30 days to complete. They gave him 10. With the help of a state side General and Walter B. Jones, our Congressman, we got it done and he went and had a wonderful time. He flew civilian airlines from Kuwait to CR and back. He was not allowed to dress military. He had to dress civilian on the plane. One thing to mention is that he is in the "Inter"National Guard, and at times, the upper echelon has no clue, whereas the regular army deals with this all the time.

Jim - what a great opportunity. Please remind them to check with thier local moral, welfare, and recreation (mwr) office wherever they are stationed. They are eligible to stay at any military lodge for a small fee which is usually based on rank. There is one in Garmisch, Germany called Edelweiss Lodge but there are others as well in Italy and other countries. Some are very nice and some are merely converted barraks. Either way it's a reliable and inexpensive way to travel. Their local MWR may also be able to assist with discounted train tickets as well as museum or other site tickets. They are going to have a blast!

Jim - one other word of caution and I would extend this to any young adult traveling on their own. Remind them not to hold or carry anything for anyone else - even a pretty girl. The laws in various countries are different than ours and even the military will not get them out of some scrapes. Once had a friend in a Japanese jail for 6 months for 'holding' someone's purse as they left a store. Also they should take RS advice and use money belts for their militray id, leave papers, and money.

Tom said: BTW- He has a passport, correct? Although I don't believe he absolutely needs one (official leave documents from the US gov't are accepted in lieu of a passport for military personel), it is much more convenient to use a passport.

My son, who is active duty military, and I traveled around Europe last summer during post-deployment leave. He wasn't able to apply for a passport while in Iraq, so was using his military ID. We were able to travel in countries that have U.S. military bases, but it was iffy whether he would have been able to visit countries without military bases. We couldn't take overnight trains, and we couldn't fly into or out of any country without a U.S. base. Several times when he was asked for his passport & gave his military ID, it caused some consternation & the need to consult supervisors and/or manuals. So if your son & friends can get a passport before they go, they will have more choices where to go & potentially less hassle.

"We were able to travel in countries that have U.S. military bases, but it was iffy whether he would have been able to visit countries without military bases." Just for the record, those countries with permanent US installations include: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, UK, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Romania (sort of).

Gail,

Thank you for your information about the passport. His passport has expired. It looks like he doesn't have it with him, and can't easily get to the main base to see about getting a new one. While he has a little time still, it is encouraging to know he may be able to travel with his leave papers. I'll check this out myself. I'm not sure who to ask about this, yet, so any advice on that would be useful.

Jim

"it is encouraging to know he may be able to travel with his leave papers". Yes, that is correct. But to be completely legal, he must specify in advanced which countries he will visit. It makes little difference for traveling throughout Schengen Zone of Europe because there are no passport checks between countries. But if he runs into an emergency or a random ID check, he will find it considerably easier if his leave paperwork specifies that he has permission to be in that particular country.

Hi Jim,

Please tell your son that Nice is a fun town and might be a good jumping off point for other adventures, such as train to Lyon, Milan, or Swiss. Rome or Paris would also have good nightlife but smaller italian cities will be less expensive. If the guys happen to be traveling in early spings, many places will have great Carnivale/Marti Gras celebrations. Absolutely use the Rick Steves hotel recommendations for centrally located, reasonalby priced lodging - so important when you have limited days!