Ww2-France and Germany

Recommend to be specific about "ww2". Do you mean

• combat places and weapons
• Nazi terror regime
• and / or Holocaust?

I understand that you look for a tour company.

In this thread of Germany forum you will find a lot of recommended places in Northern Germany.

I think we would tend to focus on the US military sites, cemeteries and museums

Enter "Normandy WWII tours" in the search bar above and you will find lots of threads with recommendations. As for Geremany, enter th e same, except begin with Germany. I know Overlord is often recommend for the Normandy beach sites.
Best of luck!

how big is your group? mobility issues or small children?

Do you need a generalist who will take you all over the various countries or do you want specialists in various locations? The area of western and central Europe - the war was all over the whole continent - is pretty big.

If you have 7 days, the arrival and departure are both usually not productive, so you really only have 5 days for Germany and France? I think you need to get pretty specific.

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind is that, of all the major participants in the war, there was only one that was neither invaded nor threatened with invasion: the USA. The sociopolitical nature of Europe is colored strongly by the fact that the war was carried out on their actual soil.

I know you said you didn't want a self-guided tour, but I really would pick a few sites and do them at your own pace or, if you really aren't comfortable, hire a private guide. I find that when I know little and want an overview or an entry point, tours are great, but if I have specific things in mind, tours are tremendously frustrating. For example, you mention Normandy--you might pick a few museums, battlefields, etc. and then explore those at your own pace. A tour might rush you through or skip St. Mere Eglise and spend a ton of time at Juno, while you wanted American sites. And one that arranges travel between Normandy in northern France and the Eagle's Nest in southern Germany is unlikely to meet your timeframe.

Incidentally, like most people I find the Eagle's Nest a let down. It has no real historical significance (Hitler only visited once and the footage most people know was the Berghof), the views are often fogged in, and it's not that architecturally interesting. Much more interesting is Munich, where you can find a lot more significant sites related to both the Nazi regime and to resistance movements like the White Rose. A Munich-based teacher has a website that is good for that (https://www.tracesofevil.com/).

You might also consider places outside those two countries--Bastogne comes to mind. And of course no WWII trip is complete without Berlin. Given your timeframe and specific interests, I would think a personalised private tour is your best bet.

"...tend to focus on the US military sites, cemeteries, and museums."

Those military sites connected with WW2 in France and Germany are part of my interest too.

My main focus, however, is on WW1 , tracking down especially those cemeteries, sites, and museums pertaining to the Germans and the French.

Bottom line: If your trip agenda includes Paris, you might want to check out the US military cemetery in Suresnes located in the greater Paris area. Half of the cemetery is devoted to WW2, the other half to fallen US troops in WW1. I saw once in 2003.

Memorial de Baugnez (Belgium) is a place that only commemorates a war crime committed against US soldiers, although a second war crime was committed shortly afterwards - this time by US soldiers against German soldiers (source).

You only have a very limited time. If you plan to visit the Normandy beaches that's going to take 3-4 days, or half your allotment. Seriously, you cannot do it faster if you fly into Paris, the travel alone is going to eat a day or more. From there you will have to make some choices, because the battlefields tend to be large, and not very easily visited unless you have a car and, in your case, a guide. It's actually easier to follow the major campaigns than to visit specific battlefields. "A Bridge too Far", "Battle of the Bulge", "Crossing the Rhine"; these are all doable, but very tight within your time limit. Remagen is pretty easy. Some of the Westwall or Seigfried Line is doable. If you want to fly to places like Nuremberg, Munich, or Berlin you can see some things there. But if you want to add the Eagles Nest to Normandy, that's going to pretty much eat up all your time. Just those two things, because you're going to lose a day traveling (minimum).

Thanks everyone for your responses. They are greatly appreciated. We have been looking at a few tour companies. Does anyone know anything about the beaches of Normandy tour company? I have read that they are fraudulent/have gone bankrupt in the past. But in other places they have fantastic reviews.

This thead discusses your concern. Check post #18 in particular and the more recent posts. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187179-i607-k13486851-o10-Beware_of_a_tour_company_called_Beaches_of_Normandy-Normandy.html

I saw the post from trip advisor but how do I know that the person stating that she works for the company is legitimate? This “beaches or Normandy tour company” has exactly what we were wanting but I don’t know how I can tell if it legit. Any ideas?

If I wanted to determine the legitimacy of this or any other company (I don't), off the top of my head I would:

1) Call the contact number with a list of questions. Evaluate the professionalism of response.

2) Contact the company via their email, Facebook, other social media as applicable with questions - evaluate response.

3) Check for obvious "red flags" such as payment policies which are out-of-line with other tour groups.

4) Critically read the tour reviews. Private message those who promote the tours and weigh the responses for reliability.

5) Evaluate the website. Analyze the tour promises and costs compared with similar companies watching for "too good to be true".

6) Check Dun and Bradstreet for financials. Check for French business registration on Infogreffe website. Verify that principals are the same as stated on the website and check that years in business is consistent with review dates.

7) Look for accreditations from travel agency associations.

8) If still concerned, I would purchase trip insurance with reimbursement for bankruptcy specifically included and be certain I understood the policies of my credit card regarding bankruptcy, timeframes, and ability to reverse charges.

Perhaps others have additional ideas. If still in doubt, there are US based companies - Stephen Ambrose, WWII Museum out of New Orleans, etc that you could explore.

Dale Booth is a fabulous guide for D-Day sites. He books up early, so check his availability before you choose your dates to be there.

I took a look at the TA thread link posted by ORDtraveler. I agree with post #27 by Teacher91 on that thread. I think she is right and I also have met her in person when she and I were in Yellowstone at the same time.

I loved touring with Dale Booth on a Rick Steves tour. He was SO good.