As a graduation gift, I'm taking my son to France for a WWII history trip. We're in the beginning stages of planning and any recommendations, previous experience tips, etc. would be very much appreciated. The trip is scheduled for June of 2010.
Thank you -- Paul
Paul, you should read the information on searching this board. There is a ton of information on this, especially Normandy, as well as sites in Paris already up on here. Take a look at the How to Search post. You will find a lot of information.
This is a great idea, Paul. What a great gift! I am guessing the focus of your trip will be Normandy. I was just there in September and absolutely loved it. We went on two Battlebus Tours -- highly recommended on this site. We chose the American Highlights and Band of Brothers Tour. They were great. They have a website where you can see what the tours cover. They also offer a two-day American Exerience Tour, A British Highlights tour and Canadian Highlights Tour. You need to stay in Bayeux to take these tours. It's a nice town and also offers the Bayeux Tapestry, which I loved.
We also spent a day driving around on our own to see some of the sites that we missed on the tours. We went to the British Cemetary in Bayeux. Then we drove to Longues sur Mer (sp?) to see the German gun batteries (only original guns remaining), Arromanche (saw the 360 movie), and Pegasus Bridge.
Will you be there on June 6? If so, that might affect your plans; it may be more crowded, harder to get reservations, etc. I don't know.
It would help to know more about you and your son's level of interest in WWII, how much knowledge you have, etc. If you are really knowledgable, perhaps you don't need a tour, though I think anyone would enjoy the Battlebus Tours.
I'm not sure where else in France you might want to go. We are considering going to Belgium next year to see Bastogne and other WWII sites, but I haven't done any planning yet. You might want to consider a quick trip to London. The Cabinet War Rooms are fantastic -- the underground site where Churchill lived during the war. They've left it just the way it was during the war with maps, etc. The Imperial War Museum is really interesting too. It's an easy day trip with the chunnel, though I have not taken this myself.
Don't ignore northeastern France, where some of the heaviest battles of the western front were fought. There are many lonely American cemeteries here (Eparnay is one that comes to mind) that never receive the attention of the more famous one in Normandy.
I agree with Carroll, we took a Battlebus Tour and also drove around on our own, the best of both worlds. The town of Bayeux makes a great base, and I highly recommend Hotel D'Argouges, which is in RS guide.
I think it would be great to be there for the anniversary of D-Day, to meet the men that fought there and their families, to share and hear other people's stories.
The people of Normandy are incredibly wonderful. They have never forgotten what we did for them and they are still very grateful.
If you have time, I would consider and excursion to Luxembourg and Belgium. Patton is buried in Lux City at the Hamm American Military Cemetery. Also, in Luxembourg is the town of Diekirch with an AWESOME WWII Museum and in the town of Ettelbruck there's the Patton Memorial Museum.
Appreciate very much the insights. Just starting the planning so everything is on the table. Thank you all. My son has some research to do now. : )
Good point about when exactly we go in June. Although being there for any memorial celebrations around D-Day would be cool --- the crowds might be a bit much. My uncle was D+20 and tells some incredible stories. He was there last year.
The battle bus tours look really interesting!
Lots to research.
All good advice- I might add the German Cemetery (and its small but poignant Museum) at Normandy as well as driving through some of the small roads going inland from Utah and other beaches- you will find markers and monuments in unexpected locations. If you end up in the East of France-Cologne or Colmar there are a number of battlefields and small local museums. This list is split about the big museum in Caen ((opened in 2004) but Audrey and I were captivated by it and the film at the end. George, Pittsburgh
Word of caution if you go during any of the ceremonies around the invasion anniversary. On our Battlebus tour (which is fabulous and I can't recommend enough), the guide bemoaned touring on that day. Depending on the dignitaries that are there for ceremonies, they cordon off areas and restrict access into and out of areas for security reasons. He said it can be very difficult to get around on that day as you may be unable to access certain areas until the dignitaries leave.
I would definitely try and do at least a one day Battlebus tour, but if your trip is focused on WWII, 2 days would be great. Bayeux was a great place to base (we stayed at Hotel D'Argouges also and loved it).
Paul,
I absolutely agree with the others regarding the BattleBus Tours. The Guides are incredible and extremely knowledgeable about the history, and passionate about teaching this to others.
The point that Carroll raised also occurred to me. It would probably be a good idea to avoid the Normandy area at the beginning of June, as it will likely be crowded and Hotel rooms will be at a premium. Also, some of the tour companies don't operate then, as the Guides want to attend the ceremonies as well.
There are LOTS of WW-II sites to visit in Europe, and with only two weeks you'll only be able to cover a few. Some of the interesting locations:
London: Cabinet War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, HMS Belfast
Bovington (Dorset): Tank Museum (one of the BEST!)
Yeovilton: Fleet Air Arm Museum
North Yorkshire: Eden Camp
Paris: Invalides Military Museum
Normandy: Tour and other sites mentioned in replies
France: Oradour-sur-Glane
Munich: Dachau and also sites where Nazi party originated (see if you can spot the Swastikas in the Haufbrauhaus)
Berchtesgaden: Eagle's Nest, Documentation Centre (some of the Underground Bunkers can be toured)
Europe is loaded with WW-II historical sites. The challenge will be to fit them into a two-week visit.
Good luck with your planning!
I can imagine Normandy being difficult during a 5th or 10th year anniversary of the invasion, such as the 65th which was this past June. But I'm wondering if the 66th anniversary in 2010 will be crazy crowded...
If it were me, I'd contact Hotel D'Argouges and ask them.
WOW, Paul. What a wonderful graduation gift!
My husband and I took a sort of WWII trip in June, 2008. Flew into London and home from Brussels. After a few days in London seeing the remarkable Cabinet War Rooms and the AMAZING Churchill Museum, as well as the Imperial War Museum and the American Memorial Chapel in St. Paul's (and seeing Her Majesty and family on her official birthday celebration in June), we took the Eurostar to Paris for a couple days (day trip one day to Rouen, where my father served in WWII with the 179th General Hospital), then train to Bayeux for 4 nights. We took the Battlebus American Experience Tour and the Band of Brothers Tour; THESE TOURS ARE INCREDIBLE. You will NEVER forget the places and stories, the hedgerows, the beaches, the tiny churches, the cemeteries, and especially the stories of the men who fought or died there. We also visited the beautiful cathedral in Bayeux and also saw the tapestry, which shouldn't be missed if you are there. From Bayeux, we took the train back to Paris, then hopped high speed train to Brussels, where a guide picked us up and drove us to Bastogne. We spent two days touring the Ardennes and many of the small areas where my husband's father's tank unit served in the Battle of the Bulge. We stood in foxholes in the Ardennes. We saw more memorials to the U.S. Army that we ever dreamed. We saw tanks that still sit where they were disabled. Oh, my, I can go on and on. We had so many memorable experiences in those two weeks. We shall never forget. Have fun planning your trip. Your journey will be amazing.
Sharon it sounds like you did what my son and I hope to do, and in 2 weeks no less. Question, with only 2 weeks, did you miss anything that you wished you had squeezed in?
Yes, Paul, we would stay another day in Bayeux and take the Battlebus British tour to see the other beaches, Pegasus Bridge, remains of the Mulberry, and more. Four days of Battlebus would not be cheap, but you would cover much area and see and learn so much. I think it's worth every Euro. I also would like to visit Caen. Reviews are mixed about the museum there, but I would like to decide for myself if it's worth it.
Next trip. :-)
Also want to go into Germany. At war's end, my dad was stationed at SHAEF in Berlin, and we also have memorabilia of the 11th Armored in Berchtesgaden, photos father-in-law took inside the Eagle's Nest, etc., so want to see it all someday if we can.
Advice: pack light and take trains. wonderful. Lots recommend car rental, but there's no way we could have seen and done all we did if we have been trying to figure out routes...and our time was too valuable and limited.
Paul, I love trains too, but I don't think a car takes more time. With a GPS, you can get anywhere you want to go easily, and you may even save time. In Normandy, you will have to go on tours to see the sights if you don't have a car. Trains are best for long distances between big cities though.
I love to drive and am great with directions. If we had decided to drive only, we would have gone to the beaches and looked around, browsed the museums. And we would have stood in the cemeteries with lumps in our throats. And we would have made our way to St. Mere Eglise to see the church and museum. And we would have found our way to Bastogne. But we would not have heard the stories of the men and what they did. We would not have stood in the spots where Medal of Honor winners chose to take a stand. We would not have found our way to the Omaha Beach overlook. Never would we have known about or found the tiny church that was used for the wounded. We would not have known the significance and logistics of what happened near La Fiere. Only the tours can give you the kind of experience you hope to come home with. A combination of tours and driving would be perfect, like Carroll, but we didn't have the time to do both. In Belgium, our guide drove his car to spots we would never have found on our own, like the ivy covered little plaque to honor the 11th Armored in the little town of Houffalize. For us, the choice was trains and tours. I would do it again the same way if I only had two weeks.
One more WWII-related plug. You didn't mention going to Belgium, but if in Brussels, check out the Royal Military Museum. Although not advertised as a specifically "WWII" museum, it has a huge collection of artefacts and displays from both world wars, covering nearly every combatant nation.
Sat with my son last night to start talking about the trip in earnest. Let him read all the wonderful posts (thank you all), as well as browse through the Battlebus website. Fun to watch an 18 yr old's wheels turning. And here I thought it only happened with Xbox. LOL.
We'll likely fly into Paris and begin our journey there. Thinking that we'd train it to our starting point. Drove a bit in Paris a few summers ago. I still have a twitch. : )
The Battlebus tours are definitely on the agenda. Having sat with my uncle who is a WWII veteran, I agree that its the stories that make the sightseeing so much more. My son was mesmerized by what he was reading.
He graduates on June 12th, so our trip will likely begin the week of June 21.
Lots of planning still to do and to that end, cannot thank you all enough for all of your wonderful advice. Thank you. I LOVE THIS SITE!!
If he's mesmerized by reading, just wait until you are there in the thick of it. He'll be over the moon.
Happy planning and a joyous trip to you both. Congrats to the graduate!
