My daughter and I will be in Brussels next month and would like to visit my uncle's grave in Ardennes American Cemetery (http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ar.php). Has anyone made this trip from Brussels on public transportation (train/bus)? The best I can figure out is train to Liege, then bus to Neupre/Neuville, but the bus schedule doesn't seem to leave us much time for actually visiting the cemetery. The cemetery web site suggests a taxi from Liege, but the cost would be very high. Considering the cost of two people round trip by train/bus, and the scheduling problems, am I better off renting a car for one day? If we do rent a car, do you have any recommendations for other places to see in that area?
Posted by
Silverdale, WA, USA
141 posts
I went to the Ardennes last September to visit WWII sites. I looked into public transportation but it's not really practical, especially if you want to see some of the WWII sites. I would encourage you to rent a car. South of the American Cemetary is the town of Bastogne - which has a large memorial, museum, one of the tanks in the town square and many other historic places nearby. There are still fox holes left from the Battle of the Bulge. Bastogne was a strategic point for the battle, with 7 roads in and out of the town. I took a couple days for my tour and also drove to the American Cemetary in Luxembourg (where Patton is buried). I hired a private guide, Reg Jans, who was superb, for a tour of the battlesites around Bastogne. He was able to point out sites of interest not readily visible to the average visitor - house of McAuliffe's "Nuts" response to the German demand for total surrender, etc.
Posted by
OP
North Aurora, IL, USA
2 posts
Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, we're not interested in touring war sites or other cemeteries, just the Ardennes cemetery where my uncle is buried. If I rent a car for the day, I'd like ideas for other places to visit in the area: towns and villages with interesting markets, scenic areas, lovely places to picnic, etc. Also, any stories of good experiences with car rental places in Brussels.