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Europe, WWII and WW I sites
Posted on 3/19/22 at 8:54 am
Posted on 3/19/22 at 8:54 am
I have a goal set to take a trip to Europe to visit several World War sites with my nephew when he graduates college. I have about 2 years to plan and to save money. The plan now is to each pick a few places we want to see, so far we’ve discussed Normandy, Verdun, Battle of the Somme site, Auschwitz and not sure what else. I heard that Sarajevo is a must see and that you can stand in the footprints of the guy that assassinated Franz Ferdinand and other historical sites there.
The theme of the trip will be 100% History of the World Wars.
Has anyone done something similar? I see that there are guided trips and I don’t know if we should pick one of those or do our own thing. I’m leaning on doing our own thing but don’t want to waste too much time and budget is indeed a factor.
Anyone have any advise?
The theme of the trip will be 100% History of the World Wars.
Has anyone done something similar? I see that there are guided trips and I don’t know if we should pick one of those or do our own thing. I’m leaning on doing our own thing but don’t want to waste too much time and budget is indeed a factor.
Anyone have any advise?
15
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:00 am to supadave3
I'm planning something similar, for WWI sites.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:03 am to supadave3
If you plan to spend only a day at whatever sites you pick I would hire a guide. You can see a lot on your own but a good guide can tell you what you are seeing with history behind it. We saw Omaha, Utah, St. Mere Eglise, Pointe Du Hoc and the American Cemetery with a guide in one day and it was money well spent. I'm the type who never hires guides but glad we did on that trip.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:04 am to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
I'm planning something similar, for WWI sites.
When are you going? Maybe you can give me some tips on what’s worth it and what’s not worth it.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:11 am to deltafarmer
quote:
If you plan to spend only a day at whatever sites you pick I would hire a guide.
I figure we’ll hire a guide for specific sites, but they also have guided trips where they are with you for the entire trip. There is specifically one company that does a Band of Brothers tour but it’s a ten day deal. I don’t want to be rushed from site to site on a bus or train.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:17 am to supadave3
I’m leaving Friday for France. Renting a car in Paris and driving the Remembrance Trail to the Somme.
From there driving to Bayeux for a few days to explore the DDay landings. Self guided through the Somme but hiring a guide for Normandy. I’ll have an update in a few weeks.
While planning, I found some good links for visiting Battle of the Somme I can share if needed.
From there driving to Bayeux for a few days to explore the DDay landings. Self guided through the Somme but hiring a guide for Normandy. I’ll have an update in a few weeks.
While planning, I found some good links for visiting Battle of the Somme I can share if needed.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:22 am to supadave3
quote:
When are you going?
Messines, Beaumont Hamel, Verdun..the usual.
I'm fascinated with Beaumont Hamel.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 9:43 am to supadave3
If you end up in Germany/Austria, there are some websites that will point you to remnants of swastikas/eagles if you're so interested. I'm not Nazi-obsessed but walking the streets of these cities in the modern era and spotting remnants of the Third Reich when it was in full swing (including comparing photographs) is kind of surreal.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 12:24 pm to supadave3
Re: Normandy
We went to Normandy in April of 2019 just weeks before the 75th anniversary of D Day. The best advice I can give you is to base in Bayeux and take the extensive tour of the D Day beaches guided by Overlord Tours.
There was a post above about all inclusive trips. The WWII museum in New Orleans sponsors several of these per year or at least they did before covid. I have never taken one but I am a charter member and am on the mailing list and get the very impressive advertisements for them. I am sure they are first class.
We went to Normandy in April of 2019 just weeks before the 75th anniversary of D Day. The best advice I can give you is to base in Bayeux and take the extensive tour of the D Day beaches guided by Overlord Tours.
There was a post above about all inclusive trips. The WWII museum in New Orleans sponsors several of these per year or at least they did before covid. I have never taken one but I am a charter member and am on the mailing list and get the very impressive advertisements for them. I am sure they are first class.
This post was edited on 3/19/22 at 1:14 pm
Posted on 3/19/22 at 2:55 pm to geauxpurple
quote:
The best advice I can give you is to base in Bayeux and take the extensive tour of the D Day beaches guided by Overlord Tours.
That is where I’m staying and the tour I booked.
Posted on 3/19/22 at 4:45 pm to kciDAtaE
You will be very happy with that. Our guide’s name was Yannick. He was young but it was like being escorted around Normandy by an accomplished history professor.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 5:54 am to supadave3
Our group was 2 couples with a private guide from Normandy Sightseeing Services. He picked us up at the train station in Caan and he drove us to all of the sites in a very comfortable van. He was a former special forces soldier from the UK and a lot of fun to talk to. We wouldn't do a group tour on a bus.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 6:42 am to supadave3
Wow. That sounds like an amazing trip to plan for. So much you could do. Normandy and Verdun particularly would be at the top of my list one day.
Of what I've seen, these two stand out:
Auschwitz. Was just there in December. Some selected photos. To me, it's a place everyone should visit at least once in your life. You'd have to spend a few days in Poland, which was great. We stayed in Kraków. Beautiful old city. Hired a driver for the day that spoke English. Well worth it. Doing it in 20 degree weather, and imagining what those poor people had to suffer through, boggles the mind and added to the experience. Many other tour options. Just go.
Want an amazing and entirely different trip? Go to Slovenia, base in Kobarid and learn of the the Battles Of The Isonzo in WW1 (Italians called it the Battle of Caporetto). The eleven battles took place between 1915 and 1917 along the Isonzo River in northeastern Italy and Slovenia. The results were unusually high losses on both sides without relevant strategic results.The eleven battles of Isonzo cost a total of 728,754 lives to the Italian and the Austro-Hungarian armies
Besides the indescribable beauty of the region, it was a truly educational, and somber, experience.
Some selected photos from the region and battle fields.
"The Walk Of Peace" touring.
And, if it's WW1 touring you seek, this is an article on the Bloodiest battles of WW1. The scale and magnitude of death in that war boggles the mind.
Of what I've seen, these two stand out:
Auschwitz. Was just there in December. Some selected photos. To me, it's a place everyone should visit at least once in your life. You'd have to spend a few days in Poland, which was great. We stayed in Kraków. Beautiful old city. Hired a driver for the day that spoke English. Well worth it. Doing it in 20 degree weather, and imagining what those poor people had to suffer through, boggles the mind and added to the experience. Many other tour options. Just go.
Want an amazing and entirely different trip? Go to Slovenia, base in Kobarid and learn of the the Battles Of The Isonzo in WW1 (Italians called it the Battle of Caporetto). The eleven battles took place between 1915 and 1917 along the Isonzo River in northeastern Italy and Slovenia. The results were unusually high losses on both sides without relevant strategic results.The eleven battles of Isonzo cost a total of 728,754 lives to the Italian and the Austro-Hungarian armies
Besides the indescribable beauty of the region, it was a truly educational, and somber, experience.
Some selected photos from the region and battle fields.
"The Walk Of Peace" touring.
And, if it's WW1 touring you seek, this is an article on the Bloodiest battles of WW1. The scale and magnitude of death in that war boggles the mind.
This post was edited on 3/20/22 at 7:01 am
Posted on 3/20/22 at 7:08 am to Nole Man
These are all awesome suggestions. KC, please bump this thread on your return. I have to work today but get downtime and will read up on some of the links here today. Hope to have it all planned out soon and leave some windows to add things as they are suggested. I really want to put some money down and have it paid for before hand as I’ll enjoy it more that way. I rarely take vacations but this is something I’ve always wanted to do and bringing my nephew (who is a huge History and WW fan) with me will make it that much more special. I’m already excited and it’s two years away.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 7:30 am to supadave3
Newfoundland Park on the Somme is where I want to spend the most time.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 8:10 am to supadave3
Prior to Covid I was working in Europe at least once a quarter and found a number of interesting, less traveled WWII sites using google and Chuck Thompson’a WWII sites guide. I haven’t been to Normandy but my favorite things to date were random bomb shelters in Italy and the Nuremberg rallies grandstand. There is no museum or plaques at the latter, but the grandstand is still there and still impressive. And you can have a beer while standing where Hitler did.
For a grand tour, I would think Thompson’s book and a rail pass (or Ryan Air) would be perfect.
For a grand tour, I would think Thompson’s book and a rail pass (or Ryan Air) would be perfect.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 8:13 am to Nole Man
quote:
Nole Man
Thank you for sharing those links. So powerful and horrifying. I wish that I were leaving tomorrow on this trip.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 8:39 am to supadave3
I’ve never been to Auschwitz and I’m knowledgeable about the Wars but by no means a buff on them.
If you are going to Normandy, I would suggest maybe a trip to Munich instead of Auschwitz to go to Dauchau. Munich has the Deutches Museum for Germany Tech and history. It’s a huge museum and I was honestly dissapointed in it, it gets great reviews and I assumed it would be like a German Smithsonian. I was dissapointed in the English there. But it’s got a lot of the German early 20th century tech including WW1 and 2 planes.
But then there’s the Eagles Nest not terribly far from there also. 1.5 hours away. You could probably rent a car and do Dachau in the morning and Eagles Nest at Night though that would a long day and pushing it.
ETA: I would consider flying into London now that I think about it. Some others can help you with the London museums and sites to see.
Id do London, then a couple years ago we did Dover, and I’d highly recommend going there next. Then go from Dover to either Dunkirk or Normandy.
I’d personally probably fly into London, go to France, then work my way east. Fly out of Berlin or Munich or Poland.
If you are going to Normandy, I would suggest maybe a trip to Munich instead of Auschwitz to go to Dauchau. Munich has the Deutches Museum for Germany Tech and history. It’s a huge museum and I was honestly dissapointed in it, it gets great reviews and I assumed it would be like a German Smithsonian. I was dissapointed in the English there. But it’s got a lot of the German early 20th century tech including WW1 and 2 planes.
But then there’s the Eagles Nest not terribly far from there also. 1.5 hours away. You could probably rent a car and do Dachau in the morning and Eagles Nest at Night though that would a long day and pushing it.
ETA: I would consider flying into London now that I think about it. Some others can help you with the London museums and sites to see.
Id do London, then a couple years ago we did Dover, and I’d highly recommend going there next. Then go from Dover to either Dunkirk or Normandy.
I’d personally probably fly into London, go to France, then work my way east. Fly out of Berlin or Munich or Poland.
This post was edited on 3/20/22 at 8:45 am
Posted on 3/20/22 at 9:20 am to baldona
quote:
If you are going to Normandy, I would suggest maybe a trip to Munich instead of Auschwitz to go to Dauchau.
So much to see and do. I went to Dachau many years ago and agree if the OP ends up in Germany it's a must see and near Munich. Dachau. There were 32,000 documented deaths.
I will say there is no comparison to the size and magnitude of Auschwitz. The camp was actually a number of different camps built over the war. It consisted of Auschwitz I, the main camp, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and others. The death toll has often been the subject of a lot of historical debate. Some put the number over 4 million, but it seems about 1.1M is the number often quoted. LINK Either way, it's a must see, BUT you have to really want to go there and be in Poland vs. easier access to sites in Germany.
Posted on 3/20/22 at 9:24 am to Nole Man
quote:
the Battles Of The Isonzo
Rick Steves has a small clip about that in one of his videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlOIC07t29Q
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