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WWII EUROPEAN BATTLEFIELD
TOUR
Normandy to Eagle's Nest
France – Luxembourg –
Belgium – Germany
September 12 - 23, 2017 (12
day Escorted Tour)
$3,995.00 per person in
twin/dbl room (land package
only)
For your comfort, we do not
fill our luxury coaches to
capacity.
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Owned & Operated by:
Custom Euro Tours
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73 years ago our “Greatest
Generation”, Americas finest,
boarded their vessels and sailed
across the English Channel into
Hitler’s “Fortified Europe”.
This
tour reflects the courage of these
young men and the sacrifices that
they made. Covering 4 European
Countries, WW II and WW I
Battlefields and the cities of
Reims, Luxembourg, Frankfurt,
Nurnberg & Munich, where we take in
the history and architecture as well
as the tourist sights of these
vibrant cities. Come join us for
this unforgettable historical
experience of a lifetime.
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Day #1 - Tuesday, September 12th
Individual arrival into Paris Charles De
Gaulle’s International Airport clear customs
& Immigration. In arrivals hall, a Custom
Euro Tour’s Group Escort will meet group.
Transfer by motor coach to your hotel in
Paris for 1 night.
Group has free time to relax and adjust to
the time difference + 6 hours EST.
Welcome dinner in the hotel. (D)
Hotel in central Paris |
Day #2 - Wedesday,
September 13th
Breakfast in the hotel.
After breakfast our group will take a tour of
this vibrant city. Our local city guide will
show us all the famous sights. Eiffel Tower.
Champs des Ellyses, Triumphal Arch, Louvres,
Sacre Coeur, and many more.
On completion of the city tour free time for
lunch before we depart for Normandy which
lies 3 hours north of Paris. On arrival in
the Operation Overlord area the group will
check into the hotel for the next 3
nights.
Dinner in the hotel. (B, D)
Hotel in Normandy |
Day #3 - Thursday, September 14th
Breakfast
in the hotel.
After
breakfast, a tour of the Normandy landing
beaches, starting with Ouistreham, where the
British & French Commandos and Canadian 1st
Airborne units secured the eastern flank of
the landing beaches early in the morning of
June 6, 1944. Here we will visit “Pegasus
Bridge” and the museum, which is dedicated
to this daring feat of bravery. Continuing
west we drive the coastal route making
various stops along the way through the
British and Canadian landing zones on June
6, 1944 Sword, Juno & Gold Beaches. A longer
stop in Arromanches is planned for a visit
to the Arromanches 360 Circular Movie and viewing the Mulberry
Harbor, which was specially built in England
and towed across the channel to be put in
place for the landing of supplies after the
main landings.
A late afternoon return to our hotel is
planned.
Dinner in the hotel (B, D)
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Day #4 - Friday,
September 15th
Breakfast in the hotel.
After breakfast we continue our tour of the
“Operation Overlord” area, taking us into
the American theatre of operations. Driving
west our first stop of the day will be in
St. Mere Eglise. It was here that the west
flank of the landing beaches had to be
secured early in the morning of June 6,
1944. Here we will visit the Airborne Museum
dedicated to the 101st Division “Screaming
Eagles” and the 82nd Division “All American”
We will also visit the church to view the
beautiful stained glass windows also
dedicated to these 2 divisions. A parachute
still dangles precariously from the steeple
with an effigy of an 82nd airborne trooper,
John Steele, who was entangled there after
the drop.
On
leaving St. Mere Eglise our tour will
continue into S. Marie du Mont and drop down
onto Utah Beach. Here we will have time to
view the memorial before continuing over to
Omaha Beach & Pointe du Hoc. On arrival at
Omaha beach we have time to reflect on the
bloody slaughter of many young Americans
that took place here. On visiting Omaha
beach we will climb the bluffs to over look
the beachhead area and visit St .Laurent-sur-Mer
American Military Cemetery.
We continue on to visit Point Du Hoc and the
Ranger Monument. Point du Hoc has been left
much as it was in June of 1944, a standing
monument to the sacrifices and heroism of
the 2nd Rangers.
Returning to our hotel by late afternoon.
Dinner in the hotel (B, D)
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Day #5 - Saturday,
September 16th
Breakfast in the hotel.
This morning we depart from the
Normandy
area we drive southeast to Reims.
En-route
the tour will stop in the Compiegne Forest.
In June 1940, just after his armies had
smashed France, Hitler traveled to Compiègne.
Here, in a forest clearing, on November 11,
1918, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the French
commander, had humbled the Kaiser's generals
and accepted a humiliating German surrender,
the armistice ending World War I. Foch held
the fateful meeting in his railroad car,
number 2419D.
On arrival in Reims, we will visit the
Little Red Schoolhouse. This is the building
and room where German surrender was signed
on May 7, 1945.effectively ceasing all
combat operations in Europe. Directly after
this VE Day in Europe was declared.
Transferring from the Little Red Schoolhouse
to our hotel and check in for 1 night.
Remainder of the evening free at leisure.
(B, D)
Hotel in Reims
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Day #6 - Sunday,
September 17th
Breakfast in the hotel
Departing Reims this morning, we continue
west through the Champagne region to
Verdun. A visit to some of the WW I
battlefield sites is planned along with a
visit to the Ossuary. Again it is here
that we take time to reflect on the horror,
destruction and the terrible loss of life
that took place in the great war of 1914
-1918.
Mid-afternoon we travel into
Luxembourg and visit the American
Military Cemetery (Patton’s
Grave). After our visit to the
Cemetery we continue north into
Belgium and the Ardennes region
to re-visit the area known in WWII
history as the Ardennes offensive,
(Battle of the Bulge) or “The
Von Rundstedt offensive” and check
into our hotel for the next 2
nights.
Dinner in hotel.
(B, D)
Hotel in Bastogne / Aarlon Area
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Day #7 - Monday,
September 18th
Breakfast in the hotel.
A
full day touring the Bulge area visiting many of the important combat areas.
La Gleize, Parker’s crossroads, Stavelot,
St. Vith, Trois Ponts, Bastogne, McCauliffe
Square, M cCauliffe Headquarters, Mardasson Memorial, and
sites dedicated to covering the areas that
were very heavily fought over and defended
by the Famous “Band of Brothers” Easy
company of the 101st Screaming Eagles. A
visit to peace woods and the village of Foy.
Not forgetting Malmedy where the infamous
massacre of GI’s took place on the orders of
S.S. Standartenfuhrer Joachim Peiper.
On December 17, 1944, near the hamlet of
Baugnez on the height half-way between the
town of Malmedy and Ligneuville in Belgium,
the leading element of Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe
Peiper, named after its leader SS-Standartenführer Joachim Peiper encountered
Jeeps and trucks of the American 285th Field
Artillery Observation
Battalion (FAOB). The German tanks fired on
the U.S. vehicles, which were quickly
abandoned by their occupants. With no
anti-tank weapons, the Americans
surrendered. About 150 of the prisoners of
war were disarmed and sent to stand in a
field near the crossroads. Some 72-84 of the
prisoners were machine gunned and killed,
their bodies left on the field where they
fell. An American patrol discovered the
massacre that night.
Late afternoon we arrive back in our hotel.
Dinner in the hotel. (B, D)
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Day #8 - Tuesday, September 19th
Breakfast in the hotel.
Departing
the Bastogne area, our tour continues East
through the Eifel mountains, following the
advance of the US 1st Army through to
Remagen. It is here that we make a short
stop to visit the museum and the remains of
the bridge that once spanned the River
Rhine. This bridge was crucial to the Allied
advance into the heart of Germany and had to
be taken intact. Units of the 9th US Armored
Division under LT. Karl. H. Timmermann
reached this bridge and captured it intact
on March 7th 1945. On March 17th 1945 the
bridge collapsed killing 28 American
soldiers.
On leaving Remagen we follow the course of
the River Rhine south to Koblenz and Bopard
where we board our boat for a 1 hour scenic
cruise on the River Rhine to St. Goarhausen.
From here we transfer to Frankfurt where we check into our
hotel for 1 night.
Dinner in hotel. (B,
D)
Hotel in central Frankfurt
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Day #9 - Tuesday,
September 20th
Breakfast
in the hotel.
After breakfast, depart for Nuremberg.
On arrival in Nuremberg we meet our local
expert on the "National Socialist Party -
Nazi Party" to start our tour with
visits to the Zeppelin Field on the immense
Nazi Party Rally Grounds. After touring the Luitpold Parade Ground and the superb
Documentation Center, we will visit the
Palace of Justice, site of the 1946 War
Crimes Trials. Then on to our Munich/
Lengries hotel
where we check into our hotel late afternoon
for 3 nights.
Hotel in the Munich / Lengries Area |
Day #10 - Thursday,
September 21st
Breakfast in the hotel.
Morning
city tour Munich. Finishing
at the Marienplatz and
11:00am for the world famous
Glockenspiel.
Munich
is the capital of the German
Federal State of Bavaria. It
is also Germany's third
largest city and one of
Europe’s most prosperous.
The city has a population of
about 1.3 million and the
Munich metropolitan area is
home to around 2.7 million
people. The city is located
on the River Isar north of
the Bavarian Alps.
The
city's motto was The World
City with a heart for a long
time and has been recently
replaced by Munich likes
you. The figure on Munich's
coat-of-arms is a monk
referred to as the Münchner
Kindl, the child of Munich.
Black and gold - the colors
of the Holy Roman Empire -
have been the city's
official colors since the
time of Louis IV, Holy Roman
Emperor.
Free
time for an independent
lunch before our afternoon
excursion to Dachau on the
outskirts of Munich.
Dachau,
once a pretty little painter
and artist village on the
outskirts of Munich, was
transformed into Hitler’s
first concentration camp.
Here we have time to reflect
and remember those
unfortunate souls who
perished at the hands of the
Nazi regime.
Late
this afternoon we return to
your hotel.
Dinner at the hotel. (B, D) |
Day #11 - Friday,
September
22nd
Breakfast in the hotel.
A
full day excursion to Berchtesgaden
is planned. Driving up to the
Obersalzberg area we transfer to the
public shuttle buses which run up to
the Kehlstein Haus (Eagle’s Nest).
The Eagle’s Nest was a gift from the
Nazi Party for Adolf Hitler’s 50th
birthday and used by him to
entertain friends, high ranking
Politicians and members of the Nazi
party. After various bombing raids
by the allied air forces the house
was captured by the American 101st
Airborne Division, the Screaming
Eagles. After WW II the building was
repaired by the Bavarian Government.
From here we have spectacular views
overlooking the city of Salzburg in
Austria and the Salzkammergut. After
visiting the Eagle's Nest, we drive
back to Obersalzberg and visit the
remains of Hilter's main residence,
"The Berghof". If time allows we
also have the opportunity to visit
the bunker system on the
Obersalzberg (Entrance price not
included - cost $4.00).
Later this afternoon we return to
our hotel.
Dinner in hotel. (B, D)
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Day #12 - Saturday,
September 23rd
Breakfast in the hotel
Group transfer to Munich’s
Franz Josef Strauss
International Airport.
Check in for
the flight back
to USA.
End of Custom Euro Tours Services
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Tour Highlights |
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City Tour of Paris
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Visit Pegasus Bridge
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Visit Pegasus Bridge Museum
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Visit Arromanches
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View the Mulberry Harbor
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Visit the Arromanches 360
Theater
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Visit Ste Mere Eglise
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Walk on Omaha and Utah Beaches
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Visit Omaha Beach American
Military Cemetery
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Visit Pointe du Hoc Rangers
Memorial
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Orientation tour of Reims France
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Visit the Surrender Museum Reims
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Visit Verdun WWI Battlefield
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Visit General Patton’s
Grave
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Visit the Luxembourg American
Military Cemetery
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Full day tour of the Battle of
the
Bulge area
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Visit sights made famous by the
“Band of Brothers”
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Visit Bastogne, Belgium
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Visit the Mardasson Memorial
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Visit McCauliffe's Headquarters
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Visit Malmedy Massacre Site
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See an original Pfeiffer's Tiger
Tank
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Visit the Remagen Bridge
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Visit the Remagen Bridge Peace
Museum
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1 Hour Rhine River Cruise
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City Tour of Nazi Nurnberg
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Visit the Documentation Center
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Visit Nurnberg Trial's Court
Room (if accessible)
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Visit the Zeppelinwiese
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Full day excursion to
Berchtesgaden
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Visit the “Eagle’s Nest”
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Visit the remains of Hilter's
house,
"The Berghof"
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City tour of Munich Germany
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Visit the Dachau Concentration
Camp
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Guided tour of Dachau
Concentration Camp
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What is included
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Meet and greet at Paris Charles de
Gaulle’s International airport
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All land transportation by modern
touring motor coach
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All road tolls and applicable taxes
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Services of a professional Tour Manager
/ Ex-Military
throughout
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11 Nights in good quality 3 & 4 star 1st
class tourist category hotels
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11 Buffet breakfasts
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8 Dinners (3 courses) as per the
itinerary (beverages not included)
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3 Buffet Dinners
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All excursions as specified in the
Itinerary
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All entrance fees as specified in the
itinerary
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Luggage handling at hotels (1 Piece per
person if service is available)
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Transfer to Munich’s International
Airport
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Full day tour of the Bulge area
What is not included
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All
items of a personal nature i.e.
Telephone calls, laundry, pay TV. Hotel
mini-bars in room.
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All meals not specified in the
itinerary.
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All entrances to museums, art galleries,
etc. not specified in the itinerary
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All private excursions not specified in
the itinerary
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Any public transport, Taxi, local bus,
rail or flights not specified in the
itinerary
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Gratuities for Local Guides, Maitre’d,
Tour Coach Driver, Tour Escort.
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Flights to / from home area to European
Gateway
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