War tour of Europe

Reznik

Hullo. I've always wanted to take a trip to Europe and tour various WW1 and 2 battle sites, and now that I am in a position of actually being able to save money, I figure I should start figuring out where to go, get a ballpark figure of how much it might cost and work towards hitting that goal.

I'm Canadian, so #1 for me is Vimy Ridge (my great grandfather fought there - I'm trying to find his service records so I can make plans to go wherever else he fought). I'd also like to hit Dieppe and Juno Beach, as well as the Netherlands though I'm not sure where specifically. I think it'd also be really cool to see the Eagle's Nest in Germany, but primarily I want to focus on Canada's part in the wars.

So, main questions:

- how long should I stay to not feel too rushed? I'm thinking two weeks minimum, though I don't know what the travel time is like
- is there anything else that is must-see? cool museums are welcome - I love the War Museum in Ottawa
- what is the best way to travel within Europe absent a car?
- general European travel advice? I've never been outside of North America before

Thanks!

Continental_Op

I haven't visited any WWI one sites, but coincidentally, I believe my great grandfather was at Vimy too!

Now to the point, I took the Battle Bus tour out of Bayeux 5 or 6 years ago and it was nice, but I can't remember if they hit Juno, I know we hit Point du Hoc and Omaha. But all their guides speak English, which as a dumb American, was nice.

Timing really depends on you, I can spend hours in a museum or less. Battlegrounds also depend, the beaches have the destroyed bunkers and some remnants of the obstacles, but I'm not sure how much will be left at less fortified areas. Imperial War Museum is a must in London.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but your trip sounds amazing. Have an awesome time!

Reznik

Thanks for the info! I took a look at the Battle Bus tour you mentioned and, through some link-hopping, found a place that does British/Canadian D-Day tours out of Bayeux.

What were your travel arrangements like to get to Bayeux?

Continental_Op

We had spent a few days in Paris and took the train to Bayeux, then we stayed in like the equivalent of a Travel Lodge, but I can't remember the name of it. It was a little out of town, but pretty cheap and fine. It wasn't a long walk into the town proper anyway, plus you could see the Bayeux tapestry too!

You will want/need a money belt, a lock if you plan to stay in any hostels so you can lock your bag up, flip flops for showers in hostels and a quick drying towel as well. We had exchanged some money for the flight over just in case, but after that we just used ATMs. In the UK we used Britrail, which was really convenient, and you can get similar passes for Eurorail, just map out your timeline.

We went before smartphones were invented, but check if yours will work, maybe look in to a local data plan if you want? That may impact if you buy and carry a tour guide and/or phrasebook with you. You will need European voltage adapters, and those can be picked up for cheap just about anywhere.

a5ehren

If you're going to be up in that part of Europe anyway, Verdun is a good WW1 battle site to visit. It's in NE France I would also think there are a few Commonwealth/UK war cemeteries around as well if you want to get really sad.

As far as getting around, in NW Europe the train system will take you to pretty much any city center that's worth going to. To get to specific battle sites, you will probably have to take a bus (public or tour) though. For urban battles, there will be a museum of some kind in town if it was a notable battle.