 World War II Memorial
15-day tour featuring Holland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg & France
Tour Description
Revisit the dramatic history of World War II and enjoy the beauty of Europe through this landmark itinerary. Image Tours will bring you to famous battle sites, war museums, and memorials. Scenic and cultural highlights are also included, making this tour an enjoyable combination of learning, sightseeing, and reflection.
Included Features
Meals - In addition to any meals you may be served during your flights to and from Europe, the tour price includes 14 breakfasts and 9 dinners during the land portion of the tour.
In the News To read the Boston Globe's review of our World War II Memorial Tour.
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| Details | | Image Tours | | Offer valid through 9/6/2012 | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Overnight Flight to Europe | Overnight flight to Europe.
Today brings the beginning of a new adventure . . . anticipation heightens as you realize that your trip of a lifetime is about to begin! Refer to "Preparing for your Departure" in your Final Documents for easy check-in procedures. Take time to relax on your trans-Atlantic flight with the assurance that Image Tours has taken care of all the details. | | Day 2 | Nuremberg | GERMANY . . Arrival at Frankfurt Airport - Nuremberg.
As morning arrives, the European coastline comes into view and your plane soon touches down at Frankfurt Airport. Your "Arrival Instructions" page in your Final Documents provides easy to follow instructions on where and when to meet your tour manager. Then, settle back in your comfortable motor coach for a ride through the Main River Valley and into the heart of the Franconian Wine Region on the way to Nuremberg. After check-in, freshen up and relax a bit before the "Welcome to Europe/Get-acquainted" dinner at the hotel. (Dinner) | | Day 3 | Sauerlach/Rosenheim | GERMANY . . Nuremberg - Dachau - Sauerlach/Rosenheim.
This morning learn more about the history of Nuremberg. Hitler staged his propaganda rallies here, and after his fall, Nuremberg was chosen as the site of the famous War Trials. You will have an opportunity to see the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, the Congress Hall and the Palace of Justice where the War Trials were held. Admission is included to the Documentation Centre providing a more in-depth look at the causes and consequences of Nazi Germany, particularly in connection with the events that took place in Nuremberg. Leave Nuremberg for a thought-provoking visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp. Spend the next two nights in Sauerlach or Rosenheim, just south of Munich. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 4 | Sauerlach/Rosenheim | GERMANY . . Sauerlach/Rosenheim.
Enjoy a leisurely day in the relaxing surroundings of your hotel. You also have the possibility to take the train into Munich for a full day of museum visits, shopping and exploration. Another choice is to join your tour manager for the full day optional "Salzburg & Eagle's Nest with Dinner" excursion including a guided visit to the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler's mountain hide-away, followed by an afternoon in Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace and the filming site for the "Sound of Music". Return to your hotel in Sauerlach or Rosenheim this evening. (Breakfast) | | Day 5 | Bad Herrenalb | GERMANY . . Munich - Ulm - Bad Herrenalb.
Tour the elegant Bavarian capital of Munich. On the way into the city, see the Hitler Building. Leave the motor coach for the pedestrian-only area around the "Marien Platz" where old city gates and historic buildings are adeptly interspersed with attractive, modern store fronts, open spaces with benches, and outdoor food stands. Here, you can see the clock figurines of the "Glockenspiel" in motion at 11:00 a.m. Departing Munich, travel to the city of Ulm, on the banks of the Danube River, to take in the sight of the towering Ulm Munster church. Continue to your hotel in Bad Herrenalb, on the northern edge of Germany's Black Forest, and end your day with a buffet dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 6 | Luxembourg | FRANCE . . Saverne - St. Avold - Fort Hackenberg & LUXEMBOURG.
Follow a scenic route through the Alsace region and the Vosges mountains to the town of Saverne, the site of heavy fighting in the fall of 1944. Stop at Lorraine's American Cemetery in St. Avold, the largest American World War II cemetery in Europe. The afternoon is reserved for a tour of Fort Hackenberg, part of the Maginot Line. This system of obstacles was constructed between the world wars as a defense against any future German invasions. Your hotel for the next two nights will be in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 7 | Luxembourg | LUXEMBOURG . . American Cemetery & BELGIUM . . Bastogne - Ardennes & LUXEMBOURG.
In the city of Luxembourg, stop at the site of the American Cemetery where General George Patton is buried. Drive to Bastogne, Belgium to view the star-shaped Mardasson Monument, a tribute to the soldiers who died in the Ardennes battles, and to see the fox holes used by Easy Company, whose stories inspired the TV mini-series "Band of Brothers". Your travels this afternoon will take you into the Ardennes region, known for the infamous "Battle of the Bulge" and to the town of Diekirch to visit the Luxembourg National Museum of Military History. Return to Luxembourg for an independent dinner. (Breakfast) | | Day 8 | Paris | FRANCE . . Verdun - Reims - Paris.
After breakfast, you will tour the WWI battlefields and memorials north of Verdun. This is the area where pilot "Balloon Buster" Frank Luke shot down his 15th German observation balloon during his last flight and 132 German soldiers miraculously surrendered to Sargeant York and his seven men. Later, proceed to Reims, General Eisenhower's headquarters during WWII. Visit the location where the Declaration of Surrender was signed on May 7, 1945 and see the Cathedral of Reims, the coronation church of the French Kings. Dinner is independent today so that you may partake in the exquisite French culinary offerings of Reims before transferring to your Paris-La Defense area hotel. (Breakfast) | | Day 9 | Paris | FRANCE . . Paris.
The day is devoted to Paris, "La Ville Lumiere" (The City of Light). Your tour manager will tell you about the location of the principal sights, such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, Opera, museums (the Louvre Museum is open every day except Tuesday), the famous "Galleries Lafayette" department store, and the even more famous Champs Elysees. Before beginning your free time, we suggest joining the optional "Seine River Cruise" excursion for unsurpassed views of some of the city's major sights. Spend this evening on your own or consider the optional "Paris Evening" excursion, with dinner at a characteristic French bistro in the heart of Paris. (Breakfast) | | Day 10 | Caen | FRANCE . . Caen.
Normandy is your destination today. For anyone with memories or knowledge of World War II, these next few days will truly be the highlight of your European tour. Upon arrival in the area, stop at the Pegasus Bridge, whose capture by the British 6th Airborne Division was instrumental in deterring a German counter-attack. Spend the next few hours touring the Caen Peace Memorial and Museum. This beautiful place honors the liberators, victims, and all those who continue to fight for peace. Dinner awaits you at the hotel in Caen. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 11 | Caen | FRANCE . . Normandy Landing Beaches - Caen.
The entire day is spent touring the famous Normandy Landing Beaches. From Caen, drive to the coast and stop at Pointe du Hoc to view the German fortifications. You'll also travel to Utah Beach and Ste.-Mere-Eglise, the site where paratroopers landed during WWII as portrayed in the movie "The Longest Day". Next is Omaha Beach with the American Cemetery. Proceed to the artillery battery at Longues-sur-Mer and then Arromanches to visit the D-Day Landing Museum and the German-built Atlantic Wall. The artificial harbors can still be seen here. Return to your Caen area hotel for dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 12 | Flanders | FRANCE . . Caen & BELGIUM . . Flanders.
Today is a full day of travel from Caen to northern Belgium with a lunch stop near the French/Belgian border. As you enter Belgium, the French language stays with you for another hour or so, until you enter the province of Flanders, where Flemish, similar to Dutch, is spoken. The villages of Flanders are known for their convivial atmosphere, enhanced by outdoor cafes serving Belgian Waffles and squares surrounded by well-preserved guild houses. Admire the medieval architecture of a prominent village in Flanders during an independent dinner. Overnight in Flanders. (Breakfast) | | Day 13 | Almere | HOLLAND . . Groesbeek - Nijmegen - Arnhem - Almere.
Motor north into the Dutch countryside, characterized by canals, bridges, dikes, and windmills. The main focus today is a visit to the Liberation Museum in Groesbeek, which highlights World War II history from the spread of National Socialism to the events of "Market Garden". On the way to Arnhem, site of "A Bridge Too Far", travel over the Waal Bridge at Nijmegen, where the famous crossing by American paratroopers was decisive in taking the bridge. Your hotel is in Almere. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 14 | Almere | HOLLAND . . Almere.
This day is yours to spend as you like. Communicating is no problem, as English is widely spoken. Consider taking advantage of Holland's efficient bus and railway network to a myriad of interesting places, many of them less than an hour away. Bikes are available for rent in many cities. There's also a full-day optional "Grand Holland" excursion, featuring a kaleidoscopic overview of Holland, including the unique countryside, a picturesque Dutch village, and an afternoon in Amsterdam, one of the great cities of the world. In the evening, return to your hotel for dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 15 | Frankfurt | GERMANY . . Rhine Cruise - Frankfurt Airport Area.
Returning to Germany, travel via the "Autobahn", the superhighway system expanded by Hitler. In Koblenz, where the Rhine and Mosel rivers converge, you will exit the German "Autobahn" and follow the Rhine River to Boppard. Here, you will board a Rhine steamer for an upstream cruise past endearing villages, medieval fortresses, and hillside vineyards. Your Rhine River Valley hotel is conveniently located for tomorrow morning's transfer to Frankfurt "Rhein-Main" Airport. Tonight, during the "Farewell Dinner", reminisce the highlights of the tour with your fellow tour participants. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 16 | Daytime Flight back to the U.S.A. | Daytime flight back to the U.S.A.
Transfer to the Frankfurt Airport for the return flight home. (Breakfast) |
| | | The above departures reflect Land-Only per person pricing and TWIN pricing is based upon double occupancy. Any early booking discounts available will be reflected in the summary price after you pick your departure date, your accommodation type, and any additional options in the following steps. Please choose a departure date to continue pricing the tour. |
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