Those who fought...their families and friends...need to experience and visit the areas where those brave men served and gave their lives to bring peace.
Dr. Brooks Ranney, WWII Veteran and historian, and Mrs. Vi Ranney are dedicated to provide this superb tour to our veterans, their families and friends. Everyone is welcome on this tour!
Day 1: Tuesday, July 8 Depart the USA
Newark, NJ International airport. Meet your tour escorts, Dr. Brooks and Vi Ranney and/or their assistants, Marvin and Agnes Thum, at the Continental Airlines International Departure Gate. Our transatlantic flight departs at 6:15 pm for Paris. [In-flight meal service]Depart from your home gateway city into
Day 2: Wednesday, July 9 Arrival in France / Normandy / Caen
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Photo Courtesy of Roger Baty
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Paris. After clearing Customs we meet our European guide, Fredric Rothschild, who is with us throughout the tour. We board our luxury motorcoach and journey toward Caen. The route becomes quaint and charming as we near La Roche-Guyon, German General Rommel's Normandy Headquarters. Here we make a photo stop and then proceed on to Giverny, home of the French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. Notice the beautiful gardens – just like in his famous paintings! Early afternoon we check into our hotel for the first two nights. Take time to rest before we enjoy a welcome dinner in the hotel with brief introductions. [B, D]Breakfast is served before our early morning arrival in
Day 3: Thursday, July 10 Normandy Beaches / Caen
Northern France to Omaha Beach. We stop at the new visitor center and visit the American Military Cemetery. (Please let us know if you wish to visit a specific grave site). We proceed to Pointe-du-Hoc, and visit the area where Col. James Rudder’s Rangers climbed these treacherous cliffs that fateful day of June 6, 1944. We pay our respects at the nearby German Military Cemetery before we depart for Utah Beach. There we visit the museum and the beach. Finally we visit Ste-Mère-Église, one of the first villages liberated by our troops early on the morning of June 6th by the 101st Airborne. A mock-up of the paratrooper, whose parachute got caught on the church steeple, can still be seen today. Step into the church and notice the stained-glass window depicting the paratroopers. Those who wish, may visit the Airborne Museum next to the church. We return to Caen. Enjoy dinner on your own at one of the quaint French restaurants. [B]After breakfast, we depart for a full day of sightseeing on the Beaches of Normandy. We journey along the coastline of
Day 4: Friday, July 11 Caen / Paris
Caen. Upon arrival in Paris we stop for lunch at the Monte Carlo Buffet, in the heart of the bustling city. The afternoon is spent with a city sightseeing tour. We see the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero Square, and Les Invalides the burial place of Napoleon Bonaparte, which was originally a hospital and rest home for war veterans. We drive along the famous Champs Élysées and we visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, famous for its flying buttresses. Tonight we enjoy dinner followed by time for reminiscing at our hotel. [B, D]After breakfast we depart
Day 5: Saturday, July 12 Paris / Épernay
This morning we drive northeast to Château-Thierry, with a stop at the WWI Monument and cemetery. We continue on via the picturesque Champagne Route along the Marne Valley to Rheims where we visit the school building that was Eisenhower’s headquarters during WWII and the place where the Peace Treaty was signed. No visit to Rheims would be complete without a stop at the magnificent Cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims, where, throughout history, most of the French kings were crowned. A lovely dinner awaits us at our hotel in Épernay tonight. [B, D]
Day 6: Sunday, July 13 Épernay / Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Today we tour the environs of Verdun, remarkable for its association with the ghastly battle that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of men, both French and German, during WWI. During WWII, the Third Army also met stiff resistance at Verdun. Our guide gives us a comprehensive tour of this historical area. We visit Fort de Douaumont, which was built from 1890 to 1912 to accommodate 800 soldiers, and in WWI (1914-18) housed up to 1000 men. The fort’s bunks, kitchen, and other facilities can still be seen. There was no electricity in this fort – military communications were carried out with pigeons. We also visit the Chapel and the German Memorial, where more than 700 fallen German soldiers are buried and see the Ossuary, containing the bones of 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers and civilians who died in this region during the wars. One of the largest cemeteries in France lies in front of the Ossuary with over 15,000 graves. Last year's tour participants found this visit most interesting!
We take a short journey through the beautiful countryside and soon reach Luxembourg City. We visit the American Cemetery where General Patton is buried facing more than 5,000 of his fallen troops. We gather at this grave site and hear the bell carillon play our National Anthem. There is time to visit other sites at the cemetery. Going into Luxembourg City, the headquarters of General Omar Bradley’s 12th Army Group, we make a photo stop at the massive old fortress city wall before proceeding on to our hotel. Dinner is included at our hotel. [B, D]
Day 7: Monday, July 14 Luxembourg City / Aachen, Germany
Luxembourg City for the Battle of the Bulge Area. Today’s tour begins with a visit to the star-shaped Mardasson Monument and Museum near Bastogne, Belgium. Our lunch hour is spent on the McAuliffe Square in Bastogne and then we drive the periphery of Bastogne. We drive to the villages of Assenois, followed by Neffe, (the closest the Panzers came to Bastogne), then Mageret and into the Peace Woods. We continue our journey to Houffalize, St. Vith, Spa, and into Aachen. Tonight we dine in our hotel. [B, D]After breakfast we leave
Day 8: Tuesday, July 15 Aachen, Germany
Battle of the Bulge sites with special step-on guide, Henry Mignon, beginning with the north shoulder of the Battle along the Elsenborn Ridge. We drive to Hollerath, known as Purple Heart Corner, and take a walk into the Ardennes forest where you may still jump into one of the foxholes! We walk among the "Dragon's Teeth," the anti-tank defense on the Siegfried line, which stretches over 392 miles to the Swiss border, and see the vestiges of American foxholes. We then move on to Lanzerath where Col. Peiper's column was held up a whole day by one brave platoon of the 99th Infantry Division. From here we follow Peiper’s route all the way to LaGleize where he was finally stopped. Here we see one of the King Tiger tanks. Our lunch stop is in Malmedy or Stavelot. We also stop at the sight of the Malmedy Massacre, one of 12 massacres committed by Peiper’s troops. At the end of the day we return to our hotel in Aachen. Dinner is on your own tonight. [B]Today we visit more
Day 9: Wednesday, July 16 Aachen / Frankfurt
Aachen, we drive along the west side of the Rhine River to Cologne where we visit the famous Cologne Cathedral, one of the best known architectural monuments in Germany and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We continue on to the site of the Remagen Bridge, which was destroyed in 1945. Ponton bridges were built to carry the military traffic over the Rhine River. We walk to the bridge abutment, which now houses a Museum. If you wish, you may walk around the back side of the abutment and walk on the remaining portion of the original railroad that traversed the Rhine by way of the Ludendorf Bridge. View both bridge abutments just as our Allied Soldiers did when they arrived to capture the Remagen Bridge. We conclude our tour with an enjoyable drive along the Rhine River and a pleasant Rhine River cruise from Boppard to Oberwesel. Sit back and relax as we sail past hillside vineyards, castles and unbelievably beautiful sights along the river banks. We disembark and drive to Frankfurt, where we stay at a four star Holiday Inn. During our farewell dinner and program, we include a last toast to all the veterans on our tour. [B, D]Leaving
Day 10: Thursday, July 17 Frankfurt / USA
Frankfurt airport at 11:20 am and is scheduled to arrive at the Newark, NJ airport at 2:05 pm the same day.Our transatlantic flight departs from the
PRICE INCLUDES
International airfare from Newark, NJ. (excl. taxes)
Surface transportation by deluxe motorcoach throughout
Superior three-star airconditioned hotels with private bath
Breakfasts with coffee, luncheons and dinners as indicated - B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner
One piece of baggage handling per person, tips to baggage porters and other hotel staff
All admissions paid to sights mentioned in itinerary
Professional English-speaking tour director, local tour guides, and escorts
NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE
International airfare taxes, fees, and fuel surcharge if imposed by the Airlines
Roundtrip airfare from your home gateway into Newark, NJ
Meals that are not mentioned, bottled water, coffee at dinners, wine, and liquor
Tips to the motor coach driver, local tour guides, and tour director
Passport, travel insurance, and all items of personal nature
Price: CALL 1-888-414-4177 For PRICING
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