Our Europe 2022 Battlefields Trip

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

As most of you know, we are leading a 2022 Battlefields Tour. Here is a detailed day by day summary of our tour. The tour will be from 3-13 October 2022.

We expect final confirmation by October with prices from our vendor Europe Express. We will then start taking deposits.

So, let’s learn about this awesome trip together!

Day 1 3 October 2022 Brussels

Check in to hotel (no transfers or air included in tour price)

Welcome no host Cocktail hour

Day 2 4 October 2022 Waterloo Battlefield and Bastogne

Coach to Waterloo (0900 departure with all luggage loaded) Driving time about 1 hour. During our entire tour, we will be guided by Johan Serpierters, who has been our guide on both D Day Anniversary tours we led in 2014 & 2019.

Today we will learn about the final battle of Napoleon’s career as a general. There is a good museum that explains every facet of the battle. You will use your own headset with your smart phone (COVID adjustment). Takes about an hour. Next we will visit the Panorama Painting of the Battle (about 20 minutes). Also we will view the British Lion Monument but not climb the 226 steep steps. We will lunch at the restaurant (on your own).

Our next stop is Bastogne, after about an hour and ½ drive. We will check in to the Hotel Leo Station, which will be our home for the next 3 days. The hotel has a great restaurant and there are 10+ restaurants directly across from hotel, so finding a great place to eat should be very easy during our 3 day stay in Bastogne.

Day 3 5 October 2022 101st Airborne Museum Bastogne War Museum Overnight Bastogne

Our first stop is the Bastogne War Museum. It is a short coach ride to the museum (we depart at 0900). This museum covers WW II, with key events but the main emphasis is the Battle of the Bulge. Using multisensory 3D technology, you will explore the past first be placed in the Allied General Headquarters in southern England, then place you in the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge and finally a visit to a local café with shelling exploding around you during the battle. I must warn you this is a very real experience and some think it is rather intense.

We also will have time to visit the impressive Mardasson Memorial, erected in gratitude of the Belgium people for the soldiers who risked their lives to help free them. It covers all the units and individual states in this very large memorial.

Marsden Memorial shows all units in the battle in this huge monument

We will next visit the actual battle positions of Easy Company from the Band of Brothers DVD series. While the foxholes are not that impressive, you will see the place where some of these brave soldiers died during the artillery barrage, and see the Foy village objective that was taken from the Germans. If you are a fan of the Band of Brothers series, this will be a meaningful look at one part of the battlefield during the Battle of the Bulge.

Looking from their foxholes this was the distance Easy Company had to attack over to seize Foy.

The actual church in Foy that was captured by Easy Company in 1945

After returning the hotel area, and lunch on your own, we will take the 5 minute walk to the 101st Airborne Museum. This cross roads village became famous for the defensive resistance put up by the 101st after it was encircled during the Battle of the Bulge in late December 1944. Housed in a former military officer’s mess, this museum is dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge/Ardennes and the amazing defensive stand made by the soldiers of the 101st Airborne. In the 4 floors of the museum, the focus is on the units, their weapons and uniforms, and realistic war scenes using mannequins. There is also an immersive experience of a cellar basement shelter that recreates the terror of bombardments during this battle.

We will overnight in Bastogne.

Day 4 6 October 2022 Patton Museum (Ettelbruck 25 min coach ride) National Museum of Military History (Diekirch 30 minute coach ride)

Our first stop is the Patton Museum. You will learn about Patton’s life, and see displays of military equipment. The spotlight of this museum is on the Battle of the Bulge. We will eat lunch here (on your own).

Our next stop is the Luxembourg National Museum of Military History. Using large scale dioramas, is a fascinating look at the fighting that took place around Diekirch. Also on display are weapons, military vehicles and other items used during WW II. There are also sections about the Resistance and WW I.

We will overnight in Bastogne after the return coach ride..

Day 5 7 October 2022 Luxembourg/Reims

We will depart Bastogne at 0900 (please have all bags loaded so we can depart on time).

Our first stop is to Luxembourg City. We will have a guided walking tour of the most important sights in Old Town Luxembourg, to include walking the Promenade of the Corniche with its great views, the historic square and the Grand Duke’s Palace (if open a tour of the palace). Lunch on your own.

Our next stop is at the American Cemetery, where LTG Patton is buried along with over 5,000 American soldiers, most whole lost their lives in the drive to the Rhine and the Battle of the Bulge. This is a tranquil resting place for these heroes but a somber reminder of the cost of war.

Luxembourg cemetery where Patton is buried

We will continue on to Reims and check in to the Best Western Premier Hotel De La Paix.

There are many restaurants near our hotel for the next 3 days.

Day 6 8 October 2022 Verdun Battlefield Tour (1 hour, 15 minute drive to Verdun from Reims) Afternoon Champagne Tasting in Reims

Today’s tour will help us understand more about the 300 day battle of Verdun. We will depart at 0900. We will visit the 2 floor Verdun Memorial Museum, L’Ossuaire Cemetery and two forts—Fort Douaumont (with the nearby Trenches of Bayonets) and Fort Vaux.

Lunch on your own after the morning tour in Reims.

Our Afternoon tour is at a local champagne house in Reims.

We overnight in Reims.

Day 7 9 October 2022 Epernay & Route de Champagne (we will visit 2 champagne houses)

On the route of Champagne, we will view vineyards and sample champagne at 2 of the great wineries of this special region.

We should be able to find a nice place for lunch—TBD.

We overnight again in Reims.

Day 8 10 October 2022 Châteaux de Vaux-Le-Vicomte/Paris

We will check out of our hotel and depart for Paris at 0900 (please have all bags loaded).

On the way we will visit one of the most impressive Châteaux’s in France. We will tour the Châteaux de Vaux-Le-Vicomte. The chateau and its gardens were designed to exist in harmony between the building and the gardens. This was one of the key inspirations for the Palace of Versailles. Lunch on your own during this stop.

We will continue on to Paris and check in the Villa Pantheon.

Day 9 11 October 2022 Paris Visit Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb

Today we will visit the Hotel de Invalides which covers many of the conflicts fought by France and use this to help us understand how all these battlefields changed the world from the 1800’s to present. Some highlights include medieval armor and arms, Napoleon’s battles, WW I trench warfare and battles, WW II battles starting from the Blitzkrieg, occupation, the D Day campaign, liberation, the end of the war and the atomic bomb resulting in an allied victory. It also is the tomb of Napoleon, who rests under a gold dome.

The afternoon is free

Lunch and dinner are on your own—we know many great places to eat and would be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 10 12 October 2022 Free Day in Paris

Day 11 13 October 2022

The tour ends today. Check out of our hotel.

We have extensions available and an AmaWaterways Cruise on the Rhône River starting on 13 October 2022.

My Final Thoughts

What a great adventure—a true look at the history of Battlefields in Europe from 1815 to 1945—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much! We hope you will enjoy this trip as much as we will enjoy escorting you on it!.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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