TOURS FOR 2008:
A Study of World War I and II in Western Europe -- (see below).
From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge; World War II in Europe -- $3,300
plus r/t air for 11 days; D-Day, Atlantic Wall, Compiegne, Reims, Bastogne, Ardennes; Paris, Brussels, Waterloo
possible. See page 3.
The Trail of the American Expeditionary Forces --
$2,900 plus r/t air for 10 days; World War I sites with mostly American. See page 3.
Testimonials:
Doug Shaffer of Catonsville, MD, Western Front Association
and Great War Society Member, said after an October 2001 tour: "For the casual or serious history buff, Specialty Tours offers
dynamic, customized visits to WWI&II sites in Europe; from on-site battlefield strategies to peaceful, provocative memorials
to fallen soldiers, this tour is FIRST-RATE!"
David King of Bethesda, MD, (LTC, USA-Ret), wrote after
a May 2002 trip: "A must for all serious students of the war or those simply wanting to know where and how America
came of age as a world power!"
Tom Trapp of Oakland, CA stated after a customized 13-day
July 2003 trip: "Doug offers an outstanding custom tour package. The logistics were handled seamlessly, which allowed us to
see and learn much, much more than we could on our own, and at a very comparable pace. I highly recommend Gangler Tours!"
Adele Ervin of Manchester, MA after an October 2003
tour : "This is a good deal for a real military history affectionado or one who is of European ancestry, or who
had a relative who fought in either war."
Curt Druckrey of Livonia, MI after a tour in May 2004: "The customization of this tour
to my specific interests was really amazing! Every objective that I set for this trip was met in more precise ways than
anticipated."
And Diane Vigilante said after an October 2007 tour: "Doug provided an excellent tour
that makes me want to do more reading, and take another trip with him. There is alot more to see and do. I came
home with a new sense of history that I did not have previously."
Other Possible Destinations with Tours Listed on This
Page and 3:
Cultural: Brugge; Cathedrals at Amiens, Reims, Rouen, Lille, Paris Notre Dame,
Chartres (the 'Big 6'); Champagne Winery Tour around Reims or Epernay; Brussels, Luxembourg City and Paris; Bayeux Tapestry;
Mont St.-Michel; Spectacular Lighthouses and Scenery on the Cherbourg Peninsula; Cape Griz-Nez and Blanc on
the Calais Coast; Montmedy.
Military: Waterloo; V-Weapon Sites; Agincourt and Crecy.
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Tour: "A Study of World War I and II in
Western Europe - with focus on American Leaders and major Memorials and Museums"
Note: This is the only military history tour that visits
in this detail the outstanding European WW II sites along with equally important, yet less known, WW I areas of interest.
Price - $3,300 per person plus r/t airfare
for the 12-day schedule.
Offered for 2008: April 17-28 and September
18-29.
(other months/dates also possible dependent on discussion and
arrangements with individuals or groups).
Itinerary:
Day One: Fly from U.S. to Brussels Int Airport
- most flights depart the afternoon and arrive mid-to-late morning the next day.
Day Two: Arrive Brussels, to be met by Doug and
transportation. Travel the short distance to Ieper, BE, and check-in at the hotel. We will spend the rest of the day
on tour orientation, a visit to the Essex Farm Cemetery (nearby LTCOL John McCrae wrote his famous poem "In Flander's
Fields" which came to signify the tragedy of WW I), and seeing picturesque Ieper. View the "Last Post" ceremony
at 8 p.m. at the Menin Gate, the eternal bugle call to the British and Commonwealth missing of the war. Overnight -
Ieper.
Day Three: Tour the infamous and significant,
especially to the British, Ypres Salient: Hill 60 highground over which huge battles were fought, Tyne Cot Cemetery,
Passchendaele, St. Julien (site of the first gas attack against the Canadians), and Langemark German Cemetery. You will now
understand the terrific battles fought here and the mark WW I made on the course of history. Overnight - Ieper.
Day Four: Travel to the northwest corner of France
to visit the Battery Todt (museum within) - one of the most important German WW II coastal "Atlantic Wall" fortifications
- and the incredible V-2 bunker complex at Eperlecques (also a V-1 on display). You truly realize the historical
origins of present day space programs after this visit. We'll also drive to Cape Griz-Nez -
and see England on a clear day across the Channel! Then on to the Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial for a tour of its
impressive tunnel and trench system. Overnight in Arras, FR.
Day Five: Tour the major WW I Somme Battlefield
sites: the Beaumont Hamel Canadian Park dedicated to the Newfoundlers, the Thiepval Memorial which commemorates
74,000 British and South African missing, and the Lochnagar Crater - an enormous pit 100 yards across at the top
that demonstrates the futility of mine warfare. Overnight - on to Bayeux and the beautiful Normandy Region.
