World War II was the biggest and deadliest war in history. Beginning in 1939 the war raged on for six horrific years until the Allies defeated the Axis powers in 1945.  Somewhere between 40 & 50 million people were killed during this time.
 

This tour returns to two of the most consequential battlefields of the war as well as significant sites that defined this time.  We will try to understand what it must have been like for young American boys that endured and sacrificed so much to stop Hitler and his nazi war machine. We are fortunate to have 3 outstanding guides that led previous tours for Dream Tour To Go.  Francois Gauthron, who leads the Normandy portion of our tour, has written over 10 books about WWII, several that have focused on the Normandy Invasion.  Francois has also toured the United States twice as a featured speaker on D-Day. Our guide in Bastogne, Henri Mignon, lived through the Battle of the Bulge as an 11-year-old in Bastogne.  He now conducts a limited number of tours each year including one for the “Band of Brothers” tour.  Rob Shaw, a British freelance writer who has lived in Germany, most of the time in Berlin, guides this portion of our WWII tour.  Rob is not a guide by profession but has agreed to lead us through the nazi era in Berlin.  He is very insightful and takes us places some other guides won’t.
 

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TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Overnight flight from Charlotte to London

Day 2: Upon arrival in London we will proceed to tour the Churchill War Room.  Following the tour we will check into our hotel. 
 

Overnight London

 

Day 3: We begin today by visiting the Imperial War Museum in London. Go to  www.iwm.org.uk/ to learn more about this museum. After the museum we travel north of London to Duxford Airfield. This airfield was used by the RAF to defend London during the blitz and from where long-range bombers took off to bomb Germany.  We will tour the museum including WWII airplanes on the tarmac. 
 

Overnight in Cambridge.

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Day 4: Today we drive a short distance to Bletchley Park.  It was here where the code of the German Enigma machine was broken which many believe shortened the war by 2-4 years. After leaving Bletchley we travel to Southwick House in Hampshire, England. Southwick House was used as the advance command post in the months leading up to D-Day and the HQ for the allied commanders, including General Eisenhower, after the Normandy landings.  After leaving Southwick House we drive the very short distance to Portsmouth Harbor, the main jumping off place of the Allies for the invasion of Normandy.

 

Overnight Portsmouth

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Day 5: We are up early this morning to catch the 8:15 ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, France.  We follow the same path taken by the invading troops and supply ships on their way to the Normandy Beaches.  We will be met by our private coach upon landing which will take us to Bayeaux, France, arriving approximately at 4:30 PM.  
 

Overnight Bayeaux.

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Day 6: This morning we are met by our guide, Francois Gauthron, at our hotel to begin our tour of significant places and events of the Normandy Invasion.  
 

Overnight Bayeaux

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Day 7: We continue exploring the beaches, villages and important sights critical to the D-Day Invasion including the American Cemetery and D-Day Museum.

Overnight Bayeaux

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Day 8: This morning we visit additional sights as we begin our drive south to Oradour sur Glane.  
 

Overnight Tours, France 

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Day 9: Today we visit a truly sad sight, Oradour sur Glane.  Oradour is an entire village that serves as a memorial to the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazis and is not included in any other WWII tour.  A brief description of this sight is difficult so you should Google Oradour-sur-Glane for the best description.  
 

Overnight Limoges

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Day 10: ​This morning will take the high-speed train to Paris (approximately 3 hours).  We will meet our coach at the station and drive to Bastogne, Belgium.

Overnight Bastogne

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Day 11: Today features a visit to the town of Bastogne, a visit to the Battle Museum (very interesting) and a guided tour of various locations where close quarters fighting occurred, led by Henri Mignon, an actual witness to the Battle of the Bulge.  Tonight, we will have a provided diner and a short talk followed by a question-and-answer session with Henri.

Overnight Bastogne

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Day 12: We leave Bastogne early this morning for the drive to Cologne, on the shores of the Rhine River, where we will take another high-speed train to Berlin.

Overnight Berlin

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Day 13​: Today we will experience Berlin during the pre-war period and the rise of Nazi fanaticism. We will visit the site of SS Headquarters, the Reichstag, Hitler’s Bunker, the Brandenburg Gate and other sights. (Also a quick visit to the remaining section of the Berlin Wall)

  
Overnight Berlin

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Day 14: Our tour of Berlin continues including museums and the Holocaust Memorial.   
 

Overnight Berlin

$5,935.00 per person based on double occupancy.

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