Destinations in Western Europe?

Nyles

Nyles

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I'm spending 18 days in November touring western Europe while on leave. I'm flying into and out of Amsterdam and setting my own itinerary (newly single = no art museums;)). What I'm visiting for sure is:

-The Scheldt
-Dunkirk
-Dieppe
-Normandy
-Battery Todt
-Ypres
-Vimy Ridge
-Les Invalides in Paris
-The Somme
-Verdun

Any other must-see destinations for the milsurp / military history enthusiast in Holland, Belgium and France?
 
While you are in Verdun, why not push a little further North-East and visit the Maginot Line. Also, around Metz (Saint Quentin) there are very nice pre-WWI bunkers that are still standing and were used right up to 1945 and even beyond.
 
That will be some trip all right. There will also be a lot of traveling in between stops. Are you sure you're not trying to cram to much into this trip?
If not, it will be at the very least interesting. Good for you. Sorry about the divorce/separation, that sucks.
Europe can be beautiful in November and also wet and cold. Be prepared to dress accordingly. Above all have fun and meet some new people. For the most part Europeans are really decent and friendly if they're given the chance.
 
Nyles said:
I'm spending 18 days in November touring western Europe while on leave. I'm flying into and out of Amsterdam and setting my own itinerary (newly single = no art museums;)).
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You can ask the travel agents in KAF... a good deal of guys do battlefield tours on their HLTA... between drinking stops, of course.

Newly single?

Try Denmark for a little R&R. Tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, Viking chicks that are ###ually liberated and speak English? Sign yourself up!

Did you get the very first block of HLTA?

Brutal.
 
2nd. They had to bump up my departure because I wouldn't be in theatre 30 days before leaving.

I was thinking packing my DEUs and attending a Dutch remembrance day ceremony wouldn't be the worst idea...
 
Vimy ridge is a crazy place to see, i know its on your list so thats good. The tunnels and the ground all around that looks like an empty egg carton shocked me.
 
The Toejhus Museum, Copenhagen, has one of the largest, historical military firearms collections in the world, dating back to higly decorated crossbows, early canons and personal armor, to all kinds of modern military arms.

English is the second language to most danes, who always enjoy to take any opportunity to practice the use of english, to a point that my danish friends i Canada, tells me that they get a better treatment from the danes, when they speak english to danes, while visiting Denmark :)

Also visit the german bunkers along the west coast of Jylland. Please google "tyske bunkere".
 
Stay at the Kasteelhof t'hooge ( hotelkasteelhofthooghe.be ) in Ypres, they're right on the sight of the old Chateau and their "pond" is the Hooge crater, complete with bunkers and trenches. A very nice hotel to stay at and do tours from. Be sure to rent a car so you can go to all the cemeteries on your own. Take a tour first then drive yourself. There are little cemeteries all over the place so do some reading and be sure to visit some of the smaller ones, they're really quite something.

And if you happen to stop in some farmer's field with a small garden implement . . .

I'd recommend ypres-fbt.com/ for a tour, run by an ex-brit soldier with a son who served in Afghanistan. He has great knowledge and respect for his topic.
 
Nyles said:
Any other must-see destinations for the milsurp / military history enthusiast in Holland, Belgium and France?
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The late 9mm Suppository did some great travel posts from Europe, including the military museum in Belgium:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=290259&highlight=9mm+suppository

Get yourself a good guidebook, I know there is at least one Altantic Wall museum, also a D-Day museum.
I would second the Lyon-Metz suggestion, you can find the big Maginot Line museum in that area.
 
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