World War II Battle Site Tours

Q: Hey Peter! Do you have any recommendations regarding tour companies that specialize in WWI and WWII battle sites in Europe?
–Don, Paulina, Ore.

A: Military Historical Tours offers veterans and non-veterans alike the opportunity to visit not only European battlefields, but also others around the world, including those in Korea, Vietnam, and the Pacific. Itineraries can even be customized according to participants’ interests. In 2009, the company offered tours to World War I battlefields in France, World War II sites in Italy, and the invasion beaches of Normandy. New types of tours are continually announced.

MilSpec Tours offers similar trips and caters to World War II veterans and their families. In 2009, this company offered a number of group tours of Europe, including trips to the Normandy battlefields and to Alsace-Lorraine. They take travelers to other places which hold special meaning to veterans, such as cemeteries and monuments, and to major tourist attractions.

If you want to see Northern Europe’s largest fortifications from the Second World War, visit MuseumsCenter Hanstholm in Denmark, home to one of the largest wartime bunkers. You can stroll through the various bunker rooms, some of which remain in their original condition, or explore the unique open-air museum of battery Hanstholm I, one of the best-preserved coastal batteries in the country.