Bastogne: Ardennenoffensive ab Brüssel (halbprivat)

Long car ride from Brussels, but worth it to experience Bastogne. Our guide, Regis, was extremely pleasant and very knowledgeable and our driver, Joyce, was outstanding. Bastogne War Museum was one of the best WWII museums we’ve seen. Very immersive and with a unique feature—the audio guide had the experiences of a school teacher from Bastogne, a 14 year old boy from Bastogne, a German officer, and a US paratrooper narrate your journey through the museum. We learned that the boy, Emile, is still alive and lives in Bastogne. The high point was a visit to the Bois Jacques to see the paratroopers’ foxholes. The final stop was to the Bastogne War Rooms where General McAulliffe composed his response to the German commander’s surrender ultimatum. Very impactful. The drive back to Brussels was long, almost 3 hours due to accidents, construction, rain, and Sunday evening traffic. Well worth the trip though.

My tour guide Levi did gave an AMAZING tour. He picked me up at my hotel on time and proceeded to give me a thorough, well-paced tour, allowing me time to take many pictures and see many of the famous sites of the campaign. He had a great and enthusiastic knowledge of the campaign and offered a few extra stops for the real WWII enthusiast. He provided water and sunglasses. Well worth the price for the WWII historian.

Levi was well-versed in accurate, historic details of the battle of Bastogne. He augmented his presentation with small videos to bring the story to life. Lunch was very good.

Extremely well done. Museum is wonderful and very user friendly. Very nice cafe serving very good food and desserts.

Joyce was wonderful! She explained the history of Belgium, Europe and World War II as we were driving from Brussels to Bastogne. She advised us what to expect at the Bastogne war museum. She drove to various war sites and Easy Company’s foxholes in the Ardenne Forest. Overall, a perfect day!

What an amazing adventure. Joyce was amazing and took my family from Brussels all the way down to Bastogne. Along the way, she educated us on every little piece of history pertaining to the city, the country, and the events leading up to World War I in World War II. And while she is specifically not a tactical military historian, her in-depth review of the events leading up to the recent world wars was educational for both me and my wife as well as our children. As an American traveling abroad, I cannot recommend this tour enough. I think it should be mandatory for all American tourists.

It was convenient for travel. The history was good and context given for the origin of the European conflicts that eventually led to the Battle of the Bulge. The museum was impressive.

It was a great tour. Our guide, Joyce, was very informative and included info and history of Brussels on our way to Bastogne. She showed us everything we wanted to see.

I would rate this tour 12/10 if I could! Joyce truly made this one of, if not THE highlight of our whole trip. It was really complicated working out how we would be able to visit Bastogne from Brussels on our own and Joyce made it a breeze. Her wealth of knowledge and love for the history shines on the trip and she gives you amazing details the whole way.

My wive and I had the extraordinary opportunity to have Joyce lead us on a private tour from Brussels to Bastogne two weeks ago and found Joyce to be thoroughly engaging and the tour to be illuminating. From the moment Joyce whisked us away from the Brussels Hilton in the Central District, she was a whirlwind of history, facts, and trivia. The approximately 2-hour drive to Bastogne included a drive through a beautiful and almost idyllic section of Brussels where paths run through protected woodland to provide recreation for cyclists, walkers, and joggers. After driving through the Ardennes, where the foliage is so thick it would be almost impossible to pass, we arrived in Bastogne. To this day, Belgians are very appreciative of the sacrifices of so many Americans to defend a city that was very nearly completely destroyed during the month-long German offensive. McAuliffe Square, named for the general whose one-word response to a German offer of surrender -- Nuts! -- is legendary, includes a memorial to the leader who inspired his troops to hold on. The Battle of the Bulge Museum is more than a collection of artifacts. It provides a fabulous multi-media presentation of why the nations of Europe made their way to World War II and the events that led to the last major German push. Adjacent to the museum is a substantial memorial to remember those who served. After touring the museum and the memorial, Joyce led us past a small memorial to Easy Company of "Band of Brothers Fame" and then to the woods in which Easy Company encamped, overlooking the farming village of Foy. Remarkably, the remnants of their foxholes are easily discernible as you walk the wood line adjacent to the open field across which Easy Company had to charge in order to take the village. Joyce continued her tour during the drive back to our hotel -- discussing more history, culture, and the role of Belgium during both WW I and WW II. If you wish to have an absolutely amazing experience, you definitely want to arrange a tour with Joyce. You could not ask for a better guide -- knowledgable, personable, professional, and a pure delight.