Depending upon personal preference, the best way to visit the ‘Bulge’ is to fly into Brussels, Luxembourg or Frankfurt, all of which lie within about a two hour drive from some spot on the battlefield. The North flank of the battle lies about an hour and a half’s drive from Brussels International airport (Zaventem). Upon leaving the airport by car, follow signs leading to highway E-40 turning southeast in the direction of Liege (Luik). Follow E-40 past exit 31 then follow signs for Aachen. Exit E-40 at Eupen and follow N-67 over the German border and onto Monschau, close to the northern sector of the battlefield.
For the South flank, you can do likewise as far as Liege to pick up E-25 in the direction of Bastogne, Arlon and Luxembourg City. In Luxembourg City, you then follow signs for Echternach at which point you are about two miles north of Osweiler and the southern tip of the German attack.
For the North flank, head north on the N-7 in the direction of Ettelbruck at the southern edge of which you turn right at the traffic lights following N-7 around town to the Northeast. Continue north on N-7 to Wemperhardt then turn right in the direction of St.Vith. Here you follow N-676 to Amel and N-658 to Büllingen. Then follow the N-658 via Wahlerscheid where you turn left (northwest) on Bundestrasse 258 through Höfen and onto Monschau and the North flank of the battlefield.
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For those arriving at Frankfurt, airport, Germany: for the North shoulder follow the German autobahn network north to Aachen from where Bundestrasse 258 takes you to Monschau, close to the North shoulder.
For the South shoulder, follow the autobahn network to Trier then Autobahn 48 to Luxembourg City. Here take the main road northwest to Echternach at which point you are about two miles north of Osweiler on the South shoulder.
Throughout the battlefield, most of the major roads have more than their fair share of twists and turns so always allow yourself sufficient time to get from place to place. Since Belgium is a tri-lingual country, (Flemish, French and German) road signs can appear in one or more languages. Signs are the same throughout the country but place names vary depending upon where you are. When approaching from the west, driving along highway A-3 (E-40), and looking for Liege, you may see signs for ‘Luik’ and when approaching from the east signs read ‘Luttich’. Let your map be the guide since they tend to name big cities in both Flemish and French. Throughout the country most business people speak two of the three languages and sometimes, a smattering of English.
Most of the big car rental companies operate out of Brussels, Luxembourg and Frankfurt. Travellers from the United States are best advised to arrange car rental stateside with a reputable company that can offer quotes on insurance etc. Be prepared for the fact that fuel is considerably more expensive than in the U.S. At the time of writing it is cheaper in Luxembourg than either Belgium or Germany. The transportation of fuel in jerry cans between Luxembourg and Belgium is forbidden and heavy fines apply to offenders if caught. Drivers and passengers must wear seat belts at all times.
Many travellers choose to combine their battlefield tour with visits to other European destinations and as the cockpit of Europe, Belgium makes an ideal starting point for such trips. By car, the entire country can be crossed in four hours and an extensive highway system gives access to major highways in neighboring countries. For the visitor not wishing to drive, a Eurail pass can serve to get you to most large towns by rail. Frequently, train stations often serve as bus termini but beware most small villages are only served by bus at wide intervals, sometimes as rarely as twice per day. Public transport is definitely not the ideal manner in which to tour the battlefield. For cheap bus travel you can purchase tickets at post offices or on the bus.
For the fit and adventurous there is the option of cycling; recent years have seen a marked rise in the popularity of mountain bike hire in many places, especially so in smaller towns.
ACCOMMODATION
A wide range of accommodation is available, mostly in small, family-run hotels and inns whose owners play an active part in the day-to-day running of the business. In the case of a large group travelling together, the smaller hotels do not have the capacity; therefore the solution in such cases would be to select a chain hotel in one of the larger cities like Liege or Aachen.
Food in both Belgium and Luxembourg is varied rich and a true delight, especially in the hunting season when venison and wild boar grace many a host’s table. The privately-run hotels offer gastronomic weekends, in which their chefs excel themselves in the culinary arts. Freshly caught trout is served in a multitude of ways, often accompanied by a fine bottle of Moselle wine. Personal experience leads the author to recommend staying in one of the smaller family-run establishments. Don’t be afraid to ask to see the room prior to checking in. Local specialities include pastries, chocolate, smoked hams, waffles, mussels, cheeses and a host of quality Trappist beers brewed by monks in ancient monasteries following an age-old recipe.
A warning to the unwary traveller perhaps tempted to order A la Carte: Filet American consists of raw minced steak topped with a raw egg and parsley. Make sure you ask for clarification of such terms prior to ordering. When eating out in Belgium and Luxembourg be prepared to take your time, since from ordering your food to drinking your coffee can take up to two hours. Long drawn out lunches take up time, which can be better spent visiting the battlefield.
Visitors from the United States frequently make the expensive mistake of using the local or hotel phones to call relatives back home: compared to the U.S., phone charges are very high in Europe and many hotels add to the cost of a call by charging a supplement. To avoid this, consult any of the large U.S. phone companies, all of whom provide a list of numbers which allow the caller direct access to the American operator and stateside call rates. Public telephones in Belgium and Luxembourg are coin or card operated. Cards may be purchased from post offices, railway stations, newspaper stores and telephone sales offices (Téléboutiques) in Belgium.
Post Offices in Belgium open 09:00 through till 17:00 on weekdays, in smaller villages they may close at 16:00. In some of the larger towns, (Malmédy for example) the post office also opens from 10:00 till 12:00 on Saturdays. Banks open weekdays from 09:00 till 16:00 and a few on Saturday mornings. In towns of about 5,000 inhabitants, one can usually locate an ATM that will accept major credit cards and instructions in English. Most banks and businesses accept major credit cards but one can experience difficulty in changing high denomination banknotes.
Public holidays in Belgium include New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, May 1, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, July 21, August 15, November 1 and 11 and Christmas Day. In Luxembourg, holidays are much the same with the exception that June 23 replaces July 21 and November 11 is a working day.
Shops’ opening hours vary but a good guide would be from 09:00 till 12:30 then from 14:00 till 18:00 Monday till Saturday. Most close on Sundays and some on Monday mornings.
For a ‘Battle of the Bulge Tour’:
Or write to:
Tours International
1 Sheffield Road
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN4 0PD
England
Telephone: International + 44 1892 515825.
Fax: International + 44 1892 515815