Arnhem & the Rhine Crossings
About the tour: Arnhem & the Rhine Crossings
- Campaign: World War 2 (WW2)
- Campaign Dates Covered: Sep 1944 - Mar 1945 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- Start of Operation Market Garden - 17 September 1944Operation Market Garden involved ground troops and airborne forces and was the largest airborne operation to that date. The aim was to encircle the Germasn on the Ruhr and delve deeper into Germany via The Netherlands.
- Withdrawal of troops from Arnhem - 25 September 1944After a week of intense fighting, on the 25th September, a withdrawal plan was sent across and exacuation of the troops from their isolated position in Arnhem went ahead that night.
- Operation Veritable: Reichswald Forest - 8 February 1945Taking place during the final stages of WW2, Operation Veritable saw Allied forces attempt to clear German forces from an area on the Rhineland, between the Mass & Rhine rivers. The operation was a success and saw German troops retreat, however the battle was described to have seen some of the most fierce fighting in WW2.
- Operation Plunder: Rhine Crossing - 23 March 1945Operation Plunder saw the Allied forces cross the River Rhine at Wessel and Rees, and successfully push the Germans baxk to Hamburg.
Tour Introduction
On this battlefield tour we cross through Holland and Germany, as we delve into some of the most iconic battles of World War 2. We spend time in Arnhem where we look at one of the most significant moments of Operation Market Garden, the battle of Arnhem Bridge. We spend time in Oosterbeek, where we visit the Arnhem Airborne Museum and the Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Moving onto the 1945 battles, we head into Germany where we pay a visit to Reichswald Forest cemetery and take a look at the fighting that took place at Xanten, Goch and the Hochwald Gap. Finally we see the site where the Rhine Crossings took place.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Local departure by coach, then to our hotel on the outskirts of Arnhem for a four-night stay.
Day 2 - Arnhem Landing Grounds & Oosterbeek
We start the tour at the Arnhem Airborne Museum. Located in the old Hartenstein Hotel, the building was there in 1944 and used as 1st Airborne Division’s Headquarters. Now an excellent museum of the battle, here we set the scene before travelling out to some of the landing grounds at Ginkel Heath and Wolfheze. Before lunch, we see one of the original Arnhem memorials, and in the afternoon look at the bitter fighting in the Oosterbeek perimeter – the infamous ‘Cauldron’. We see Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, visit Oosterbeek Church, see positions held by the Border Regiment and follow the story of the ‘Lonsdale Force’, before visiting the house where General Urquhart hid during the battle.
Included meals: Breakfast
Airborne Memorial. Ginkel Heath (9)
Key Visits
- Oosterbeek Church
- Arnhem Memorial
- Arnhem Airborne Museum
- Hartenstein Hotel
- Ginkel Heath Landing Grounds Memorial
- Airborne Memorial. Ginkel Heath
- Wolfheze Landing Zone Memorial
- Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery
Day 3 - Arnhem Bridge & The Island
The battle of Arnhem Bridge is one of the iconic moments of Operation Market Garden and we see where the fighting took place around the bridge. After lunch in Nijmegen, we visit Jonkerbos War Cemetery before examining events on ‘The Island’ in 1944/45, looking at the fighting around the De Laar Farm, and following the so-called ‘Driel Dash’. American Airborne troops also held The Island after the battle and we see their memorial, as well as the battle scarred building where men from the Hampshire Regiment fought in October 1944.
Included meals: Breakfast
Arnhem Bridge (6)
Key Visits
- Arnhem Bridge
- Nijmegen Bridge
- Jonkerbos War Cemetery
- De Laar Farm
- Driel Memorial
- US 101st AB Memorial
Day 4 - Reichswald Forest & The Rhineland
Following on from the period of static fighting during the winter of 1944/45, we begin today at the Freedom Museum at Groesbeek to help set the scene for the battles of 1945. We also visit Groesbeek War Cemetery before looking at the fighting in Reichswald Forest, seeing the War Cemetery there - the largest British Second World War cemetery in Europe with more than 7,000 graves. After lunch in Kleve, we look at the advance on the Rhineland, examining the fighting at Xanten, Goch and the Hochwald Gap, before seeing where the Rhine crossings took place between Rees and Wesel. We end the day in the area where 6th (Airborne) Division landed during Operation Varsity.
Included meals: Breakfast
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery (6)
Key Visits
- Freedom Museum
- Groesbeek War Cemetery
- Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
- Kleve
- Groesbeek Memorial
- Hochwald Gap Battlefield
- Battle-damaged Rhine Bridge, Wesel
Day 5
Return home.
Included meals: Breakfast
Museum package available whilst on tour approx cost €20.
Pre-Tour Reading
A selection of related books for pre or post tour reading.
- Ford, K. Rhineland 1945 (Osprey 2000)
- Lynch, T. Operation Market Garden (History Press 2011)
- Margry, K. Operation Market Garden: Then & Now (After The Battle 2004)
- Middlebrook, M. Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle (Pen & Sword 2009)
- Thompson, R.W. The Battle for the Rhineland (Westholme Publishing 2012)
- Waddy, J.R. A Tour of the Arnhem Battlefields (Pen & Sword 1998)
Passenger Information
Foreign Currency
The Arnhem & Rhine Crossing tour takes place in Holland and Germany and therefore you will only need the Euro. You are advised to get Euros – in cash – in advance of your tour, as most banks in Holland and Germany do not provide currency exchange services.
What to Bring
The weather in Holland and Germany can be changeable and it is advisable to bring sensible clothes and always pack a jumper and waterproofs. Good, stout shoes are essential and comfortable walking boots or trainers are ideal. In warm weather always bring a hat and sun cream, and it is advisable to have a supply of water, which is usually on sale on the coach as well.
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
You will stay for four nights at the 4-star Hotel De Bilderberg in Oosterbeek.
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay or the option to meet us at the interchange, our travel extras allow you to create a travel experience to suit your needs...
Join coach at Interchange
+ Find out moreJoin your tour coach at the interchange.
On most tours if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes tours to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
