'Bash on Recce!'
That's the motto of the Reconaissance Squadron which tried to race to the bridge and take it with suprise. The airborne forces took several routes leading to Arnhem of which only one proved succesful; but all the other attempts are equally interesting. On offer is a set of different tours which follow different routes of different lengths, all of them will end at the airborne cemetery and all of them will give you an impression of the battle. And ofcourse, a personalized or slightly tweaked tour is an option as well. Drop a message via the 'booking' page to get more details and pricing!
Arnhem in one day, 50k, 8h
This tour will start early in the morning at 0900h and is designed to show you a complete overview of the 9 days of battle, following several units and individuals. We'll start on the Landing-/Dropzone on the far west of the operation and work ourselves to the Bridge at Arnhem. Here we have lunch (not included) before we fall back to Oosterbeek where we'll find ourselves in a shrinking defensive position, traversing the streets back and forth, the stories will follow up faster and faster. We will end our journey at the Airborne Cemetery to pay our respects to the fallen, and make a visit to some of the boys who's stories we've heard during the day. This tour ends at about 1700h at the Koude Herberg where you'll be able to have a nice diner.
Although there will be a lot of stops, this tour demands a basic level of fitness.
The South Staffs, 20k, 4h
The first half of 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment, landed on the 17th of September. On the second day of the battle, they rushed to the bridge to break trough the German defenses. They met fierce resistance. This 4h tour will start on the Landingzone of this famous regiment and follow their marching route to the bridge. The fighting in the outskirts of Arnhem is well documented and after seeing a lot of then and now photographs, we'll follow their footsteps back into Oosterbeek where they helped defending the perimeter with great valor. We'll end their story at the Old Church, after which we'll visit the Airborne Cemetery and visit some of the boys who gave their lives. This tour is also ideal to combine with a visit to the Airborne Museum.
1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, 25k, 4h
The Border Regiment was the only regiment that was able to stick to their plan. At least, in the first 24h of the operation. This 4h tour follows their route from the Landingzone to their defensive actions in the western flank of the operational area. Although their first day was relatively quite, the rest of their experiences weren't. This is where our route leads to the Westerbouwing and Oosterbeek and will end at the Old Church. Afterward we'll visit the Airborne Cemetery and pay a visit to some of the key figures we'll have met during the day. This tour is also ideal to combine with a visit to the Airborne Museum.
The Perimeter Tour, 15k, 3h
For those who would like to experience the battle of Arnhem in a shorter period of time and be able to see the highlights in and around Oosterbeek, we'll step on our bikes and go for a 3h, 15k tour loaded with stops and stories. Why walk? Why bother looking for parking spots, if you could ride along and stop wherever we want and see more places in less time!
Customized Tour
If you have a special wish, a specific story or place(s) you'd like to visit. If you need to work with a specific timeframe, need to combine things. If you need a transfer to our starting point, would like to have a historical correct periodical lunch, or any other request, please feel free to ask, there is no such thing as 'a bridge too far'!