WWII Tours For Couples
With Comfort In Mind.
Welcome to Hoadley & Blake.
We guide discerning travelers along the path of the 101st Airborne's famous Band of Brothers, Easy Company as they battled their way across Europe from D-Day in Normandy, east to Bastogne and down into southern Germany.
On a separate tour, we also follow Canada's path across the continent in both world wars.
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HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT: Our tours go far beyond legendary WWII landmarks. With a small group limited to just 12 couples, you’ll enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes access, stay in remarkable historic hotels and castles, travel in comfort aboard a spacious luxury coach, benefit from the insight of an expert American guide, and savor exceptional cuisine.
Join us for the trip of a lifetime.​
Our Tours:
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WHY TRAVEL WITH US?
We cater to couples who are well traveled and curious.
We don't pack you in or prioritize our bottom line over your experience.
We've studied, worked and lived across much of Europe since 1986.
So you're not traveling on a crowded bus with an employee who has been taught a script.
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Your American guide is also the owner of the company.
We choose higher quality touring coaches but keep them half-full so you have space.
We carefully research your dining experiences in advance.
We book some of the finest and most fascinating hotels in Europe.
Together we are going to experience something incredible.
YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Security, Discretion, Quality, Care.
Safety Focused
When you're in our care, your personal safety is paramount. While we do travel on a luxury-class coach, we travel incognito.
This means no marketing splashed across the outside of the coach announcing that we're tourists. It means no conspicuous lanyards around our necks broadcasting that 'we're on tour'.
'Inconspicuous' is our watch word. We discreetly make our way through Europe while avoiding tourist traps, bad actors and unwanted attention.
Shared Passion = Quality
Travel with confidence. This subject is our life.
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But our passion isn't just about what we can share. We genuinely enjoy helping you get to the places you've been wanting to see.
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We want to hear your stories along the way.
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Care
The quality of your tour starts with the level to which your guide genuinely cares about you and your experience. When a company gets that right, you know.
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The quality of your dining, the comfort of your daily travel, and your delight with every hotel matters to us.
OUR MANIFESTO
When you've traveled the globe for decades and you've been on a number of tours yourself, you notice industry practices that you want to avoid.
We've seen a lot. And it's led us to our own personal belief that on this tour...
EVERY NIGHT MATTERS: Every hotel, every night should be enchanting. We're not on tour to spend half the trip in post-war, 2 & 3 star, concrete box hotels.
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EVERY MEAL MATTERS: We take the quality of your dining seriously. This is Europe. You should be delighted with every meal. Being shuttled to mediocre group meals because the food is cheap, and the driver and guide are getting a free meal is unacceptable. Your lunch stop simply can not ever be a freeway gas station. If your diet at home is fresh, farm-raised, and healthy, you're in good hands with us.
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YOU MATTER: We care deeply about you, why you came, and the shared experience we're having. You will genuinely be respected and appreciated, because it is heartfelt. Why do we mention this? We've seen a few too many young continental European guides getting paid by the hour who have memorized a script. It upsets us when they don't realize we understand them and we hear one of them mock you in-between their cigarettes outside the museums. You deserve better. Be sure you're getting better.
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WE DON'T INCREASE RATES: The price for your tour does not fluctuate after you pay your deposit. If our costs increase between the time of your deposit and your trip, that's on us.
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WE DON'T ACCEPT TIPS: You're welcome to tip independent hotel and restaurant staff as you please. We don't accept tips, nor will there be a collection plate passed around for your coach driver. Instead of being expected to tip, spend those extra Euros on more presents for your grandchildren.
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WE DON'T EARN COMMISSION: When a tour guide leads you to a shop, they're more often than not collecting at least 10% commission on whatever you buy. We find that to be a corrupting influence on the quality and integrity of your travel experience. We don't abide it. We'll help you discover some interesting places to shop, and we'll leave it at that. Maybe we can get the store owner to drop his price to you by 10%?!
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CULTURE MATTERS: In the wars of the last century, North Americans left peaceful homes to sacrifice for others. We have a shared cultural understanding about what that means, and who we are. This often leads to gratifying and deep personal connections on tour. Younger generations of European tour guide employees, on the whole, don't seem to understand our good nature, our inherent kindness, or our outlook regarding the two world wars. They can deliver the 'what', but the personal and deep understanding of who we are and what we sacrificed is quite often lost in translation.
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GROUP SIZE MATTERS: When you travel with Hoadley & Blake we keep the group size small and the tour bus only half full so that you have plenty or room to move around and spread out.
Some of the most exhausted people we see in Europe are the ones that show up to an exciting location having just spent two hours on a 44-person bus full of 44 people.
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Let's do this one amazing trip the right way. And make some absolutely incredible memories.
Clients
"I've traveled on private tours in the Benelux with Mickey on several occasions. His attention to detail makes a difference. Everything is handled with grace and patience, which I appreciate.
I always know that dinner is going to be well researched. Essly is a foodie, so good food is an important part of her day."
M. Chenoweth
"That was quite an experience. You're either born with the people-pleasing gene, or you're not. What a difference it made in every trip. My wife says she wants to do it all over again. Bring Essly too. She's a blast. Thank you both."
N. Wilson
"Our tour was eye opening. This is what I want every tour to be. Entertain and educate me - and feed me well! Mickey & Essly always take me where I want to go, and build in free time too. My husband and I are planning a custom family tour with H&B for next summer. Can't wait!"
Anne Robertson