Group Leaders - Tour Information:

Unlike many other tour outfits our operation is run by collectors and historians with like types in mind. There are many groups that claim to be suited for collectors but in most cases these are being run simply by businessmen that run such jaunts full time. The bottom line is money, kickbacks from hotels, side deals with travel agents, and other such revenue. They are not really about the history but are about making a buck or two. BattleTours and the ventures we run are completely different and in many regards groundbreaking. We do not do this full time but do this for further education, creating an interest in this segment of history, and simply the fun of it. Profit and making a dollar is not the bottom line nor is it our goal. Stating this we do use professional guides and travel services, to guaranty your comfort and ease in traveling. With BattleTours you get the best of both worlds, collectors - historians acting as group leaders with trained professional guides, travel agents, caterers, and bus drivers all in place.
Our guides are the cream of the crop and simply can not be matched by anyone else. Many are military or ex-military from the nations we will travel so their insight is simply awesome. All are experts in their fields and will provide information and historical details that will give the traveler a keen insight into the history of this region. Also as an added bonus many of these leaders are also experts or have vast experience in the weapons of war, which means that you as the traveler will always be learning and picking up new information. As we know the type of information you are seeking, we have tailor made a program to suit your demands. We produce the tour and the results you are looking for.

BattleTours has build through the years great connections in the areas of travel and these contacts mean you will always have only the best information and services provided for you at all times. We also gain access to many areas other tours are simply not allowed, as we have built the trust and relationships needed for "back door" access. This includes closed door tours of many museums - often lead by curators themselves - as well as access to weapons information and collections not often seen by the public. On the past two trips we were able to provide meeting with the great Finnish sniper Simo Hayha, who has sadly since passed on. This was a man that rarely was open to public meetings but twice met with our groups. While we can never promise anything quite so grand, we always do our best to give you access that no one else will even attempt to set up.

Lastly we take you where you want to go, the battlefields where you can see and smell the history of the conflicts that took place. While we do also spend time in larger cities such as Saint Petersburg and Helsinki, battlefields and the history behind the war is our main focus. That is what you want and that is what we give you. As stated above our guides shine on the battlefield as they have spent years in their native countries studying these conflicts in detail. As such you as a member of the tour will learn more in 10 days than you can in 10 years reading books and looking at photos. As they say "Hands On History" is the motto we live by. Go with us and we will indeed put you right where you want to be: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUSSIAN - FINNISH - GERMAN FRONT!
All of those involved with BattleTours are here to make sure you have the kind of dream trip you are looking for and all with BattleTours will do their best to assist you in anyway possible.
You Want History? That Is What We Will Give You!

Finland - Russia 2006 - BattleTours

Please note -  We have canceled the May trip as events overseas that were beyond our control have forced this action.  We are working to set the trip now sometime in September 2006.

NOTICE: SPECIAL EVENT M- Lets Go Shooting - Machine Gun Shooting In Finland -

See http://www.battletours.com/Shooting.htm for details on this event.  It will be a great time.

Here is the general trip outline. Most of what you see is already set in stone planned but the last day in Finland still is being worked on. We might leave it as a free day or depending on some factors have some private tours in store for the group. The dates might change a bit depending on a number of factors but the trip will be in this general date range. If there is a change it would only be of a day or two at most. This way we can take advantage of the Memorial Day holiday, which is a free work day for most. We are still speaking with the airlines on the departure time - day.

1

We depart from the International airport at Detroit. We do not have the time of this flight set yet (too far in advance for the airlines to set time) but our hope is to make this around 6pm EST. That way we arrive in Finland on Thursday at a decent time and this later time frame makes it easier to sleep on the plane. Since airlines are getting tougher to gauge on arrival times we suggest you arrive in Detroit the night before we leave (Tuesday the 18th). This is not required but we do require you to be in Detroit by no later than 12 noon (EST) on the 19th. If you are late and are not there for our departure for Finland, this is a problem you created not a problem we created. As such if you are late then you are on your own. We will not be responsible for you if you are late.

2

Airport transfer Hotel Ramada. This first day in Finland will be a bit of a free day - getting checked into the hotel - getting money exchanged - meeting with our Finnish guides - and setting into motion the rest of the trip. Depending on time frame - the evening should be free to allow you to wander Helsinki and take in some of the “nightlife”. Food on this day will be up to you.

3

We will have breakfast in the morning then will head to Miehikkala for a tour of the Salpa Line. The Salpa Line is a massive fortification that was build in the time frame of the Continuation War (1941-44). This was to be the last stand for all of Finland if the Red Army broke through the border defenses. The Salpa Line is very interesting as since it was never attacked, the traveler is able to view first hand the types of defensive emplacements the Finnish Army employed. At the Line a history of the construction will be given as well as an overview of the situation the Finns faced in 1941 - 1944. There is plenty to see here including gun emplacements, tank traps, bunkers, and other related areas. In the past this where our groups met with the great Finn sniper Simo Hayha. The tour will be run by those that work at the Salpa Line Museum and are Finnish military or retired Finnish military. Lunch will be served here.

Later in the day we will head to the border town of Lappeenranta and this is where we will cross into Russia. As we head into Vyborg (former Finnish city of Viipuri) an overview of the fighting of the Isthmus will be given. The route we will be taking is a route filled with Winter War and Continuation War history - as this was the area of the great Soviet breakout in 1939 and later fighting in 1944. These are also areas that were heroically defended by the Finns in both wars. We will tour the Russian city of Vyborg and allow some shopping during the day. Later in the evening we will move to the Lokki area for dinner as well as an overnight stay.

4-5

We will have an early breakfast at the hotel then head to the battlefield of Summa. Summa is one of the most important battlefields relating to the Finnish-Russian history, as this key area saw bloodshed during both the Winter and Continuation Wars. This area was bitterly defended in the Winter War and saw huge loss of life. In the Continuation War this was repeated as Summa once again became a graveyard. This is one of the more interesting stops we will make as the battlefield area is part of a Russian Army base. We are allowed access to tour this field which still has remnants of the battles in place. One can see equipment, spent shells, helmets, barbed wire, and even bones that have laid where they fell those many years ago. The entire place is almost surreal and is a place that will give one pause in remembering the hell that once took place on these grounds.

We will have lunch just outside of Summa, provided by our Finnish field kitchen. We will then travel to Saint Petersburg Russia and check into our hotel. We will have two days in Saint Petersburg and have many activities planned. Included will be a morning tour of the Artillery and Sappers Museum - which is one of the premier military history museums in the world. There are massive collections of artillery items, swords, cannons, small arms, and other such items on display. There will be an in-depth guided tour and we are also trying to have a “behind the scenes tour” set up as well. At this point we can not promise this but have been allowed private tour access in the past. If we can set this up - the items you will be allowed to view are simply amazing. Other highlights will be a tour of Peter-Paul fortress and other historic landmarks in the city. We will provide a top notch guide for our tour of the city. One evening we will provide tickets to see “The Russian Nights” which is a show featuring traditional Russian dancers. The show is excellent and a genuine taste of Russian culture.

Breakfast will be covered on the second morning in Saint Petersburg but lunch and dinner will be up to you. The main reason for this is that we will be on the move quite a bit and you should also have some free time on the second evening to do as you wish. There will also be time for shopping as the shops and the flea markets in Saint Petersburg as always very interesting. One never knows just what is going to turn up.

Of course all along the way military details of what took place in this area will be covered. This history including Finnish, Russian, as well as German military history.

6

On Monday morning breakfast will be provided at our hotel in Saint Petersburg then we will make the journey to one of the most interesting and historic cities in all of Russia, the city of Novgorod. This ancient city is steeped in history dating from medieval times - as well as having an exciting history in the years of World War Two. Novgorod is historically one of the most important trade cities in Russia, as it was the gateway to the Baltic Sea trading routes. It was also in medieval times the main route from Northern Europe to the Roman Empire and Constantinople. This is also the location where the great Russian hero Alexander Nevsky defeated the Teutonic Knights near Lake Chudskoe, saving both the city as well as Russia from foreign invaders. In 1941 this city was taken by the Germans and later liberated in fierce fighting by the Red Army. Novgorod translates to “New City” but has a lot of old history to it.

Our time spent here will deal with segments of all the history mentioned above and will include a city tour. This is a beautiful city with many old churches and like buildings still intact as a massive restoration project was put into place just after WW2 (the city was all but leveled during the war). It should be a relaxed day of sightseeing and shopping, as Novgorod has some fine shopping outlets we will visit. This is a city that in past trips we never were able to fit in but on this trip we made sure to include this fine historic city to the tour. A great mix of older history with more modern military history.

7:

We will get up early this morning as we have a long day in store for the group, in fact this being the longest travel day in Europe. After breakfast we will head northward to make the trip to the Novada Ladoka region of the tour. Our goal is to get to the area of Syvari (Svir River area) to have lunch. While there we will tour the Museum Of Syvari and do some sightseeing. This entire leg of the journey is a walk through the time of the great siege of Leningrad. A lot of history will be covered as we make this day trip - Russian - Finnish - German. This was one of the key points on this entire front and there is much to see.

We will end up at our hotel in the evening and will provide dinner. This will be a long travel day as we make our way into the heart of the Lake Ladoga region. While a long day - we will provide plenty of information to satisfy your need to learn.

8:

This is going to be one of the more interesting segments of the trip as this is an area that we have not taken Western groups in the past. This tour has been lead by our main guide before but in these trips he has only taken Finnish veteran groups.
After breakfast we will head to the Kitela area which is the spot of one of the greatest Finnish “Mottis” lead against the Red Army. In this area is where some of the greatest Soviet losses took place during the Winter War, as the Finns encircled the Red Army and destroyed large pockets in fierce fighting. Of all the battles that took place in the Winter War, this was one of the more important as it prevented the Red Army from sweeping in behind the Finns guarding the Isthmus. This is a battlefield that is a must see to the serious historian/collector. Our guides have taken veterans from this battle to the area and have laid forth a true history of what happened by those that lived it.

The Lemetti-Kollaa area is our next venture for the day. Kollaa is perhaps one of the most famous of all the battlefields of the Winter War. Referred to as “The Miracle Of Kollaa” the world’s attention was focused here in 1939 as the small Finnish forces did the impossible, holding this ground while being vastly outgunned and outnumbered by the Red Army. These positions were never surrendered and kept out of Soviet hands due to shear “sisu” by the Finnish defenders. This is also the hunting ground of the great Finnish sniper, Simo Hayha.

We were blessed in two past trips to Finland to have the honor of Mr. Hayha attending meetings with us at the Salpa Line Museum. In one such meeting it was discussed with Mr. Hayha that we would like to take a group to Kollaa one day. In this conversation Mr. Hayha told us that we would hand draw us a map to locate one of his old sniper positions in the field. This position was the only one he felt we would be able to locate due to the landmarks in the general area. Mr. Hayha graciously provided us with this map and our Finnish guide was in fact able to locate the former position of this celebrated Finnish hero. BattleTours will take you to this spot! The spot where this Finnish hunter did his work. It is an honor to be able to offer this to you and really amazing this great Finnish hero was willing to share this information with us. - Lunch and dinner provided this day as well. Hotel transfer that evening. The entire travel time on the 25th-26th will be in areas of interest in both the Winter War and Continuation War (WW2) - dealing with Finnish-Russian-Germany military history.

9:

We will have breakfast then make our way back into Finland again covering some historic ground that saw much fighting during the wars. We will head to the Vartsila-Hameenlinna area as that is where we will be staying that night. This route is also quite scenic and an enjoyable ride.

The two tours we have planned this day will be spectacular as they feature two of the best museums in all of Finland, The Artillery Museum at Hameenlinna and the Parola Armor Museum. These museums are truly world class and are known throughout the world for the quality exhibits they have in place. The Artillery Museum is quite large with thousands of artillery pieces and like items on display. There is also information in various segments that show the life of the soldiers that served in these units. The grounds themselves were a Finnish Army barracks until quite recently. As an added bonus our main guide here will be a retired Finnish Colonel who served in the artillery branch. There is no finer guide that can be found for this museum as our guide made use of most of the items we will see. He can provide first hand information and facts that should be of great interest. Parola is also world renown for its vast collection as the museum features many tanks that are the only known examples in the world. The collection at Parola is almost not to be believed as it is simply put outstanding. Brent Snodgrass and Vic Thomas of BattleTours went to Parola in May of 2003 and were given a tour by noted Finnish author Erkki Käkelä, it is hoped we can secure him as a guide in 2004 but we can not at this point guarantee this. Even if Mr. Käkelä can not be secured, this museum is still a highlight of the tour.

The above will both be morning - mid afternoon tours so for the rest of the day one may wander or shop in Hameenlinna. Hameenlinna is a beautiful town and the tour members should enjoy its atmosphere. Lunch and dinner will be up to the traveler.

NOTE The last two days of the trip are still a work in progress, as we are trying to add some special events. What is listed will indeed be a section of the tour but the dates might be altered a bit - Meaning what is listed for Friday might happen on Saturday.

10

We will have breakfast at the hotel then make the trip to Helsinki. We will be staying two nights in Helsinki at the SAS which is one of the top hotels in the city. Our day in Helsinki will be an interesting one as in the morning we will head to the Finnish Military Cemetery which houses many heroes of Finland. We will spent some morning time there - honoring those that fell then break for lunch. After lunch we will go to the Sotamuseo and be given a tour by its curator Mr. Markku Palokangas. Mr. Palokangas is without a doubt the foremost expert on Finnish small arms and the Sotamuseo is a tremendous museum. In the past the time spent at the Sotamuseo has been some of the most educational and the most enjoyable. Mr. Palokangas and his expertise are sought after and to be able to spent part of an afternoon with him is quite an honor.

11:

Overall this will be a complete free day to allow you to wind down and see the city of Helsinki. It will also allow you time to do some private exploring. The shopping in Helsinki is quite good and offers fine department stores , antique stores, book stores, gun stores, and about any other shopping outlet one could want. The Helsinki flea market is also quite good and worth a visit. One never knows what they might locate at the flea market. There is a possibility of a morning tour of some “bonus” areas but this has not been decided as of yet. It is known that at least the afternoon will be free for you to do as you wish. Meals are up to you but for breakfast which is free for hotel guests.

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BattleTours May 2006

What Is The Price & What Is Included?

One of the main goals we have set is to provide an affordable alternative to the high priced battlefield tour market. While traveling in Europe, surfing the Internet, and seeing brochures at various shows across the US - we noticed that many outlets charge outrageous high prices for such tours. Not only are the overall costs high, there always seems to be be add on's that further cloud the feasibility of such a trip for many collectors / historians. BattleTours keep costs down by keeping the profit margin of the tour leaders down, as profit is not our main goal. Our goals are to have fun, educate, and make sure you have the best trip possible. We also furnish many extras that are simply overlooked or ignored by other such tours, as we want you to feel comfortable and relaxed at all times. When you read the following sections below, we honestly feel you will be impressed with the wide-scale and complete list of what is provided in compared to costs. We challenge you to shop around and compare our prices to others, as we know you will be impressed. We also know you will never find a better tour at any price.

What Is Included?

• Airfare: From Detroit (our departure point) to Helsinki Finland and the return airfare back to Detroit.
  
• All hotel rooms in Europe: We will be staying in a range of hotels ranging from first class, to moderate, to the bare necessities (this on the more remote areas of the tour). All general hotel costs are covered in your fee.
  
• The bus, driver, gas, and related bus expenses: Our bus is a first class Volvo/type bus that has a toilet, comfortable seating, video screens, a frig, and other comfort features. The driver is an experienced veteran of such tours and professional in all regards. This also includes pickup and drop off at the Helsinki International Airport.
  
• Guides: Our guides are simply the best that can be found and all of their main services are paid for upfront. They are worth their weight in gold and will strive to make your travels with us the best that can be offered.
  
• Food: A good portion of the daily food will be covered in your fee. In regards to morning meals almost all of the hotels the breakfast is paid for so you will not have extra charges for this meal. We do not cover this cost every morning but most mornings your meal is paid for in advance. Also traveling with us will be a Finnish "field kitchen" that will provide many lunches for the group. This is a good operation and allows us to eat on the road, not having to slow down and wait for restaurant services. Also since some of the areas we travel are somewhat remote, this service assures a good meal at all times. Those that run the field kitchen are first class in all regards and will be providing good meals served in a friendly manner. Note: Almost all evening meals are not covered and are left up to you. This is done as most evenings we allow you free time to explore on your own, so we can not be there to pay for those meals. See trip outline for more details on meals.
  
• Visas: For Russia and like travel documents.
  
• Tour leaders fees: The USA based group leaders fees are all included. These tours leaders will be in charge of the many details of making the trip go as planned, as well as being with you on every leg of the tour. Also most of the planning and informational outlets were set in place by these group leaders and an advance team was sent forward to these locations ahead of time to ensure quality of the trip.
  
• Informational packets: We try and cater to all groups and levels of collector and historian. As such we have many maps, overviews, and other such packets that will be supplied to our travelers. These outlines-guides should assist you with any questions you might have and give a general outlook - education on various aspects of the trip. These packets are yours to keep.
  
• Admissions: There are a great number of museums, special events, as well as private tours on which we will take you. All related fees will be included in your overall costs, as we do not place additional costs on you along the way. There might be some special events that take place that require additional fees, but if this does occur your participation in such events would be optional. There will not be any hidden fees added to your tour.
  
• Location Transports: There will be at least one day and possibly two days that will allow one to go shopping in areas such as Saint Petersburg and Helsinki. We will do our best to provide some central transport but this will not include any costs such as cabs, train, city bus, or subway fees. We will try and provide you a central drop off point for such events but depending on time frame the return trip to the hotel is up to you. So if you would like to stay later than the group, this is fine as long as you are aware added transport fees are your responsibility.
  
• Countless odds and ends: There are so many little things we do not charge for that it would literally take pages to list them one by one. Instead let us assure you that all the small costs that add up with other trips are covered in your overall fee. We will not hit you up for extras along the way as all charges are done up front.

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What Is Not Included?

• Not much: As you can see from the above we have done our best to cover many of the details and costs related to this venture. Still there are always costs that will be outside of our control and scope. Following is a list of such non-covered fees but this is not limited to the only listed items.
  
• Airfare to Detroit - Hotel In Detroit: The departure city of this tour is Detroit as the airlines and airport there are well suited for our needs. This is one of the busiest of US airports and has professional staff suited to ensure a clean and easy departure. You are responsible for airfare to Detroit as well as return airfare from Detroit to your home city. There is just no way we can cover this cost as our travelers will be coming from all over the continent. You also are totally responsible for your hotel room in Detroit. We will see about getting a group rate at an airport hotel to help keep costs down but all such costs are not a part of the tour package.
  
• Some meals: As stated earlier in most cases your breakfast and lunch will be paid for. In fact in pretty much all cases these two meals will be covered either by the hotel or by our own field kitchen. Many evening meals will be up to you. This is done as we allow tour members some free time in the evenings to do as they wish, and as such we can not be there to cover meals you take on outside of the group travel plans. In most cases one can eat cheaply in Russia and if one watches what they order one can also eat well in Finland for a decent price. Also if you want to take snacks or drinks along with you, the costs for such items are entirely your responsibility. We also will not cover your bar tab!
  
• Tips - Special Optional Events: The tips for guides and the bus driver are not covered in their standard fees. The amount of tip is up to you as some guides will be with us longer than others. The main tip will be due our primary Finnish guide who will be with us from day one to the end of the tour. There is NO NEED to tip the two USA based group leaders and tips to these leaders will not be accepted. There might be special events that come about depending on time frame, luck, and schedule. If there are added fees associated with these events outside of the group plan these are not covered in our fee. If such events do come about then your attendance is not required so it is optional if you attend (pay) for these happenings.
  
• Fees outside the scope of the trip: Any charges you might encounter outside the scope or scale of the trip are your expenses not ours. This means that anything you decide to do on your own those costs are up to you to pay for. This includes but is not limited to meals, shopping, phone calls, drinks, souvenirs, added admission fees to events you do on your own, and like charges. Also if you break it then you pay for it.
  
  As you can see we have done our best to cover all the bases and included pretty much all aspects of the trip into a simple, low, one-time fee. No one provides the amount of hands on service, admissions, and overall expertise BattleTours does for a fraction of what others charge you.
  
  What Is The Bottom Line - The Cost?
  
  The one time charge of the trip is $3350 = note this price is tenative at this date (July 2005) but a firm price will be set in the next few months (this due to the Euro and sky high gas prices).. There is a non-refundable deposit of $700 due 145 days before departure date of May 2006 and full payment is due 60 days before we leave. Simply put there is no one out there that provides so much for the money. Many outlets charge at leat this much and do not include the airfare to Europe. In fact in do some looking around andcompare this to tours that charge : $4000-5000 for like tours without airfare or meals!!!! Also with the way the Euro has changed things in Europe this is even more of a bargain.
  
  We keep the costs down as it is not our goal to make money but our goal is to provide insight and education on this unknown segment of the Second World War. These tours were started by Finns with the goal of spreading their history to other segments of the world and this is still our main focus. Lastly you are dealing with those based in the USA and in Finland, so there is not threat of money issues dealing with countries that do not always have law and order in place. Your fees and moneys are safe with BattleTours. We also take great care in assuring the safety of all our members so do the utmost to provide security and security information briefs to all that travel with us.

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