Dear Sir, Right you are. $ 500 for a visit to Belleau Wood and the Aisne Marne Memorial is a lot of money for what is offered. It is nothing less than a ripp off, in particular as these sites, and many more in the vicinity can be visited for free, them being under the care of the American Battle Monuments Committee (ABMC) Last year I organized a 3-day tour of the Champagne battlefields, including the above mentioned sites and many more (4 to 5 visits per day), hotel, lunches and transportation by bus for the equivalent of $ 460. On a non-profit basis, but still… My advise would be 1) buy Battle Field Guide to The Western Front-South by Major & Mrs Holt (Pen & Sword Military) which provides excellent explanations of what happened + driving instructions + schematic road maps, 2) use your own car or rent one (these days they all have a navigation system on board), and do it on your own or with a couple of friends. Or, 3) pop into the Tourist Information at Château - Thierry. There they will provide you with excellent advise and information on what is to be seen and to be done around Château - Thierry. Have a look at their website (also available in English) for what they have on offer at prices far below the $ 500 you're being asked to pay. Kind regards!

Hi John, Can you tell me where you rented a car in Chateau Thierry?

And tell us about your trip. We can tell you what we did, comment on your plans and offer some ideas to make it even better.

We didn't use a guide. Our time was short because there were a few other USMC places in the area that we wanted to visit that day. So we just drove to the the Marine Memorial and walked around the wood.

I would check with the US government: or with US Marines as so significant in their history.

I would suggest renting a car and driver. You can take the train to Chateau-Thierry and have a car pick you up there. If you are brave enough, you can rent a car there instead but I am not comfortable driving in foreign countries, even Mexico! We rented a car with a driver from Paris but he ended up getting lost. We got an amazing tour of the countryside and he did not charge us extra! I think it is well worth the trouble. It was an amazing experience. There is a small town of Marney which has a little museum which is right next to the property that has the fountain for the Devil Dogs. You can get the key from the museum but only US Marines are allowed to visit the fountain. As a mom, I was allowed but was not to drink from it. The memorial is just outside of Marney and is beautiful. If you can, go early in the morning. There is a staff there that is paid by the American government and they love to host Marines. They can give you directions to the battlefield which is about 2-3 miles away. That is also amazing. You can see the foxholes, the craters from the bombs, the fields the Marines had to cross. It is honestly one of the most beautiful memories I have with my son. I highly suggest it. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. No one is Paris was really aware of this place and it took some digging to get there but so worth it.

They say plan a cpl hours at battlefield but it can be done in an hour if your physically up for it. Uneven terrain and hills. They have a great map and trail for the battlefield. Cemetary is about an hour depending upon what headstones you may be interested in as well as the memorial chapel. It is small, only cpl hundred yards across. If your lucky you can get a detailed battle description from the cwnetary director which is another 30 minutes or so if your a history buff. If your Marine then add another half hour to get to the fountain and take it in.