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  The Ware’s visit Ramstein, Belgium, Normandy and Paris 2009

Editor's Note:  The flight taken by the Wares out of Jackson MS ANG Base to Ramstein is not on the flight schedules at this time. However, they have other flights which may help you connect with a flight to Ramstein AB, Germany.  On 2/17/2012, their phone schedule listed flights to Andrews AFB, Md and McGuire AFB, NJ.  To hear up to date schedules from Jackson MS ANG Base, call 601-405-8761, the SPACE-A INFO LINE. Note-all info subject to change.

On Friday, August 21st we flew from Jackson MS ANG Base to Ramstein AB, Germany for a two-week visit to Germany, Belgium and France. The Jackson ANG C-17s regularly fly to Andrews AFB, MD and Ramstein AB, Germany. As “independent travelers” we enjoy traveling by rental car and touring on our own timetable. We stay in small B&B’s or the Affordable Travel Club (ATC) member’s homes for the equivalent of $30 per night (www.affordabletravelclub.net).  We used our Tom Tom GPS and loved it.

 About a month out I went on line to www.charter-us.com , a discount reseller of Hertz cars in Germany. I linked from that web site to Hertz and reserved a car at their Ramstein AB office with a $15 discount.  Since their office closes at 1400 on Saturday just before our scheduled arrival time if we stop at Andrews, I reserved a car for 0830 on Monday the 24th.

The next big event was to call Ramstein Central Reservations to get a room for three days starting on the 22nd.  You have to make this call between 0730 and 1600 Ramstein time the day before you arrive. I called at 0530 my time using the prepaid phone card.  I was number ten in the queue. It took forty-five minutes to get a live person. All they had was at Sembach, about 15 miles east of Ramstein and us without a car till Monday. We took it anyway. Later, that morning I called and changed it to two single rooms on Ramstein. The issue is that a couple cannot be put in joining room suites.

At the 1605L showtime on base we found out that the flight would not stop at Andrews but would be a non-stop nine hour flight to Ramstein.  Saturday Aug 22 – We arrived Ramstein at about 1015L.  After getting our checked baggage, we went to the passenger check in counter and found our name was not on the register.  I presented them with the email Ramstein had sent me to confirm getting my email, so they used my original sign up date. We ate at Subway® Subs in the terminal, which may be closing since there is one across the street in the new military mall.  At the USO we sent email to the family. We were in no hurry since we did have two single rooms reserved on base. Rooms usually become available later in the day.  We walked across the street to the new hotel and the only Ramstein Lodging reception on base. (The Hertz office is still in the old location.)  At the reception desk, there were still no double rooms available, but the clerk said we could be on standby for the 1800 hour cancellations.  We signed on to that list and were about number eight down.  We decided to wait in the lobby; we expected the rooms would became available elsewhere on base and we would need to use the base shuttle to get there. After a while we noticed that the last base shuttle left there at 1735.  I went back to check on things and the clerk said she had just put us in a double room in bldg 538 across from the library. However, the room was not cleaned and she could not give us a key until it was cleaned.  

We deposited our luggage in their storage room and we both went to explore the new mall.  The mall has high ceiling in a crescent shape, wrapping around the BX. The food court is large.  The AAFES bookstore is separate and looks like Barnes & Noble. The Class Six store and Cinnamon Bun Shop is also separate. There is a large sports bar and grill which opens on a second floor terrace. A large outdoor sports shop is below that. The ITT (travel agency) is above the reception and across from coffee shop.  The theater and Harley shop is above the mall and the new car dealer is outside.   There are many commissioners in the mall, which retirees can shop, but still we cannot shop at any AAFES facility.

After touring the mall we checked back at reception and our room was ready.  We retrieved our luggage went to catch the base shuttle, which is in front of the terminal not in front of the hotel.  After settling in  bldg 538, I checked our email at the library across the street.  That night we had good Chinese food at the Community Center which also has a pizza shop.

Sunday, Aug 23    On the way to chapel (1100) we checked out the Sunday Brunch at the Club, which is open to everyone. It is huge and cost, $22.95 per person.   The building also has a barbeque place downstairs and an Italian sandwich shop on the front.  After chapel we bought  Subway® sandwich's at the shoppette.   

Monday, Aug 24 We picked up our Hertz rental car at 0800, checked out of the lodging and headed toward Menen, Belgium which is about forty miles southeast of Bruges.  Our route took us within thirty kilometers from Bastogne, Belgium.  Since it was raining the last time we were there and we were unable to visit the museum at the memorial, we decided to visit again today. We stopped on the square with the WWII tank and had lunch at a sidewalk café. We followed our GPS to the large star-shaped memorial and enjoyed the museum.  Back on the road we made good time in the free motorways of Belgium.  We drove on to our ATC travel club members home in Menen near Courtrai, BE and Lille, France.