Pathfinder Tour and Trip Consultants

Welcome to Pathfinder Tour and Trip Consultants!
Col. Johnson
Col. Johnson of the 501st shakes hands with his men prior to the Normandy jump.
Courtesy M. Bando.
We are a travel and tour consultancy firm specializing in guided, European World War II battlefield tours.
Our goal is to provide our customers with the best, in-depth tour experience AND education.
Our main focus is on the U.S. Airborne areas of operation in Normandy, France but we also provide tours to the British and Canadian sectors as well.

What makes us different?

  • We’re experienced.
    Our tour guides consist of world-renowned historians who live and breathe the history they teach.
  • We’re committed to our Veterans.
    We try to have a Veteran accompany us on every tour, to add their unique perspective and to help preserve their history.
  • We’re connected.
    We have secured special permission to tour certain sites that cannot be accessed publicly, and know about some sites that no one else does!
  • We’re focused and intense.
    We only organize small groups of 10-20 people allowing us to spend more time at locations, and see more.
  • We’re casual!
    We like to have fun while we learn. We try to be inclusive, so everyone feels comfortable and has a great time.
  • We're FLEXIBLE!
    If our tour dates don't work for you, contact us to see if we can arrange a tour that fits your schedule!
    (minimum reservation requirements apply)

Attention Travel Agents!
We look forward to working with you! Please contact us for more information.

 

New & Noteworthy

We're pleased to announce a
Bando Tour to Normandy
organizing NOW for

May 20-29 2008!

Contact us and reserve your seat!

Attention Teachers

Consider joining us on our
May Bando Tour to Normandy
to get a flavor for what our Student Tours are like!
 

 
Dead Man's Corner
Dead Man's Corner
 

Hi! I'm Mark Patterson...

Mark "Sparky" Patterson
Mark "Sparky" Patterson

As a collector and historian of all things U.S. Airborne related, it is my extreme pleasure to be your host for guided, educational tours to the Normandy Invasion areas and beyond. It's my goal to share with you my passion for this subject, and for you to consider your tour the best you've ever taken!

I've been collecting and studying the vast subject of World War II for more than 30 years. I've visited many of the European battlefield areas many times over the years, including Normandy, Holland and Bastogne. I'm currently writing a book on the subject of collecting Airborne related WWII artifacts and memorabilia.

That's a picture of me to the left, at the church in Angoville-au-Plain, Normandy. The stained glass window over my shoulder was designed and handcrafted by me, and donated to the village church as part of a restoration project and memorial to 101st Airborne medics Robert Wright & Kenneth Moore. I'm currently designing another stained glass window for the windmill at Eerde in Holland, which will be another tribute to American Paratroopers.

I maintain a separate, personal site for my collection and past trips. Feel free to take a look: http://www.ww2paratroopers.com/

Thanks for stopping by and considering Pathfinder for your next Tour experience!