YPRES SALIENT, THE SOMME, VILLERS-BRETONNEUX , FROMELLES & VIMY RIDGE - This three day introductory tour allows visitors to see the major areas of British and Commonwealth involvement across the Western Front. All the major Commonwealth countries; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, as well as Britain, played major roles in ensuring ultimate victory and the tour is flexible enough to ensure that visitors from all countries will see the memorials to their countries fallen, as well as gaining a greater understanding of the overall conduct and strategy of the war.
Tour Inclusions:
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2 nights charming accommodation
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Specialist Battlefield driver/guide companion
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Mini-coach transportation throughout
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Continental breakfast daily
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1 evening meal
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All entrances fees
Countries Visited
Day 1: Lille – Ypres Salient
After departing Lille we spend today in the Salient to see some of the most important sites that remain; John McRae’s Essex Farm, Messines Ridge, Hooge crater, Polygon Wood and Tyne Cot. Walk the moonscape of the Hill 60 battlefield and see literally dozens of memorials to British, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian regiments and units. This evening we will have supper in the city before attending the nightly playing of the Last Post under the Menin Gate at 8pm. (N)
Overnight: Hotel Kasteelhof 'T Hooghe or similar
Day 2: Ypres - The Somme - Villers-Bretonneux - Ypres
Today we visit the Somme battlefield to see, amongst other important sites, the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel, the Ulster Tower, the Pozières battlefield, Windmill Hill, and Courcellette. We will also visit the National War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, before returning, via the huge Lochnagar mine crater, to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing to conclude the day. (B,D)
Overnight: Hotel Kasteelhof 'T Hooghe or similar
Day 3: Ypres – Fromelles - Vimy Ridge - Lille
We begin our final day on the Fromelles battlefield. We will tour the battlefield and see the new Pheasant Wood Cemetery, dedicated in the presence of HRH Prince Charles and Quentin Brice in July 2010. We will also see where Adolf Hitler served and the bunker he is reputed to have used as a billet. We cross the Loos battlefield on our way to the Canadian Memorial Park at Vimy Ridge, where we take a trench and tunnel tour (weather permitting) and spend time at the massive and imposing Vimy Memorial. We continue to Lille where this tour ends. (B)
Tour departs at 0830hrs from and returns 1800hrs to:
Meeting point at Lille Europe Station
Gare de Lille-Europe
59800, Lille, France
