The Ypres WW1 Battlefields, Belgium (30 Jun - 2 Jul 17)

Tour Details

2017 is the 100th year since the Battle of Passchendaele. This World War 1 battle took place in the Ypres salient, Belgium. The Ypres sector had seen the best part of four years of trench warfare fighting, concentrated into a narrow area of ground to the north, east and south of the town of Ypres. As a result, many thousands had died in the daily grind of “Tours of Trenches” or in an attack on the enemy line.

This short weekend tour is ideal to those new to touring abroad and for anyone wanting to gain an understanding of the sacrifices made by so many during the Great War. Based in Ypres for the weekend we will visit the Passchendaele Museum, a fantastic museum that will give you a real feel for the history of the Battle of Passchendale. We will follow this by visiting Tyne Cot Cemetery, the scale of which will focus your mind to events of 1917. Sanctuary Wood and the Hooge Crater are two more locations we will visit, giving you more of an understanding of the events in the Ypres area during the Great War.  There will be time to visit, on foot, the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres and attend the daily last post ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial. This moving ceremony has taken place every evening since 1928. The Menin Gate Memorial is dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient and whose graves are unknown. It contains 54,000 names.

The tour will commence by meeting at the Channel tunnel around lunch time on Friday for a short Channel crossing to France. Arriving in France we will avoid major roads and travel to Ypres, taking about 90 minutes. Once established in our 3 star hotel there will be time to visit the In Flanders Field Museum, providing you with an understanding of the Great War events that affected Ypres and the surrounding area. Saturday will be spent visiting the locations mentioned above. We depart on Sunday, after breakfast. Instead of a direct route to the Channel we will go via Vimy Ridge.The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a memorial to all Canadians who served their country in battle during the Great War. 60,000 Canadians were killed. At the memorial site there will be an opportunity to explore tunnels up 10 meters underground, used by both sides to exploit sub terrain advances, destroying trench systems from below!! Arriving at the Chunnel for a mid afternoon train, the tour ends with our arrival in the UK.

Cost:

£250:  One person sharing a double or twin room – 2 bikes

£450: Two people sharing a double or twin room – 1 bike

£350:  One person, sole occupancy – 1 bike (limited availability)

A deposit of £100 per person will secure a place on the tour, the balance being payable 8 weeks before the commencement date of the tour. Any booking made within 6 weeks of commencement of the tour must be paid in full at time of booking. Please read the terms and conditions for the provision of this tour.

What is included?

2 nights 3 star accommodation with breakfast

Return Folkestone/Calais Eurotunnel ticket

Route notes as appropriate – Garmin GPS

Tour package including preparation notes for travelling abroad

The company of a tour guide who will escort you throughout

What is not included?

Fuel

Tolls

Food and drink other than that specified

Personal travel insurance

Breakdown cover

Entrance fees to visitor attractions, museums etc

Parking charges