Day 1 - After joining your holiday coach, travel to Dover for the short sea crossing to Calais. On arrival in France, head across the border to Belgium where the tour commences with a visit to Lissenjenhoek Cemetery. This was the location of Casualty Clearing Stations on the mainline of communication between the Salient and bases toward the coast. Continue to Ypres/Ieper to check-in to your centrally located hotel with free time to explore the town and the local points of interest around Ypres. Dinner (set sharing menu) is included this evening at a local restaurant, located just around the corner from the hotel. DBB on first evening and BB for remaining two days
Day 2 - After breakfast, head off for a tour of the Salient with visits including Essex Farm, where John McCrae wrote the poem 'In Flanders Fields' in 1915. Then cross the Yser Canal to Pilkhem Ridge, the left flank of the 3rd Battle Ypres 1917. The Welsh National Memorial Park with the Welsh Dragon Memorial is located nearby which commemorates the services of men and women of Welsh origin, wherever they served during the Great War as part of the Allied Powers. Continue to the Steenbeek memorial dedicated to the 'Last Fighting Tommy', Harry Patch. It marks the exact spot where Harry and his comrades crossed the flooded river Steenbeek in the early hours of 16 August 1917 on a hasty constructed pontoon, to retake the village of Langemarck from the German occupying forces after heavy fighting. Next stop is Vancouver Corner, the location of the German gas attack of April 1915 and Passchendaele village to Tyne Cot, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world. There are 11,961 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Tyne Cot Cemetery. Lunch (not included) will be taken at a suitable stop during the day as visits continue to the village of Zonnebeke and Polygon Wood and Black Watch Corner Memorial, a permanent tribute to the steadfastness of the legendary Black Watch regiment. Onward to the key position at Hill 60, recalling the horrors of undergrounds warfare and seeing preserved mine craters and bunkers including the Caterpillar Crater
Day 3 - After an early breakfast, travel south to Picardy and the River Somme. Cross to the southern bank which offers excellent views for a stop at the location of opposing French and German frontlines as they were in the summer of 1914. The head north following the British line of 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Visits today include Maricourt and the Devonshire Trench at Mametz which was within the German lines until 1 July 1916 when it was captured by the 7th Division. Continue to the German cemetery at Fricourt, a stark reminder of the extensive loss of life on all sides of WWI, this cemetery is the burial place of 17,027 fallen German soldiers. Only 5000 of the graves are individual; the remainder of the dead lie in four mass graves. Lunch (not included) will be taken at a suitable stop. 1 July 1916 was the worst day ever in British military history and La Boisselle was the worst battlefield. It holds the record for the highest number of casualties on one day - 6,380 as well as the highest number of soldiers killed - 2,267 as well as the Lochnagar Mine, the largest man-made explosion at that time. The Lochnagar Crater has been preserved as a memorial site to commemorate the men and women of all nations who suffered in the Great War. Continue to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, a monumental war memorial to 72,337 missing British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme between 1915 and 1918.
Credit: The Lochanager Crater Foundation
Day 4 - After breakfast, head to Calais via Poperinghe and visit to Talbot House, a place of rest and recuperation for all soldiers during WW1 regardless of rank, a community away from the frontline (entrance included). Cross the Channel back to Dover and interchange, to arrive back in your home town later today
IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFORMATION
ETIAS
ETIAS (European Travel Information Authorisation System) is due to begin in April 2025 and will be an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals (inc. UK) travelling to Europe. ETIAS will be linked to a traveller’s passport and is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
ETIAS must be applied for at least 72 hours in advance of travel and will cost €7.00. Under 18’s and Over 70’s are free, but they still need to be registered. For more information, please visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en
Passport
For advice on passports when travelling into Europe please visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/travelling-in-europe/
EES (European Entry & Exit System)
The planned launch date of 10 November 2024 has been delayed and no start date has been given as to when EES (European Entry & Exit System) will be in place. This is the new entry and exit system for UK citizens (and many other citizens) when entering or exiting the EU. For more information, please visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en