About your tour
Verdun was one of the worst battlefields of the First World War,
in terms of the terrible conditions on the ground, with mud, shell
holes and barbed wire, and the huge losses - an estimated 770,000
casualties were sustained in 1916. After the war, the whole area
was designated a memorial site. Trees were planted, which helped
preserve the miles of trenches and shell holes. In this respect,
Verdun is a unique battlefield, showcasing more relics of the
battle than Ypres and the Somme.
Included highlights -
- Travel by executive coach
- 4 nights accommodation with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefields Guide
- 3 excursions including: 'Old Contemptibles' and British
Actions; Fleury Village, Douaumont Ossuary and The Trench of
Bayonets; Cote 304 and Mort Homme; and Forts Douaumont and
Vaux
Please note: Entrance fees to museums and
places of interest are at added cost.
Holiday Accommodation -
You will stay for 4 nights at the 3-star Quality Hotel Reims
Cathedrale in Reims, France, located approximately a 10-minute walk
from the cathedral. The hotel offers its guests a restaurant and
bar plus lift. All bedrooms have T.V., telephone, hairdryer,
mini-bar and air-conditioning. Due to high demand other hotels of a
similar standard may be used.
Reims Cathedrale
- 3 Star Rating
- Lift & Wheelchair Access
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Safe Box at Reception
- English Speaking Staff
Room
Facilities -
- En Suite with Bath or Shower
- Air Conditioning
- Satellite TV
- Minibar
- Telephone
- Hairdryer
- Radio
Departing -
Executive Coach Travel -
Silver
Service -
- 11th Jun -
£319
- 20th Aug -
£319
- 15th Oct -
£309
ALL prices are per person, based on two sharing.
Executive Coach Travel
-
Welcome to executive
coach travel with a difference! We combine years of experience and
an in-depth knowledge of the coaching business to provide you with
a guarantee of quality and peace of mind, every time!
All of our coaches are modern and comfortable, and you can be
assured of a high level of service and reliability from our
expert-trained coach crews, who will be on hand to assist and
escort you along the way.
Features -
- Air-conditioning
- Reclining seats
- Drink machines
- Onboard toilets
- Over 400 convenient local joining points across the U.K.
Silver Service -
Why not upgrade to Silver Service for added comfort and
features?
Combine ever-changing unique European landscapes and the comfort
of your own armchair, and you've got deluxe Silver Service
coach travel with added benefits!
More space. More comfort. More luxury. Travel in uncompromised
style and comfort and get a whole lot more for a little extra!
Upgrade and you'll receive the added benefits listed below. We find
that our Silver Service tours are very popular, so we recommend
that you book early to secure your place.
Luxury -
- Separate lounge
- Leather headrests
- Tinted, double-glazed windows
- Specially created fabrics
Comfort -
- Fully air-conditioned
- Reclining seats
- Toilet/washroom
- Refrigerator & servery
- Comfortable seats with more legroom
Value -
- Extra excursions included
- Smaller group sizes
- Porter service at hotels
Entertainment -
- DVD and video, CD/tape player with free personal headphones -
listen at your convenience
- Satellite navigation display to see how your journey is
progressing
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Your itinerary
Reims & Verdun -
5-Day Break
- Day
1 - We travel to the Reims area for a four-night
stay.
- Day
2 - 'OLD CONTEMPTIBLES' AND BRITISH ACTIONS
(included). We depart on our first full day for the
battlefields close to Reims, following both the 'Old Contemptibles'
of 1914 and the weary British divisions that defended this area in
May 1918. We see the British cemetery at La Ville, looking at the
moving story of Colonel Buckle and his last stand. We then examine
the Devonshire Regiment at the Bois des Buttes, an action which
resulted in the award of the Croix de Guerre, seeing their
memorial. In the 1914 sector we see the British graves in Soupir
churchyard, with its WW1 graffiti, and at Varennes. We spend
lunchtime in Soissons, taking time to visit the British memorial to
the missing there. In the afternoon, we drive along the Chemin des
Dames, where French forces fought in 1917, seeing the Dragon's
Cave, an underground quarry where both sides fought each other, and
now a museum B
- Day
3 - FLEURY VILLAGE, DOUAUMONT OSSUARY AND THE TRENCH OF
BAYONETS (included). Today we head for Verdun to begin our
look at the fighting there in 1916. The tour starts at the Fleury
Museum, arguably the best war museum on the whole Western Front,
with time to visit what remains of Fleury village. Lunch in Verdun,
followed by time at the huge National Cemetery and Ossuary at
Douaumont; the resting place of more than 120,000 men. At the
Trench of Bayonets we look at this famous legend, seeing the unique
memorial and head out to the bunkers and trenches where the battle
began at the Bois des Caures, where Colonel Driant fought a
desperate battle in February 1916. B
- Day
4 - COTE 304 AND MORT HOMME; FORTS DOUAUMONT AND VAUX
(included). Our second day at Verdun starts with a look at
the left flank at Cote 304 and Mort Homme - two vital pieces of
high ground, which cost thousands of lives on both sides in 1916.
We see the memorials and signs of trenches among the trees. Lunch
in Verdun with extended time in the town. We then spend the
afternoon exploring the forts at Douaumont and Vaux. These huge
defence works have been left in their wartime state with shell
holes and battlefield relics everywhere. This is a fascinating end
to a tour to one of the most remarkable battle sites in France
B
- Day
5 - We travel to Calais, then home. B
B=Breakfast Br=Brunch
L=Lunch D=Dinner
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