Your tour
will take in a combination of battlefields, memorials and
war cemetaries. You'll learn why battles were fought at particular
locations, your guide will help you to interpret the landscape
and look for signs of the battle evident today. You'll hear
the countless stories of personal bravery and sacrifice, not
just on the battlefield but also the acts of ordinary people
in extraorinary times.
Specialist Battlefield Guides: Consistently highly rated by
Leger's guests for their knowledge, personal perspective and
going the extra mile; your guide on tour will be one of Leger's
hand picked specialists. The team of over 20 guides is headed
by Paul Reed, Tony Lea and Bill McQuade, who between the three
of them have a combined total of over 50 years' guiding experience!
Reims & Verdun Coach Holidays 5 Days - 7.5%
Discount
Verdun
was one of the worst battlefields of the First World War
both in terms of the terrible conditions on the ground,
with mud, shell holes and barbed wire, and the huge losses:
some 770,000 casualties were suffered here in 1916. After
the war, the whole area was designated a memorial and planted
with trees – preserving miles and miles of trenches
and shell holes. In this respect Verdun is a unique battlefield,
with many more relics of the fighting compared to Ypres
and the Somme.
Reims
& Verdun Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: 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:
To Calais
then return home. B
Included Meals: B=Breakfast
Your Hotel
You will stay for 4 nights
at the 3-star Quality Hotel Reims Cathedrale in Reims, 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.
Silver
Service Departure Dates & Prices 2008 Tour ref 5FBRV
4 nights’
accommodation with continental breakfast
Specialist Battlefield Guide
3 full-day battlefields visits as listed above
Travel by Silver Service luxury coach
Porterage at your hotel
Smaller, more personal group
Note: Entrance fees to museums & places of interest are
at extra cost.
Leger
Brochure Price in Black Travel 55 Discount Price
in Red Quote Travel 55 Ref: T5501 + Tour Code
Tel Leger Reservations
on 0845 458 5604
April
28
£327 £303
August
4
£347 £321
May
5
£333 £309
September 22
£347 £321
June
9
£347 £321
October 13
£327 £303
Prices
are per person, based on two sharing.
Extras
• Optional excursions • Single room supplement
£99 • Travel insurance: Standard £26.95,
Gold upgrade £5.
Executive
Coach Departure Dates & Prices 2008 Tour ref 5FBR
Travel
by Executive coach
4 nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast
Specialist Battlefield Guide
3 full-day battlefields visits as listed above
Note: Entrance fees to museums & places of interest are
at extra cost.
Leger
Brochure Price in Black Travel 55 Discount Price
in Red Quote Travel 55 Ref: T5501 + Tour Code
Tel Leger Reservations
on 0845 458 5604
June
30
£307 £284
September
22
£307 £284
Prices
are per person, based on two sharing.
Extras
• Optional
excursions • Single room supplement £99 •
Travel insurance: Standard £26.95, Gold upgrade £5.
To
book or to check availability Contact Leger Holidays
0845 458 5604 Quote Travel 55 Ref T5501
plus Leger's Holiday Code
Please note - prices may change & will
be confirmed when you call to make a booking.
The discount will be applied accordingly to reflect the
price
