Battle fields Tour

[Scarecrow]

Hi Guys
I hope I'm posting in the right place

My Mate and I are wanting to do a tour of the battlefields probably next year
I was wondering if anyone Done /Planned this trip and could give me any suggestions on the best way to do it
Thanks in advance.

[TowerMan]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

Hi Guys
I hope I'm posting in the right place

My Mate and I are wanting to do a tour of the battlefields probably next year
I was wondering if anyone Done /Planned this trip and could give me any suggestions on the best way to do it
Thanks in advance.

Look here for some idea's - www.ride.co.uk/routes-content/normandy
and Tour No. 1 on this link - www.ride.co.uk/routes-content/france-total-touring

[TYKE]

I've been on a few battlefield tours for both WW1 and WW2 ..... however I was in a group and didn't have anything to do with the organisation,  so in that respect I  cant  help with any organisational tips.

What I would say is that, for me, the trip that was the most amazing and important was the WW1 battlefields

I won't list them because you can easily research them yourself, but be prepared to be emotional when you do visit them and realise the importance and significance of the events, especially when you visit any of the many memorial sites.....the scale of these events is truly staggering

[Ditchburn12]

I’ve done a few trips there, the last in October. If it’s WW1 I would suggest Ypres as a good base. If you want a stop over between Calais and Ypres Ghent is a great town, especially if you like a beer.
A few days based in Ypres will cover the main sites such as Tyne Cot (largest British war cemetery), the Menin Gate ceremony each evening 8pm in Ypres, Santuary Wood, Hooge crater. Hill 60 and so on. Ypres has a good museum in the Cloth Hall and also has a relaxed but enjoyable evening life. I’d also recommend Vimy Ridge. It’s owned and preserved by the Canadian Government. You used to be able to take a tour of the underground tunnels if you booked in advance. If it’s available it’s well worth it. I’d suggest then doing a couple of days on the Somme battlefield. Beaumont Hammel is a good start, it’s also preserved by Canada.
For hotels we use booking.com, hotels.com and trivago to get the best deals. Booking well in advance often gets a better price
For WW2 a base in Normandy around Caen will give you access to all the D Day beaches and museums. Most places are well signposted and have information boards.
Oh and don’t get conned into buying breathalyser kits by the ferry company, you don’t need them any more.

[Scarecrow]

Thank Guys.
Great response to my post. You all have given me some staring points
 Gratefully  appreciated.
Thanks Again.

[PhilDHY]

We go quite regularly. As mentioned above, Ypres is a great base. In Flanders Fields museum in Ypres is very good, as it the Passchendale museum which is quite close. Sanctuary wood has a collection of photographs that would take a day to go through, very graphic, but shows the reality. Men in gate ceremony slightly curtailed at the moment as it is being completely refurbished. Last Post still takes place, but outside the gate and without the band's.