Group Tour Operator & DMC for holidays to Belgium and France
WW1 Battlefields: Flanders and The Somme (based in Lille)
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Woods Cemetery, Westtoer ©2023 Jan D’Hondt Ateljé D
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Thiepval and Visitor Centre, Somme
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Thiepval Memorial, Somme
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Museum Passchendaele ©Courtesy of VisitFlanders
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Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
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Menin Gate, Ypres
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Tyne Cot WW1 Cemetery © Commonwealth war graves commission
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Tyne Cot, Belgium © PT Wilding
Although over 100 years have now passed, the significance of World War 1 and its battles has not faded. We mark the end of fighting in World War 1, with Armistice Day and as we commemorate this poignant moment in history, we remember the individuals who fell for their country and their sacrifices. A visit to the battlefields in Belgium and France is an excellent way of paying tribute whilst learning more about the events which transpired.
Flanders and The Somme were the scenes of much fighting during the ‘war to end all wars’. Experience the emotion of visiting the remains of the trenches, where millions of young men fought and died. Although it is difficult to imagine the suffering and the sacrifice that took place, or the horrendous conditions in which men lived and fought, your specialist battlefields guide will bring the stories of these soldiers to life. In addition to the battlefields, there are also museums and memorials well worth visiting. Delve into this emotional time in history at the award winning ‘In Flanders Fields’ Museum in Ypres and the Wellington Quarries in Arras. These evocative attractions take you on an enlightening journey from the declaration of the First World War in Belgium and France through to the Armistice. Then, engage in sombre reflection at the cemeteries where Allied and German soldiers are laid to rest.
Explore the towns, villages and sites that reshaped Europe during this time. Ypres, located in Western Flanders, was the site of a series of battles which were decisive in the outcome of this global conflict. The Battle of the Somme was a joint operation between British and French forces and remains the most painful and infamous episode of WW1.
In February 2023, Greatdays staff undertook a familiarisation trip to the WW1 Battlefields, visiting the featured hotels, museums and cemeteries. Therefore, we can offer suggestions in order to add personal touches to your commemoration tour. One hundred years may have passed since the end of World War 1, but in moving forward it is important for us to look back and reflect upon this tragic part of our history.
Dates
Throughout 2025 and 2026 on request
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1
Depart the UK
Take the short sea ferry crossing from Dover to Calais and continue by coach to your hotel in the Lille** area for the next 3 nights. After check-in, relax and enjoy evening dinner in the hotel.
(**We are also able to offer hotels in the Ypres area in Belgium which can follow the same itinerary – please ask for details)
Day 2
In Flanders Fields Museum and the ’14-18′ Route
Make the short journey to Ypres for a self-guided visit of the ‘In Flanders Fields Museum’ which has been renovated and improved in recent years. It is located in the former Cloth Halls of Ypres, in the centre of the town and presents the story of WW1 in the West Flanders Front region. Using bracelets given to you on arrival, you can activate the exhibits and read accounts of people from the First World War, tailored to be personal to yourself. There are also several films showing clips of the battles and a retelling of life in a WW1 Hospital. (N.B. The museum is closed for most of January and on Mondays between November and March.)
After free time and some lunch meet up with your experienced guide for a journey by coach around the 14-18 route visiting battlefields and memorials enroute. Stops may include Essex Farm where John McCrae wrote his famous ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem, Langemarck Cemetery which is one of only four German cemeteries in the Flanders region and Tyne Cot Cemetery which is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world. The contrast of the gleaming white headstones of Tyne Cot and the simple grey stones of Langemarck, surrounded by oak trees, both places of remembrance, but markedly different. Other sites including Hill 62 Museum / Sanctuary Wood and the Irish Peace Tower in the Island of Ireland Peace Park can be visited but more time may be required.
On the return to Ypres, there will be some free time to further discover this historical town before heading for dinner in a local restaurant before witnessing the Last Post.
At 8pm each evening, the Last Post Ceremony at **Menin Gate will commence. During the war this was the call for all soldiers fighting in the fields outside the gates to head back to the city for the evening. However, many did not return back through the gates. The tradition continues each evening to this day and is one of the most poignant elements to any battlefields tour. We recommend arriving early to be able to see the ceremony taking place and the wreaths being carried.
Return to the hotel by coach.
**Note: The Menin Gate is currently under renovation which expects to be complete by May 2025 so the ceremony will take place close by.
Day 3
Arras and Somme Battlefields
With an experienced guide, we will tour the Somme Battlefields visiting several important sites including Lochnagar Crater, the largest crater of its kind at 300ft, created from charges packed into a tunnel and yet only one of 17 mines that blew up on 1st July 1916.
Thiepval Memorial is a striking memorial to over 72,000 officers and men of the UK and South African forces who have no known grave. Their names are inscribed on the walls. There is also a small cemetery at the site where French and Commonwealth soldiers lie side by side, their gravestones marking the difference of armies. A visit to the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is a focal point of this day and a sombre experience.
A visit will also be made to Ulster Tower, Northern Ireland’s national war memorial and one of the first Memorials to be erected on the Western Front and commemorates the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division and all those from Ulster who served in WW1. We also recommend visits to Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, Delville Wood or simply one of the many small roadside cemeteries, as the haunting history of the area is hard to miss.
We will also discover Arras which was almost completely rebuilt after being destroyed during the Battle of Arras in WW1. Discover the historic streets and Flemish-style architecture of the squares. However, the town’s history lies not only above ground but under the streets of Arras lie a warren of chalk quarries that proved a strategic base for numerous assaults in WW1. The evocative Wellington Quarries museum relates the story of some 24,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers stationed there, 20m underground in 1917.
Return to the hotel for dinner and a final evening at leisure.
Day 4
Return to the UK
If time allows, take in some final sightseeing before heading to Calais for the short sea ferry crossing to the UK
Specialised Battlefield Tours
If you require a more specialised tour to a particular site or area then please let us know and we can tailor-make the tour to suit your requirements. There are numerous cemeteries, war graves and monuments dedicated to certain battalions, regions or divisions that can be included on tours.
Other areas including the Battle of Verdun and Mons, where the first and last shots of the war were fired, are possible along with tours specifically looking at The Somme or the Ypres Salient. We can also offer tours to the WW2 Battlefields in Normandy.
Suggested Hotel
Mercure Lille Hotel, Lesquin **** – Inspected by Greatdays staff in March 2023
The Mercure Hotel is located a 10 minute drive to the centre of Lille. The hotel has recently been refurbished and offers spacious bedrooms which are well equipped with tea and coffee making facilities, satellite TV and Wi-Fi Internet access and provide a comfortable living space. Also inside the hotel, guests will find 2 restaurants and 1 bar. Choose from traditional and regional French cuisine or from a brasserie menu. The bar, La Lanterne, serves snacks and provides musical entertainment. Other hotel facilities include Free coach parking in the hotel’s large car park.
| Departure date | 4 days / 3 nights | Single Supplement |
| 2025/2026 | Price on request | Price on request |
