Behind The Front Lines
Behind The Front Lines
43 Views
5 Days
From
$739
Behind The Front Lines
5 Days Starting and ending in Northern France
Visiting: France, Étaples, Vimy, Somme, Flanders
Tour operator:
Tour code:
5fbl
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Physical rating:
Low
Age range:
0-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$739 (USD)Tour Overview
Life behind the lines was an important part of a soldier’s experience in the First World War. On this new tour we look at three key areas to get an understanding of what medics, padres, nurses and soldiers did out of the trenches. We’ll explore a range of significant battlefield sites in the Somme and Flanders, and along the Crimson Coast, including Vimy Ridge, Bailleulmont and Bellewaarde Ridge, before attending the move Last Post Ceremony
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive In Northern France
Location:
France
Accommodation:
Hotel
Accommodation Name:
Mercure Arras Centre Gare or the Ibis Albert
Meals Included:
No Meals
Local departure by coach, then to our hotel in Northern France for a four-night stay.
Day 2 : Crimson Coast: Etaples To Vimy
Location:
Étaples, Vimy
Accommodation:
Hotel
Accommodation Name:
Mercure Arras Centre Gare or the Ibis Albert
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Our tour begins along the coast belt of Northern France where the main military hospitals were located, often called the ‘Crimson Coast’. We visit Wimereux Communal Cemetery to hear the story of Canadian poet John McCrae who wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’, and then travel to Etaples for the story of the ‘Bullring’ Training Camp, also seeing the vast Etaples Military Cemetery. After lunch we we head to Saint Pol for the story of the selection of the Unknown Warrior in 1919, and then follow a route to the front line via Mont St Eloi, where British and Canadian soldiers gathered for the Battle of Arras in April 1917. Our final visit of the day is the battlefield at Vimy Ridge, having followed a typical route of soldiers from the coast to the front during the war.
Day 3 : Behind The Lines On The Somme
Location:
Somme
Accommodation:
Hotel
Accommodation Name:
Mercure Arras Centre Gare or the Ibis Albert
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Today we travel to the Somme battlefields and begin with a look at the story of men who were ‘Shot at Dawn’ for military crimes in WW1. At Bailleulmont we see the graves of the men executed, including Albert Ingham, whose father used the ‘Shot at Dawn’ phrase on his headstone. We uncover the details of the evacuation and treatment of the wounded at Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt, and then have lunchtime in Doullens with a visit to the Town Hall, which was used as a Headquarters in March 1918. In the afternoon we travel to Vignacourt, where a museum displays a unique collection of images of Great War soldiers taken by a local photographer. We then visit Puchevillers British Cemetery, before ending the day in Henencourt – a typical village where soldiers were billeted on the Somme and did their training.
Day 4 : Behind The Lines In Flanders
Location:
Flanders
Accommodation:
Hotel
Accommodation Name:
Mercure Arras Centre Gare or the Ibis Albert
Meals Included:
Breakfast
We start at Bailleul, one of the main towns used by the British Army in Flanders, and visit the Military Cemetery here, which is close to the site of Casualty Clearing Stations and the Royal Flying Corps aerodrome. We then look at Godewaersvelde – ‘God Wears Velvet’ to the soldiers – and pay our respects at the grave of a nurse killed in Flanders. After lunchtime in Poperinghe, we look at those Shot at Dawn with a visit to the ‘Death Cells’, afterwards heading to Talbot House, a Belgian townhouse opened by padres for the use of all soldiers as a place to escape the war. We then follow a route to the front line via the site of the army camps up to the battlefield at Bellewaarde Ridge. After free-time in Ypres for dinner, we attend the moving Last Post Ceremony.
Day 5 : Return Home
Location:
France
Meals Included:
Breakfast
Return home.
What's Included
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Accommodation
As detailed in the itinerary
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Additional Services
Travel from a wide range of convenient joining points across the UK is included within your coach holiday price; some carry a supplement. Please contact us for our full list of joining points.
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Airport Transfers at Destination
This trip includes coach travel from/to a local UK joining point
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Fully Guided
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International Travel
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Meals
As detailed in the itinerary
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Transport
Comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach
What's Not Included
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Insurance
Accommodation
You will stay for four nights at the Mercure Arras Centre Gare or the Ibis Albert
Check out our Q&As
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Is the tour coach air conditioned?
Yes
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Is there a limit to luggage that can be brought on the tour?
On Leger Coach Holidays, your allowance is one medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full.
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
Some tours carry a supplement for solo travellers, please ask for details if the Single price is not shown
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What is the fitness level required to do this tour?
Low
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What type of coach will be used?
You will travel on either our Luxuria Coach or our Silver Service Coach
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?
Fully escorted by our experienced drivers/crews. And in most towns and cities we either include or offer optional sightseeing tours with expert local guides to help you get the most from your visits.
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Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?
As detailed in the itinerary
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Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?
Yes
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How long has the tour company been trading?
40 years
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Sole use of your own room on all Single Traveller holidays: means you still get your privacy and time out from the group.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Battlefield Tours - Will it be possible to visit a particular cemetery whilst on the tour?
Please contact us and we will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies
Reviews of this Operator
Dates & Availability
Monday - Friday
Apr 15, 2024 - Apr 19, 2024Monday - Friday
Aug 26, 2024 - Aug 30, 2024Monday - Friday
Oct 07, 2024 - Oct 11, 2024Monday - Friday
Apr 14, 2025 - Apr 18, 2025Monday - Friday
Aug 25, 2025 - Aug 29, 2025Monday - Friday
Oct 06, 2025 - Oct 10, 2025Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Leger Holidays requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 42 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of leger holidays charges.
Up to 43 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 42 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 28 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 3 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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