Behind The Front Lines

Behind The Front Lines

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tourhub | Leger Holidays | Behind The Front Lines | 5fbl
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5 Days
From

$739

Behind The Front Lines

5 Days Starting and ending in Northern France

Visiting: France, Étaples, Vimy, Somme, Flanders

Tour operator:

Leger Holidays

Tour code:

5fbl

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Physical rating:

Low

Age range:

0-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians

Tour operated in:
English
From:
$739 (USD)
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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

  • 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

  • Look at three key areas to get an understanding of what medics, padres, nurses and soldiers did out of the trenches

  • 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

Itinerary

Expand All
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

  • Accommodation

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • 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.

  • Airport Transfers at Destination

    This trip includes coach travel from/to a local UK joining point

  • Fully Guided

  • International Travel

  • Meals

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Transport

    Comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach

What's Not Included

  • Insurance

Accommodation

You will stay for four nights at the Mercure Arras Centre Gare or the Ibis Albert

Check out our Q&As

  • Is the tour coach air conditioned?

    Yes

  • 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.

  • 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

  • What is the fitness level required to do this tour?

    Low

  • What type of coach will be used?

    You will travel on either our Luxuria Coach or our Silver Service Coach

  • Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?

    No

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • 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.

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?

    Yes

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    40 years

  • 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.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

  • 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.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies

Reviews of this Operator

Sally Matson  

Excellent customer service

10-Jan-2023

Booked our ‘Christmas in Austria & Scenic Trains of the Tyrol’ through George on the customer Helpline. Nothing was too much trouble, everything clearly & patiently explained. He even had permission to log in on his day off to finalise the sale! A charming and helpful young person and a credit to the company.

Euan Donald (Google Reviewer)  

10-Oct-2023

Been on two tours now the “D Day beaches” and “ All Quiet on the Western Front” tour of the Somme and Ypres. Both four days in total, two travelling and two on the site of the various battles. This is outstanding value for money, picked up from Carlisle , Cumbria and literally looked after all the way through the tours. The coaches are great and the accommodation spot on . The guides are very knowledgeable ( Mark Hope brilliant guy)and the bus drivers professional . Absolutely fantastic .

Jackie (Google Reviewer)  

28-May-2023

This was our first experience of using Leger Holidays on our D Day Landings tour and will hopefully not be our last. We had a lovely couple who were our driver and assistant (Nigel and Lis). Our guide Mark Allen was absolutely superb. His knowledge and utter passion regarding this terrible era was second to none. A definite must for those with an interest or may have had a family member involved in WW2. Kleenex definitely needed for the cemetery visits.

Yvonne Davey (Google Reviewer)  

26-Jul-2022

Been on a few Leger holidays, Picture Book Italy, Small Trains of Austria and Green Pastures of Spain, Luxeria Coach, can't beat the comfort, great hosts, and sites of great interest, makes your holidays memories to remember, looking forward to plenty more. Some of the best holidays I've ever had, I can highly recommend them xx

Cyril Purnell  

I have just returned from Christmas In…

08-Jan-2023

I have just returned from Christmas In The Austrian Lakes for singles with Leger Tours. The Tour was very well controlled throughout by the two drivers / guides who provided us with information of places of interest , kept the coach very clean plus lots of drinks and snacks and watering stops . All the hotels were very good with our guides taking care of all room allocations and our luggage. Booking with leger was very simple from day one , with details of pickup points and times plus transport details on both the outward trip and return journey. This was my first coach tour holiday but many more will follow and I will look towards Leger again

Tina Mary Booker  

Great booking experiences

06-Jan-2023

Great booking experiences. Have booked two trips to Austria for this year as follow: 04/01 - Spectacular Austria All Inclusive - 01/07. Booking ref. 1258890. Believe it was Craig I spoke to who was so friendly, efficient and informative. A credit to Leger. Well done! 06/01 - Fairy Tale Christmas in Austria - 21/12. Booking ref. 1260090. I spoke to Chloe who like Craig was efficient, friendly and very helpful. A credit to Leger. Well done! I must say that we have been travelling with Leger for nearly 20 years and have never had a bad booking experience. All holidays were excellent as well.

Stewart Imeson (Google Reviewer)  

08-Aug-2023

Hard to rate my battlefield tour to Normandy given the extreme pluses and negatives. The biggest single negative which would stop me going again is the 'killer' journey. The feeder system is obviously finalised only a few days before departure so you only get your itinerary a week or so before departure. My pick up time from Whitby turned out to be 1:30am with a transfer on the street in Leeds at 3:45am. Arrival in Normandy was 11pm after a missed ferry.... so 21 hrs on the road and 39 hrs after getting up on Thursday morning. I never really recovered in the 3 days following given the 6:30-8:30am starts. In summary, other +'s and -'s were:- +'s Drivers and guide great on the feeder services and main tour Tour itself very comprehensive with a great value museum entry and meal option. Hotel clean but very basic -'s Travelling time Main tour couch (contracted in so not a Leger coach) fairly tired with duct tape covering previous damage and a constantly sounding water level alarm. Feeder services obviously awarded on a least cost basis. Outward taxi driver claimed to have worked a 20hr shift and return taxi driver had very little grasp of the journey required.

R M (Google Reviewer)  

24-Nov-2023

DO NOT BOOK DO NOT BOOK. Formal complaint has been made. Waiting for response. Hotel was totally unacceptable. Situated on a dangerous, extremely noisy, fast road. Hotel was well below standard. No AC or fans. Coach was ok and drivers great but company just not professional. Leger failed to book the correct amount of tickets for tours leaving people having paid and unable to go. Then expected to just wander around aimlessly. Cancelled multiple trips and tours last minute. Charged €60 pp for another tour which was only €16 on the ticket. Totally unsuitable for older or immobile customers. The list is too long. Just do not use this company and book elsewhere.

TU  

Many thanks to Molly.

03-Jan-2023

I have recently booked a trip to Le Mans and had the good fortune to speak to Molly. She was very helpful and a pleasure to talk to. She was able to answer all but one of my queries with clarity and promised to ring me with the answer to the un-answered question as it required further investigation. This she duly did. An unusually pleasant experience when making a booking over the phone, if only it could be this easy every the time.

Joseph Shepherd  

Another great holiday

19 Dec 2022

Another great holiday. A return trip by Luxuria to Nuremberg and surrounding towns. Coach and crew first class. DFDS ferry Dover to Dunkirk with free lunch which was excellent. Small family hotel in Schusselfelt. Great food and staff.Only down side was no food in the overnight hotel in Wavre, but the crew had warned us and we made our own plans. Overall holiday 5 Stars.

Dates & Availability

Instant Booking Available

Monday - Friday

Apr 15, 2024 - Apr 19, 2024
$764 (USD)
Instant Booking Available

Monday - Friday

Aug 26, 2024 - Aug 30, 2024
$764 (USD)
Instant Booking Available

Monday - Friday

Oct 07, 2024 - Oct 11, 2024
$739 (USD)
Instant Booking Available

Monday - Friday

Apr 14, 2025 - Apr 18, 2025
$814 (USD)
Instant Booking Available

Monday - Friday

Aug 25, 2025 - Aug 29, 2025
$814 (USD)
Instant Booking Available

Monday - Friday

Oct 06, 2025 - Oct 10, 2025
$789 (USD)

Book with Confidence

  • 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.

  • 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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