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Background This page is a bit on the long side but it's well worth reading. It tells you something about the background to battlefield tours, then more about the different options open to you. As our name suggests, we organise guided tours to the battlefields of Ypres and the Somme. We are a specialist company and as such only organise tours to these battlefields, though for private/personal tours we can take you to just about any battlefield. We do not employ tour guides and we deliberately restrict the number of tours each year to no more than a dozen or so as we have no wish to grow in to a large tour company (quite the opposite!). We enjoy arranging everything ourselves, thereby keeping our tours very small and very much on a personal footing. Our tours are quite distinct from the more commercially driven options offered by larger companies.
Many who study the Great War somehow feel a strong sense of empathy towards those from all sides who suffered such terrible losses in this so-called ‘war to end all wars’. The Great War continues to cast a long, deep shadow on future generations - like a messenger who having delivered his message somehow refuses to leave the room. It is difficult to explain. The more one tries
to understand the suffering experienced by those who were consumed by this
war, the more one feels drawn to visiting the battlefields of 1914-1918. A
mental imagery forms in our minds of how these
battlefields must have looked all those years ago - and how they may look
today. The first battlefield tours Almost as soon as the Great War came to an end in November 1918 visitors flocked to the battlefields; either out of curiosity or to visit the grave of a loved one, or even sadder, to visit the general area where a loved one fell and whose remains had not been found. Some even made the journey whilst the war was still being fought. The Michelin Tyre Company was one of the first commercial companies offering guided tours to the battlefields of France (Somme) and Belgium (Ypres). They published a guide to the battlefields in 1919 (yes – 1919!) with fascinating pictures of the recently abandoned battlefields with all the material of warfare still littering the battered shell pocked landscapes such as shown below - have a look at the landscape, not to mention the editor's car!
Visiting the battlefields today
It’s best for the moment to stay focused on these two hugely significant battlefields and perhaps venture further afield later in your travels. The closest English Channel crossing route for both the Somme and Ypres (Ieper) is Dover/Folkestone–Calais. Visitors to the battlefields today are basically faced with one of two choices, namely: Self-Drive Tours Take advantage of a personal conducted tour such as those that
can easily be arranged by us. Let's look at these two options in more detail in the following sections. Option 1 - Making your own arrangements
By far and away the biggest drawback to visiting the battlefields under one's own steam is that it can be very difficult to relate the battlefield today to the battlefield of 1914-18, unless you have a detailed guide book accompanied by equally detailed trench maps (i.e. maps produced by the military cartographers during the war showing the battlefield in detail, especially the position of trenches etc). The battlefields of today look pretty much the same as any other part of rural France or Belgium – with the exception of the hundreds of Commonwealth War Grave cemeteries that punctuate the landscape. The problem with the many excellent books that have been written on the subject of the Great War is that they invariably lack adequate maps and plans to the detail that the battlefield visitor needs. This is the biggest problem and one we have strived to overcome with our unique Self-Drive option. Self-Drive tours A variation on the 'DIY theme' is taking a self-drive tour where all the Channel crossing and hotel bookings are made on your behalf by a specialist in tours to the Somme and Ypres battlefields such as our small company. This way you combine the benefits of touring at your own pace, together having the all-important detailed battlefield guide material such as detailed maps and plans and descriptive narrative at your fingertips, crucial information so lacking in other publications. This material includes all the maps, plans and directions you will need – so much so that you will be able to trace the exact course of the Front Line, even if it means following it across public car parks, housing estates or wherever! We are the only company offering this unique Somme battlefield guide. You can now combine the flexibility of a Self-Drive tour with the added attraction of having a personal conducted tour. We have teamed up with the few properly accredited and respected English-speaking guides living on or near the battlefields you wish to visit. We can easily arrange for a guide to pick you up at your hotel to take you (or join you in your vehicle) on a tour of most battlefields of the Great War, as an additional service to your written self-drive guide. You will not be expected to join a group as our experienced, independent guides specialise in providing a personal service, and focusing on areas of specific interest to you (such as Australian/Canadian/New Zealand battlefields). A personal tour with pick-up at your hotel costs a lot more when compared with joining a fixed-itinerary ‘public’ tour, but is by far and away the best way to see the battlefield, especially bearing in mind this may be your one occasion to make the visit you are have in mind. A personal tour is also better suited for the quiet exploration and reflection of past events, without the possible distraction of others making up your group - and the need for the tour leader to stick to a fixed time schedule! This service will be included in the total cost you will pay, thus making your battlefield visit a seamless experience with everything arranged by us in advance. For more details on self-drive tours to the Somme and Ypres click here.
Click below to download a PDF
Option 2 -
Personal 'bespoke' Conducted Tours Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd is also happy to arrange private conducted tours for groups of between 1 - 5. Please click here for further details. When choosing a company to travel with it's often difficult to sort the 'wheat from the chaff' so to speak, with many 'coming and going' with alarming frequency. We can only draw your attention to the testimonials which have been written by those who have travelled with us over the past years. Our company is our pride and joy. We have no wish to grow any bigger (quite the opposite!) as providing a truly personal friendly service, which we enjoy as much as our clients, lies at the heart of what we do. We very much appreciate that travelling as part of a small personal group where everyone already knows each other (or just travelling alone. . .) is more expensive than joining a pre-set tour (even a small group tour), but we believe the benefits are well worth the extra cost. The informality of travelling with people you know allows for greater flexibility and an altogether more friendly atmosphere. It is also far more suited to the informal exchange of questions and answers as we explore some of the most poignant battlefields of the Great War. We will be pleased to take you (or your group) on a tour to where you want to go. It can be anything from a one or two day tour to Ypres and/or the Somme, to a four-day tour covering a wider area. We'll be pleased to advise you based on the time you have available. Our 'bespoke' personal conducted tours offer just about the ultimate in one-to-one guiding. The main advantages are:
We will provide all transport requirements, hotel accommodation of whatever grade according to your preferences, and all meals (or whichever meals you want us to include). Travelling as part of a small group allows for a more flexible itinerary, thus making such tours more of an 'adventure'. We can also include places of particular interest to you, if not already included in the itinerary, provided we do not have to make too great a detour. We only use smaller, friendlier, hotels situated right in the heart of Ypres and Albert (Somme), as opposed to the larger hotels some distance away from the battlefields. Click here for more details of the hotels we use. One downside of travelling as part of a much smaller group is that it results in a higher per-person charge, as fixed costs (especially the very expensive insurance premiums reputable operators have to pay) have to be shared amongst fewer people. Once again, like most things in life, you get what you pay for – and it’s just the same with smaller conducted tours. The informality of travelling as part of a small group allows for greater flexibility and an altogether friendlier atmosphere. It is also far more suited to the informal exchange of questions and answers as one explores the most poignant battlefields of the Great War. We have only ever offered small conducted tours, as our primary concern is sharing our understanding of the Great War with fellow travellers, as opposed to running our company as a hard-nosed business. Itinerary Some tour companies, especially those operating larger coach parties, try to cram in too much in too short a time so as to make an impressive itinerary. This can result in a 'whistle stop' tour of 'photo opportunities', without sufficient time to take in the various sites visited. It’s like visiting London and just seeing Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace etc. and therefore not really 'seeing' the true London at all. Not all companies fall in to this trap and many offer a well balanced itinerary to many battlefields world-wide. The tours we offer specialise in getting 'off the beaten track' (i.e. away from the usual tourist routes...) as far as possible. Our smaller vehicles can easily negotiate the narrow lanes which criss-cross some of the most significant parts of the Somme and Ypres battlefields. We can also access little known tracks leading to old trenches, shell craters and other hidden relics of these momentous battles. Large coaches are also unable to make casual stops and detours. Any stop for a large vehicle entails valuable time being spent just getting on and off the coach, and a feeling that you are just part of the 'herd', or a 'punter' as some larger companies tend to refer to their clients (in private...). Tour Guides The most important qualities for a good tour guide is a balanced combination of subject knowledge and interpersonal skills. In other words he/she knows what they are talking about, and can convey that knowledge to the first time visitor in such a way so as to hold their interest and impart their knowledge. There are many knowledgeable 'experts' around who may not speak in a language that facilitates an ease of understanding. Likewise there are some with the 'gift of the gab', but whose knowledge base is on a rather shaky footing. The best way to judge the suitability of the guide is to ask for testimonials from previous clients. Our testimonials are all genuine and can be seen by clicking here, or seeing edited highlights when you go to our main tour pages (see menu left). This ability to communicate is crucial if your tour is going to fulfil your expectations (we do not employ any guides as I personally organise and accompany ALL conducted tours - as it's what I most enjoy doing!). Insurance, etc. Make sure that your tour operator fully complies with the provisions of the Tour Package Tour Travel Regulations of 1992 (in the U.K.), particularly in regards to the safety of payments and insurance. Only select a tour operator who has the more costly full third party tour operator indemnity insurance, as well as motor vehicle insurance which covers the carriage of persons for hire and reward. We carry full public liability insurance and are fully insured for the carriage of persons as part of a conducted tour. What's Included? Some tour operators offer a lower per person charge by not including lunch (and sometimes not even an evening meal, though this is rare). Where a lunch is provided it can be just sandwiches or, as was the case recently on the Somme battlefield, a coach parked on a supermarket car park with the guide buying bread and cheese for their customers to make their own rolls! Also enquire as to whether the guide is going to dine and stay with the group all evening (it’s important to bring the day to an end by discussing matters of interest and concern). Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd always includes two and three-course cooked lunches as part of the tour cost, as well as free drinks and confectionary whilst touring the battlefield. I (James Power) am the owner and founder of our company and, together with his wife Annette, personally organise and accompanies all conducted tours. We stick together day and evening - that's our reward for organising the tours we offer! To find out more please click below ‘Birdsong’ by Sebastian Faulks Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd was closely involved in the making of the 2001 BBC TV documentary on Sebastian Faulks and his acclaimed novel ‘Birdsong'. We have also been engaged by Working Title Films to help trace the original battlefields in the making of the forthcoming motion picture of the book (see ‘testimonials’ above). We are therefore pleased to be able to include visits to many of the places mentioned in the Book in our battlefield tours.
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