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A QUICK SUMMARY BACKGROUND One of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways to explore the battlefields of the Great War is to do so by yourself, or with friends/relatives. Conducted tours, whether small or large, understandably require you to comply with a fairly strict itinerary. If you travel as part of a group you may well be frustrated by not being able to explore the landscape and 'follow your nose' to uncover for yourself the legacy of the Great War (what I and so many others have always so enjoyed doing!).
To see the terrain of today for what it was like all those years ago requires a combination of present day and original WWI ‘Trench Maps’, as well as a clear narrative of what precisely took place, and where, and how to get to these places! One also needs clear directions as to where to drive, where to stop, what to look for and how to relate the landscape of today to how it was back in the Great War. There have been many excellent books written about the Great War, but such books are rarely accompanied by adequate maps and plans sufficient to allow the reader to make sense of the landscape today. We have been exploring the battlefields of the Great War for over 40 years, the past twelve of which running our specialist First World War battlefield tour company. During this time we have encountered many 'DIY' battlefield visitors, most of whom have a good understanding of the main battles, but who don't have a suitable written guide as to precisely where these events took place. To overcome this frustration we have spent many years creating written self-drive guides to the Somme, Villers Bretonneux and Ypres battlefields of the Great War (Verdun to follow late 2008). These are not just any old guides. They have been specifically designed to take you on a journey of exploration, so you know exactly where to stop, where to walk and what to look for. The comprehensive guides have been specifically written and styled for both the first time visitor, as well as those wishing to explore in greater depth. The guides also include a separate easy-to-follow route plan and laminated map, so you can easily navigate the narrow roads that criss-cross the battlefields. At the heart of the guides lies a comprehensive selection of original trench maps, linked to present day easy-to-read maps, battlefield diagrams, panoramic and aerial photographs and descriptions, all arranged in very easy to follow sections. Please have a read of some of the testimonials we have received (see inset right) from those who have taken our self-drive guided tours to judge for yourself!
MORE ABOUT OUR GUIDES Have a look towards the bottom of this rather long page (sorry...) for details of our respective Self-Drive guides, or click here to go straight to this part of the page. CAN YOU PROVIDE A 'REAL' GUIDE IN ADDITION TO YOUR WRITTEN SELF-DRIVE GUIDE? Yes - if you book far enough in advance as we only team 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. WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER? Firstly decide how much time you have available. Ideally try and spend three nights on any one battlefield as this will give you at least two clear days to follow the Self-Drive tour for that area. Two nights is about the minimum. We can also easily combine a visit to the Somme with a visit to Ypres, but don't try to bite of too much as visiting the battlefields just gobbles up time as the temptation to explore is irresistible. WHEN CAN I TAKE A SELF-DRIVE TOUR? Anytime you wish - that's the big attraction of this type of tour! YOU decide when you wish to travel - just let us know what you have in mind and we'll give you an idea of cost.
WHAT'S INCLUDED? Return ferry crossing (P&O European Ferries or
Eurotunnel) from Dover-Calais (not necessary for clients travelling from outside the United Kingdom). En-suite Hotel/guest house accommodation (including breakfast) staying in the battlefield towns of the Great War (as opposed to more 'touristy' hotels situated some distance away). We don't recommend just any hotel, only those we regularly use ourselves when exploring the battlefields. Click
Detailed description of how to find your way around the battlefield itinerary route. Detailed descriptions of individual actions, including where to park your car and what to look for, combined with all the maps and plans you will need. This is the only way one can start to see the otherwise tranquil landscape of today for what it looked like back in the Great war. The services of a personal English-speaking locally based guide (see above). Please note - our Self-Drive guides are NOT sold separately. They are only available to those booking our Self-Drive combination of sea crossing and/or hotel accommodation.
COST HOW TO GET A QUOTE All we need to know from you is:
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SELF-DRIVE GUIDE (SOMME) (Now
including optional additional guide to the Australian Villers Bretonneux
and Hamel battlefields of 1918) Great emphasis has been placed on making both (Ypres and Somme) guides as easy to use as possible, including where to park your car and the location of little-known footpaths leading to old trenches/shell craters/personal memorials etc. The Somme guide will ‘talk you through’ exactly where to position yourself and what to look for as you stand on the sites of some of the most tragic episodes of the 1916 Somme Battle. The Self-Drive guides are produced specifically for individual clients and are regularly updated so as to ensure that anything of recent interest is included. The Self-Drive tour takes about two days, but don’t worry if you have less time available as it can be achieved in a day. Please note that the Self-Drive guides are only available as part of the below ‘package’ and as such can not be provided separately. Here are just some (of many...) pages from the Somme guide. Sorry about the low resolution to aid display but the printed version is much better! Click the pictures to enlarge, then use your browser's 'back' button to return. |
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SELF-DRIVE ITINERARY (SOMME) |
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On 1 February 2003 we launched our new Ypres Self-Drive battlefield guide (see illustration above), modelled along the same lines as our Somme guide described above. Like the Somme guide, the Ypres guide will be the only such publication currently available which provides:
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DOWNLOAD AND PRINT OFF
(You will need to
have the safe Adobe PDF reader installed on your computer. You'll soon
find out whether your have this little bit of software installed when
you try to open a PDF file. If you don't then simply click below and
Average weather conditions for the Somme & Ypres battlefields:
Click here to see current weather conditions for Lille (nearest weather monitoring station which lies midway between the two battlefields)
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