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BATTLES FOR FRANCE
D-Day Beaches, Agincourt & the Somme
9 day tour including arrival/departure days
There have been few events in man's history to compare with those which took place in June 1944 unless, perhaps, you were a soldier in the trenches of the Somme, or 'crying God for Harry' at the 15th century battle of Agincourt. Our tour explores these major battlefields and associated museums, and illustrates the grim realities of war.
Available at any date for private groups of 2 – 15 people. Price available upon application. Rates are based upon vehicle and guide hire per day; groups of 7 - 15 would have a per person rate same/similar to one of our scheduled tours of the same length.
If you do not have a group of traveling companions and are still interested in this custom tour itinerary, you are welcomed to join a waitlist…
We record who is looking for travel companions to make up a tour with them. We need between 6 and 8 persons minimum to operate a tour without it being uneconomic for us or too expensive for you. We will be happy to run the occasional special departure IF there is sufficient interest.
If you would like to check on or join a waitlist for this itinerary, please email us for full information: specialgrouptours@yahoo.com
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Day One
London arrival. Most tour participants tend to arrive on a morning flight and are then transferred to our London hotel. This afternoon, if your arrival schedule permits, we take an introductory tour visiting the Imperial War Museum, Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms or Army Museum, according to the time available and the groups interest. Coincidentally, our London hotel in the suburb of Chiswick is within a few hundred yards of where the first V1 rocket fell on London!
Dinner is not included this evening.
NIGHTSTOP: London
Day Two
This is our own 'longest day'. We leave London early in the morning heading southwest. Our itinerary contains many unique references and sites connected with the days leading up to June 6, 1944 before we board our ferry to France . There are also several of the better known sites, including the Portsmouth D-day museum and see Eisenhower's HQ where 'Operation Overlord' was planned (occasionally this may be not accessible due to ad hoc security issues as it is on a functioning base). We take the early afternoon ferry across the channel arriving in France four hours later. This will undoubtedly be a less stressful crossing than the men faced on the night of June 5.
NIGHTSTOP: Cherbourg
Days Three, Four & Five
Over these momentous days we visit sites whose names will be etched into 20th century history; the D-day beaches Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, Gold, Arromanches, Pegasus Bridge, the Falaise Pocket, Operation Epsom. We'll also visit the solomn national cemeteries, and museums en route, with a major highlight being the Caen Peace Memorial museum. We'll see sights connected with all of the allied armies and will be able to amend the itinerary on a daily basis to visit any location which might have a special meaning for one of our tour participants. Depending on the date of tour there may be a special commemorative event taking place at one of the sites and we'd always endeavour to visit such. In addition, we'll also visit Renaissance Bayeux and see the famed Tapestry of the Battle of Hastings, 1066.
NIGHTSTOP: 2 nights near Bayeux; 1 night at Rouen
Day Six
After a short tour of Joan of Arc's Rouen and its medieval cathedral, today we'll step back to the days of the Great War of 1914-19 and specifically to the events which mark the Somme as one of the most poignant battlegrounds of Northern France. Fought on the chalky fields in 1916, the Battle of the Somme was the bloodiest and most costly encounter of the British Army's long and glorious history. Almost 60,000 men fell on the very first day. The line advanced just six miles over the following five months of battle and cost over 400,000 lives. The Somme became known as 'the glory and the graveyard of Lord Kitchener's army'. We'll visit preserved trenches, museums and several other noted battlegrounds. Amazingly, even after above eighty years, the area still yields up from its soils the remnants of man and machine. There are still areas we cannot walk through because of unexploded ordinance. Finally, we'll visit the city of Arras and, if time permits, take a tour of the underground fortifications.
NIGHTSTOP: Near Arras
Day Seven
'Cry God for Harry and England and bring on the dogs of war!' Agincourt, one of the greatest of all medieval battles, fought between the English and French forces, will be one of the day's focal points. It was here that the long bow came into its own for the first time and made all the difference. Even though this battle took place nearly 600 years ago, you can still feel the chill of the atmosphere and feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you hear tales of both bravery and massacre. Later, as we drive northward, we'll pass the site of the main airfield used by the Luftwaffe for its 'Battle of Britain' campaign and finally enter into the space age with a visit V1 and V2 rocket sites from WW2 before taking the Channel Tunnel Shuttle back to the UK.
NIGHTSTOP: Kent
Day Eight
We'll round our battlefields tour off with visits to 'Battle', scene of the 1066 battle of Hastings. Fittingly, the climax to our superb tour is a visit to Winston Churchill's home of Chartwell. Here, you'll not only see an excellent display of artefacts relating to this great old warrior's life (from the Boer War to the Cold War) but also almost smell his cigar smoke!
NIGHTSTOP: London
Day Nine
Airport transfers for those who are returning home today. Others may wish to extend their stay in London and continue with their themed visits of military or war related sites. Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd will be delighted to make arrangements for those with a special interest in visiting museums or bases connected with their own service career.
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