5-Day Break

Day 1 – Local departure by coach and then onwards to Belgium for four nights.
Day 2 – First Shots – Blitzkrieg (included). We begin at Mons where the first shots of the war were fired by the British Army in August 1914. We see the memorial to the 4th Dragoon Guards, and visit Nimy Bridge where the first two Victoria Crosses were won. We then see the unique St Symphorien Cemetery,
where the first and the last British casualties of WW1 are buried. Lunchtime in Mons. Moving on to WW2, at nearby Tournai we look at the British Army’s defence of this ground in May 1940 against the German Blitzkrieg, seeing the battlefield cemeteries and the Escaut Canal where the defence line was held. B
Day 3 – Flanders Fields (included). We start the day at the In Flanders Fields US Cemetery, where the American soldiers who fell in Flanders in 1918 are buried.In nearby Menin we see the largest German
War Cemetery in Belgium from WW1 with more than 48,000 graves and end the morning at Tyne Cot, to see the largest British cemetery and visitors centre. Lunch at Hooge. At Essex Farm we see where
Canadian poet John McCrae wrote the immortal In Flanders Fields poem in May 1915, and then travel up to Diksmuide to visit the Trenches of Death where the Belgian army fought during 1914-18. At nearby Vladslo we see some unique statues in the German cemetery, carved by the mother of a soldier buried there. The day ends in Ypres, where we attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. B
Day 4 – The Long Left Flank – Brussels War Museum (included). In the morning we visit the superb Brussels National War Museum, with its collection of WW1 and WW2 tanks, weapons, uniforms and equipment. In the afternoon we look at the advance of allied troops in Belgium during September and October 1944. Following lunch, we start at the Adegem Canadian War Museum then visit the Canadian war Cemetery, and the crossing of the Leopold Canal near Eede, with its Canadian memorial. We also
examine Operation Switchback, the Canadian landings in Northern Belgium. We see the beach where the Canadians landed, and the battlefield close by.B
Day 5 – To Calais, then return home. B

B=Breakfast D=Dinner

Accommodation
You’ll stay for four nights at the 3-star Flanders Lodge in Ypres or the 3-star Hotel Oude Abdij in Lo. Both hotels have a bar and restaurant and all bedrooms have T.V. and telephone. Due to demand other hotels of a similar standard may be used in northern France and Belgium.

Extras
Optional Excursions.
Single room supplement £69.

Travel Insurance from Standard £29.95

Prices are per person, based on two sharing. Named accommodation may be changed if necessary by the tour operator. If this is the case you will be advised of all new details at time of enquiry. All holidays and prices are subject to availability and changes.