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Dunkirk & Fortress Europe
The evacuation of more than 330,000 British and French troops from Dunkirk in May 1940 during Operation Dynamo, following the Battle of France, was one of the turning points of WW2. Four long years of occupation followed which saw the construction of the Atlantic Wall in this part of northern France and Belgium, to prevent any Allied return. On this tour we visit the war graves, the memorials, the battle sites of 1940 and both the beaches and port of Dunkirk, even seeing wrecks of the Little Ships. In addition we see some fantastic local war museums as well as the Dunkirk Memorial and War Cemetery. We explore bunkers and defences, as well as seeing where the V-weapons such as the Doodlebug and V2 were launched from.
Tour Includes
- 3 or 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
4 days from £419pp
Travel Options
Outbound &
Inbound Travel
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Inbound
Travel
On-Tour
Experiences
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Itinerary
Please choose your preferred 4 or 5 day itinerary
Local departure by coach, then to Belgium for a three-night stay.
We start the tour with a look at some of the fighting in the Battle of France in May 1940 following the story of the Durham Light Infantry and Royal Welch Fusiliers at St. Venant, seeing the memorial and nearby graves. At Cassel Hill we examine the last stand here by the Oxs & Bucks and Glosters. Following lunch we visit the site at Wormhout where a massacre of British troops took place by the SS and then go into Dunkirk to visit the excellent War Museum of Operation Dynamo, followed by a visit to the East Mole. We end the day in the dunes of Dunkirk to remember the sacrifice of French troops in May-June 1940.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
We return to Dunkirk to see the Dunkirk War Cemetery and the Dunkirk Memorial to the Missing. At Bray Dunes we look at the story of the evacuation beaches and the ‘little ships’, forever connected to the Dunkirk story. At Eperlecques we see the massive Blockhaus, built as a launch site for V2 rockets. We then see a typical V1 Doodlebug ski-ramp site, hidden in the woods near Morbecque and constructed to fire more than 2000 V1s a day at London. In the evening join us on an optional trip to nearby Ypres for the moving Last Post Ceremony.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Optional Excursions
Our optional excursions are a great addition to enhance your holiday experience and are highly recommended.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Last Post Ceremony | 2024 £16 | 2025 £17 |
The optional excursions will be available to book during your tour.
Prices are per person and are subject to change. Payment will be in Euros (cash payments only).
Return home.
Includes Breakfast
Local departure by coach, then to Belgium for a four-night stay.
We start the tour with a look at some of the fighting in the Battle of France in May 1940 following the story of the Durham Light Infantry and Royal Welch Fusiliers at St. Venant, seeing the memorial and nearby graves. At Cassel Hill we examine the last stand here by the Oxs & Bucks and Glosters. Following lunch we visit the site at Wormhout where a massacre of British troops took place by the SS and then go into Dunkirk to visit the excellent War Museum of Operation Dynamo, followed by a visit to the East Mole. We end the day in the dunes of Dunkirk to remember the sacrifice of French troops in May-June 1940.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
We return to Dunkirk to see the Dunkirk War Cemetery and the Dunkirk Memorial to the Missing. At Bray Dunes we look at the story of the evacuation beaches and the ‘little ships’, forever connected to the Dunkirk story. At Eperlecques we see the massive Blockhaus, built as a launch site for V2 rockets. We then see a typical V1 Doodlebug ski-ramp site, hidden in the woods near Morbecque and constructed to fire more than 2000 V1s a day at London. In the evening join us on an optional trip to nearby Ypres for the moving Last Post Ceremony.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Optional Excursions
Our optional excursions are a great addition to enhance your holiday experience and are highly recommended.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Last Post Ceremony | 2024 £16 | 2025 £17 |
The optional excursions will be available to book during your tour.
Prices are per person and are subject to change. Payment will be in Euros (cash payments only).
On the Belgian coast at Raversijde we see how the WWI Aachen Battery was turned into a section of the Atlantic Wall by the Germans, seeing the bunker, trenches and many original features. We then travel back into France for lunch and in the afternoon visit Batterie Todt, a massive bunker that housed a huge artillery piece which bombarded Britain and could be used to fire on any invasion fleet. We see the museum here which includes a very rare German 280mm Railway Gun, then visit the V3 super-gun system at Mimoyecques. Here we go through tunnels built to house this incredible weapon which was never fired in anger due to Allied bombing. We end the day looking at the liberation of the coastal region in northern France in September 1944 with a visit to Calais Canadian Cemetery.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Return home.
Includes Breakfast
Please note: between October and March, the V3 super-gun site at Mimoyecques will be closed as it is a site for hibernating bats. We will still visit the exterior of the site and illustrate its purpose during the tour.
Entrance to museums, places of interest and optional excursions are at extra cost.
Museum package available whilst on tour approx. cost €25 (4-Day tour), €50 (5-Day tour).
Accommodation
You will stay for three or four nights at the 3-star Hotel Oude Abdij in the historic town of Lo.
Oude Abdij
The 3-star Hotel Oude Abdij is located in unique 18th century Dovecots of the Augustine monks which still remains. The hotel grounds have beautiful views and include an orchard and fishing lake for you to enjoy.
Hotel Facilities
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General
- 3 Star
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- Central Location
Room
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Shower or Bath
- Telephone
Accessibility
- Fridge Available for Medical Requirements
- Wheelchair Access
- Ground Floor Rooms on Request
Food & Drink
- Vegetarian Meals
- Gluten Free Menu
- Lactose or Dairy Free Menu
- Vegan Menu
Transport
- Bus Stop Nearby
Service
- Free WiFi (Public Areas)
- Iron at Reception
- Laundry Service
- Dogs Allowed on Request
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Silver Service Coach
More than simply your method of transport, Silver Service offers a coach with added comfort and facilities, such as deluxe reclining seats with leather headrests, an onboard entertainment system, and a spacious rear lounge so you can socialise with your fellow passengers.
Silver Service Features
- Specially designed reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and extra legroom.
- A spacious rear lounge where you can relax, socialise and get to know your fellow passengers.
- Our onboard entertainment and satellite navigation system makes your journey fly by.
- Free personal headphones mean you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs being played by your crew.
- Personal tables so you can enjoy your refreshments in comfort as you take in the passing scenery.
Executive Coach
All of our coaches are modern and comfortable, and you can be assured of a high level of service and reliability from our expert-trained coach crews, who will be on hand to assist and escort you along the way.
Executive Coach Features
- Air-conditioning, an onboard servery, onboard toilet and reclining seats. Please note that on selected air holidays, the executive coach may have limited facilities.
Reviews
4.6 Out of 5 ( 14 Reviews )
Reviews
Quality
4.6 / 5
Value for Money
4.7 / 5
Anonymous, 0 years ago
Lots of really interesting buildings etc to see and excellent guide
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R.Morgan , 0 years ago
An excellent trip full of fascinating visits to historically important sites. Our guide, David Warren possesses a wealth of information about a subject he is clearly passionate about. I thoroughly recommend this excursion.
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Ruth 008, 0 years ago
Excellent holiday. Five star plus to our guide Niall who was extremely knowledgeable and nothing too much trouble. Our drivers Angela and Steve also fivestar plus. We were looked after all the time on our trip, again nothing too much trouble for them . The hotel we liked very much, all the staff very friendly and it was nice to be able to sit out in the grounds in the evening. A great team, thank you
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M M, 0 years ago
Good tour Good guide Hotel satisfactory
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Rob Stroud, 0 years ago
An excellent tour. Guide was excellent - very knowledgeable, always approachable and inclusive. Drivers were friendly and helpful and always felt comfortable with their driving. Hotel was good. A very quiet location, rooms were adequate, good Continental breakfast, we had the set meal in the evening which was fine and the staff were very pleasant. Only downside was a long delay at Dover going over waiting to be processed by immigration but on the return trip all formalities completed in 20 minutes which shows it can be done.
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Mr philip kent, 0 years ago
the trip was superb the courier was excellent he was always willing to help. the 5 hour wait at dover was not very good but that was not the firms fault.
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Departure Dates
