France Under the Jackboot - SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
7 days from £649pp.
Visit: Oradour-sur-Glane, Battlefields
Visit: Amiens Prison, Battlefields
Visit: Resistance Memorial Arras, Battlefields
About the Tour
We look at the experience of France under Nazi occupation during the Second World War from the Battle of France in 1940 to the terrible events of the Holocaust in France, as well as the use of SOE and SAS, and the role of the French resistance. We see where France was humiliated at Compiegne, see the Holocaust Memorial at Drancy, and go into Limoges to look at SOE Heroine Violette Szabo before seeing Oradour sur Glane where a whole community was wiped out. We end the tour in Northern France seeing where members of the French Resistance were executed, now a moving memorial site.
Tour Includes
- 6 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
- Travel by Silver Service
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your tour either online, or by telephone ( 01709 787 463 ), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can:
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Your Itinerary
Day 1
Local departure by coach, or Door-to-Door service then, to Compiegne, north of Paris for two nights.
Day 2
Battle of France
We start by looking at the German Blitzkrieg in 1940 and the Fall of France. We visit the graves of French soldiers who fell in defence of Paris and see where the Germans humiliated France by forcing them to surrender where the Armistice of 1918 was signed, seeing the museum here. In the Compiegne Forest we see where Paris’ Jews were deported by train to Concentration Camps. In the afternoon we travel to see the Museum of Resistance and Deportation covering the whole Picardy region in Tergnier.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3
The Holocaust in Paris
Today we focus on the experience of the Jewish community in Paris during WW2 seeing the Holocaust Memorial site at Drancy which served as a Concentration Camp before those held here were sent off to camps in Germany and in the East. We view where the camp was, see the memorials and the Visitors Centre. In the afternoon we depart for Limoges for two nights.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 4
SOE in Limoges; Oradour-sur-Glane
Oradour Sur Glane
In the morning we follow the trail of SOE Agent Violette Szabo close to Limoges, seeing the village where she was sheltered, the area where she was dropped in and the ground where she was captured. In the afternoon we visit the village of Oradour sur Glane which was wiped out by SS troops in 1944. Now preserved as a memorial site, we enter through the visitors centre to learn of this tragic event from WW2 and spend the afternoon among the deserted streets left just as they were in 1944.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 5
Resistance & Deportation Museum
In Limoges we visit the museum of Resistance and Deportation and see where the Gestapo had its Headquarters, a place where SOE agent Violette Szabo was held. We then depart Limoges for Amiens, where we stay for two nights.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Amiens Prison & French Resistance
Amiens Prison
Today we look at the French resistance in Northern France seeing where the attack on Amiens Prison took place by RAF Mosquitos. We also visit the graves of the RAF crews in the nearby cemetery. We then travel to Arras to see the ‘Mur des Fusillies’: the moat of an old fort where members of the resistance were executed during WWII, now a poignant memorial site. After lunch we visit the Resistance Museum at Bondues near Lille, before returning to Amiens.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 7
Return home.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Your Excursions
Included Excursions & Visits
- Battlefield visits as described
Optional Excursions & Visits
- Entrance fees to museums & places of interest (extra cost)
Notes
Single Room Supplement from £179.00 (7 days).
Frequently asked questions about our tours
Accommodation
You will stay for two nights in Compiegne, near Paris at a 3-star hotel, then two nights at the 3-star Ibis Hotel Limoges Nord and finally two nights at the 3-star Holiday Inn Express Amiens, or similar.
Holiday Inn Express Amiens
The Holiday Inn Express Amiens is located close to Amiens train station and Somme battlefields which is idea for a historical visit. The hotel is only 50meters from the city centre and in Amiens centre you are close to local attractions such as the Notre-Dame d'Amiens cathedral and Jules Verne's house. The hotels facilities include fitness area, wake up calls, concierge services, lounge, a bar and Wi-Fi/Internet access. All bedrooms feature hairdryer, T.V with international channels, Wi-Fi/Internet access and en-suite bathroom.
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Ibis Limoges Nord
The Ibis Limoges Nord hotel is located north of Limoges and has good links to the highway network. The hotel is a stylish and modern place with facilities that include air conditioning, table tennis, a bar, a restaurant, lounge and Wi-Fi/Internet access. All bedrooms feature a desk, T.V with all the main channels, hairdryer, Wi-Fi/Internet access and en-suite bathroom.
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Frequently asked questions about accommodation
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Travel Information
- Travel Options
- Extra Services
Silver Service coach
Find out moreSilver Service
On most of our holidays you can upgrade to Silver Service, luxury coach travel, for comfort and style across Europe.
Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.
Servery on board offering a range of refreshments.
Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control.
Stay overnight near Dover
Find out moreWhy not go the night before your holiday for a relaxing start? You can park for FREE for up to nine days at the Holiday Inn Ashford North and enjoy an overnight stay with English breakfast from just £38 per person. This offer is subject to availability and based on two sharing a twin/double room on a B&B basis. We’ll then collect you from the hotel on the day of departure and return you there at the end of your holiday.
To book this package, please call the hotel on 01233 713333, quoting ‘Leger Holidays’ and your booking reference. If your holiday is longer than nine days you can pay for additional days’ parking. Ask one of our friendly reservations team for more details when you book your holiday.
Single supplements and terms and conditions apply.
Our Door-to-Door service
Find out moreOn Single Traveller holidays and coach holidays of 7 days’ duration or more, you don’t even have to think about getting to your local joining point. If you live within 20 miles of one of our free joining points we’ll pick you up from your home and take you to meet your transfer vehicle, then return you back home at the end of your holiday. The cost is just £30 per booking each way for up to four people per booking.
If you live a little further afield, you can also take advantage of this convenient option for an additional charge – please enquire at the time of booking.
Join coach at Interchange
Find out moreOn most holidays if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes holidays to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
Looking for your local joining point? Enter your post code below
*Please note pickups are subject to availability.
Frequently asked questions about travel options
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on transfer journeys to/from the U.K. interchange. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
Transfer coaches are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
OR
Call our reservations team on:
01709 787 463
To book this tour, just give our friendly team a call on 01709 787 463 or book online at www.leger.co.uk