This fascinating tour based in the heart of the Somme battlefields, staying at Albert, takes an in-depth look at both familiar and lesser-known battlefield locations, covering aspects of 'the forgotten Somme'. We also get special access to the trenches in Thiepval Wood and have an included evening meal at Le Tommy in Pozières.
4 days from £459 pp
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:
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Local departure by coach, then to our hotel at Albert in northern France for a three-night stay.
We begin on the southern edge of the Somme battlefields looking at the role of the ‘Poilus’ – the French Army on the Somme. We see where the British and French units met up and look at the memorial which commemorates this.
Next, we cover the Pals battalions from Liverpool and Manchester who captured the village of Montauban, seeing their memorial.
We then learn about the ‘Horseshoe of Woods’ on the Somme, looking at the fighting for Bernafay and Trônes Wood, and the battle for the ground around Guillemont, seeing the memorial to the Irish troops who fought here.
Next, we travel to a unique part of the Somme battlefields at Rancourt where a British, a French and German cemetery from 1916 are all found in the same area – evidence of the losses of all these nations on the Somme.
Lunchtime is spent in Peronne, and in the afternoon we look at the role of South African troops at Delville Wood, visit the New Zealand Memorial near Flers, and travel via Bazentin to Mametz Wood, to learn more about the role of Welsh troops there in the battle of July 1916, seeing their Red Dragon memorial.
Key Visits
We go behind the lines on the Somme this morning to Louvencourt, to look at one of the classic stories of the First World War – the love story between Vera Brittain and Roland Leighton, immortalised in her book ‘Testament of Youth’, and ending with his tragic death.
We visit his grave at Louvencourt Cemetery, and then travel back to the front-line area, spending the rest of the morning exploring the battlefield around the famous Sunken Lane and Hawthorn Mine Crater at Beaumont-Hamel. Here, we see the battlefield, walk up to the crater, and visit the battlefield cemeteries.
We include lunch at the Ulster Tower and look at the Ulstermen’s attack here on 1st July 1916, before our included special guided visit into Thiepval Wood to see the preserved trenches and positions, as well as the battlefield cemeteries. We end at the Thiepval Memorial to look at the story of the Missing of the Somme.
This evening, we have an included evening meal at Le Tommy Bar at Pozières, where we also have time to examine the unique collection of military artefacts here as well as a recreated WW1 Trench System.
Key Visits
Return home.
Single Room Supplement from £109.00 (4 days), £159.00 (5 days).
Local departure by coach, then to our hotel at Albert in northern France for a four-night stay.
We begin on the southern edge of the Somme battlefields looking at the role of the ‘Poilus’ – the French Army on the Somme. We see where the British and French units met up and look at the memorial which commemorates this.
Next, we cover the Pals battalions from Liverpool and Manchester who captured the village of Montauban, seeing their memorial.
We then learn about the ‘Horseshoe of Woods’ on the Somme, looking at the fighting for Bernafay and Trônes Wood, and the battle for the ground around Guillemont, seeing the memorial to the Irish troops who fought here.
Next, we travel to a unique part of the Somme battlefields at Rancourt where a British, a French and German cemetery from 1916 are all found in the same area – evidence of the losses of all these nations on the Somme.
Lunchtime is spent in Peronne, and in the afternoon we look at the role of South African troops at Delville Wood, visit the New Zealand Memorial near Flers, and travel via Bazentin to Mametz Wood, to learn more about the role of Welsh troops there in the battle of July 1916, seeing their Red Dragon memorial.
Key Visits
We go behind the lines on the Somme this morning to Louvencourt, to look at one of the classic stories of the First World War – the love story between Vera Brittain and Roland Leighton, immortalised in her book ‘Testament of Youth’, and ending with his tragic death.
We visit his grave at Louvencourt Cemetery, and then travel back to the front-line area, spending the rest of the morning exploring the battlefield around the famous Sunken Lane and Hawthorn Mine Crater at Beaumont-Hamel. Here, we see the battlefield, walk up to the crater, and visit the battlefield cemeteries.
We include lunch at the Ulster Tower and look at the Ulstermen’s attack here on 1st July 1916, before our included special guided visit into Thiepval Wood to see the preserved trenches and positions, as well as the battlefield cemeteries. We end at the Thiepval Memorial to look at the story of the Missing of the Somme.
This evening, we have an included evening meal at Le Tommy Bar at Pozières, where we also have time to examine the unique collection of military artefacts here as well as a recreated WW1 Trench System.
Key Visits
We cross the River Somme this morning and travel to some of the 1918 battlefields to visit the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery and Australian Memorial. Here we see the dead from some of the final battles on the Somme, and on the walls of the memorial, Australia’s missing from the 1916 battles. We also have an included visit to the Sir John Monash Centre which examines Australia’s role on the Western Front, before having our lunch period at Corbie.
In the afternoon, we return to the main 1916 battlefield and follow the story of the Australians at Pozières and Canadians at Courcelette, including a visit to Regina Trench Cemetery.
We end at the Butte de Warlencourt, now a memorial site, where the Battle of the Somme came to a conclusion in a snowstorm in November 1916.
Key Visits
Return home.
Single Room Supplement from £109.00 (4 days), £159.00 (5 days).
Book online OR call our friendly travel advisers on:
01709 787 463
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.
Front row seats can be reserved for £15pp (up to 6 days duration), £25pp (7 and 8 days duration), £30pp (9 to 11 days) or £35pp (12 days or more) on all European tours. This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on our Executive and Silver Service coaches and for one or two persons on our Luxuria coaches and is subject to availability. In addition to this, seats on the second row can be reserved for a supplement of £8pp (up to 6 days duration), £15pp (7 and 8 days duration), £18pp (9 to 11 days) or £22pp (12 days or more).
Guaranteed front or second row seats cannot be reserved on transfer journeys to/from the UK port. Occasionally, front and second row seats may be on a request only basis.
Please note: children under 15 years of age are not permitted to sit in the front seats of any coach.
On some coaches the legroom on front seats, central view seats and seats directly in front of the washroom 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 or merged for any reason and front or second row seats or central view seats or table seats are not available on your tour, you will be refunded any supplement paid. 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.
Central View Seats are available to pre-book free of charge.
Table Seats are available to pre-book free of charge on our Luxuria coaches.
Transfer coaches are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure. The route taken depends on where paassengers 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.
When it comes to getting you to your destination, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you to choose from.
All of our coaches are modern and comfortable, and you can be assured of a high level of service. On selected air holidays, the executive coach may not have an onboard toilet or drinks facilities.
We have hundreds of coach joining points throughout England, Scotland and Wales. To find your nearest joining point, search using your postcode below.
*Please note joining points are subject to availability.
To book this tour, just give our friendly team a call on 01709 787 463 or book online at www.leger.co.uk