Champagne, Marne & Verdun

Champagne, Marne and Verdun

Join us on this fascinating new tour looking at three key battlefields of the Great War: the Champagne, scene of terrific fighting involving the French in 1915 and 1917, and the Americans in 1918; the Marne, scene of the "Miracle of Marne" in 1914, and where British soldiers ended up following the Retreat From Mons; and Verdun, site of the great French defence in 1916 and the American Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.

Your itinerary
Day 1 Local departure then onwards to the Reims area for a four-night stay.
Day 2 Miracle of the Marne - American Marines at Belleau Wood (included). Our journey starts not far from Paris on the River Marne at La Ferte sous Jouarre. We see the British Memorial to the Missing of the 1914 campaign and the Royal Engineers Memorial to where the pontoon bridges across the Marne were built. At Montreuil as Lihons we visit British graves from September 1914, and at Chatuea-Thierry see the huge American Memorial commemorating the 1918 battle. After lunch we follow the story of the US Marines in Belleau Wood, seeing the US Cemetery and Memorial and field guns among the trees. We then see the huge and impressife "Ghosts" monument on the hillside at Butte de Chalmont, and look at the British troops in the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918, visiting Raperie British Cemetery.  We end the day in Soissons for a visit to the Soissons Memorial to the Missing. B
Day 3 Champagne - Fort La Pompelle (included). We start ust outside Reims at Fort La Pompelle; now a museum, it sat on the front line for four years and houses a massive collection of war material, the fort still showing the signs of terrific bonbardments. We then see where the French attacked at Mourmelon in 1915 and 1917, visiting French and German graves, and also the unique Russian Cemetery and Memorial chapesl commemorating Russian troops who fought for France. Lunchtime in Suippes, with extended time to visit the Champagne-Marne Museum, before visiting Navarin Farm and the Americal Memorial on Blanc Mont, set among trenches from 1918. B
Day 4 Meuse-Argonne - Verdun (included) At Vauqois, we see where a whole village was blown offa hillsice following tunneling operations by French and German troops. We then follow the US Advance in September 1918 to Romagne, visiting the War Museum, and nearby Meuse-Argonne War Cemetery - the largest American cemetery in Europe with more than 14,000 graves! After lunch we travel to Verdun, to see the Ossuary at Douaumont; an imposing memorial which contains the bones of more than 120,000 soldiers who fell at Verdun in 1916. We then look at the battle of Verdun forts, seeing Fort Vaux and Fort Douaumont, and going into central Verdun before returning to Reims. B
Day 5 To Calais, then return home. B
Included Meals: B=Breakfast

Your hotel
You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Quality Hotel Reims Cathedrale in Reims, located approximately a 10-minute walk
from the cathedral. The hotel offers a restaurant and bar plus lift. All bedrooms have T.V., telephone, hairdryer and air-conditioning. Due to high demand other hotels of a similar standard may be used.

5 days from only £339

What’s Included?
• Specialist Battlefields Guide
• 3 full-day Battlefield Visits
• 4 nights' accommodation with continental breakfast
• Travel by executive coach - upgrade so Silver Service available
• FREE local joining points
• 3 full-day battlefields visits
Please Note: Entrance fees to museums & places of interest are at extra cost.

Upgrade to Silver Service for luxury coach travel and enjoy added benefits
As above plus...
• Deluxe, reclining seats
• Extra legroom
• Comfortable rear lounges
• Porterage at your hotel

Prices are per person, based on two sharing.
Extras • Optional excursions

Book your Leger Holiday through First4Breaks and receive 5% discount off the prices below
Call us on 0191 514 5511 or click on the enquire button below to check availability or book