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Private tour in Lille Claude V
WW1 Australian battlefield tour in Flanders and the Somme in two days
5.0
(9) reviews
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2 days
1
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2 days
1
Claude V.
4.9
Guide rating
127
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Tours delivered
3 hrs
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Hi, my name is Claude, I was born and raised in Flanders Fields. The Great War became a passion when in 1981, Nelly and I purchased a bar and restaurant just opposite Ploegsteert Memorial to Missing. We still meet people coming from all over the world at our place. I started doing research with Ted Smith and Tony Spagnoly in the eighties, and then with many other authors and historians. I am now a specialized battlefield guide in the plains of Flanders in Belgium and the Somme area in France. Below you will find my standard tours but I can also build a custom tour, you provide the information and I'll do the rest. I like to talk about history of course but also about all what makes our daily life in France and Belgium. I am flexible, provide a high standard service, can bring a walker or a wheelchair to make your tour more comfortable. I am using digital maps and old pictures of the places you will visit. For the tours I use a Mercedes Vito Tourer fully equipped and fully insured for tour purposes. Guide license "GL70/2007.03 delivered by the "Commisariat Général au Tourisme. Transport license TLAB251 300/1. (mandatory in Europe) Official guide of the "Tourist Office of Comines-Warneton" Member of the Scientific Committee of the "Plugsreet 14-18 Interpretative Centre" Member of the "Royal British Legion" Somme Branch Member of the "Western Front Association"
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Claude V.
Two day battlefield tour with transportation and a private guide
Overview of your Lille tour
During that 2 day tour, I will bring you to the battlefields where Australian troops were in action in Flanders, Belgium, as well as in the Somme area. You will visit the most important museums and memorials, and we will spend time on the battlefields, where I will tell you why and how these operations happened. I will try to make you understand what the daily routine of a soldier was, and how they adapted to trench life. We will have lunch at one of the local places. In Ypres, you will have some free time to wander in the little town or taste one of the numerous Belgian beers.
Your Lille tour itinerary
Day 1: Leaving your hotel at 09:00 towards Fromelles "Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery," the museum, and seeing where the mass grave was. Standing where the Australians launched their assault on 19 July. You will see "VC Corner Cemetery" and the Cobbers Statue figuring Simon Fraser. Driving towards Ploegsteert. Going through Messines, having lunch. See Hill 60, the Caterpillar crater, the memorial to the 1st Australian Tunneling Cie, Polygoon Wood, and the Memorial to the 5th Australian Div. Visiting Tyne Cot Mil Cy and the German cemetery of Langemark. Seeing Ypres, the cloth hall, and the Menin Gate, attend the Last Post at 20:00 before heading to your hotel. Day2: Leaving at 09:00 towards Villers Bretonneux, see the Victoria School the Villers Bretonneux Memorial and the SJMC, Le Hamel Australian Memorial. Lunch near Pozières, stand at the Windmill, Moo Cow Farm, and the Memorial Park. Going to Bullecourt to visit the standing Digger in the park. Driving back towards your hotel.
Want to customize this tour?
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
Transport details
Type: Private Transportation / Category: Van
For transport we use a fully equiped Mercedes Vito.
What's included
What's not included
Meeting location
Lille, Hauts-de-France, France
at your hotel or train station in Lille or Ieper (Ypres).
- You can request a specific meeting location (for example, your hotel) during the checkout.
Other details
Tour categories
Tour reference number
Languages
French
Dutch
EnglishActivity level
Accessibility
Traveller reviews for this private tour in Lille
9 reviews
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2 days
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2 days
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Book with a deposit
If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
How it works
- Your credit card will be authorized only for the deposit amount.
- Funds will not be withdrawn until your tour booking is fully processed.
- 30 days before your tour date, the remaining balance is automatically charged.