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World War 1 Tour
(20 April - 23 April & 1 June - 4 June & 3 August - 6 August 2012 - Easy)
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The
larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In
Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
- John McCrae
By popular request we have scheduled this tour for 3 dates in 2012. This tour complements our existing Normandy
Beaches Tour. It is the ideal tour for novices and the experienced motorcyclist alike. It is also a very pillion friendly tour. Our tour guides have a keen interest in military history and we
feel that the historic sites, motorcycling on the continent and fantastic food in the evening are a winning combination.
For this tour we will be based for three nights in one hotel, located in Leper (Ypres or Wipers as it was known to the British Tommy).
Ypres is now known as 'the city of peace' – it was one of the first places where chemical warfare was used – Mustard gas also known as Yperite – taken from the name of the
city.
Ypres is a great place to stay with much to see and lots of restaurants. Highlights include the Cloth Hall, Menin Gate, medieval
quarter.
Day 1 – Dover – Cambrai – Vimy Ridge – Ypres (160 miles approx)
Arrive at Dover for the short crossing to Calais. You will be met by a 'British Bike Tour' guide
who will accompany you throughout the trip.
For newcomers to touring we will guide you through the booking in procedure and will help
you secure your motorcycle when on the ferry. The crossing takes approx 90 minutes.
On departure we will head out on the motorway for approx 90 miles to our first stop –
Cambrai. The Battle of Cambrai was the scene of the first ever major tank battle; 381 British tanks punctured through the Hindenburg Line in 1917. The German counter attack
that followed was one of the first to use 'Stormtrooper' tactics. In 1998 a tank from the Great War was unearthed on Flesquières ridge in northern France. The tank was later
identified as the British Mark IV Deborah D51, which took part in the 1917 Battle of Cambrai. The site is now a designated World War 1 memorial.
From Flesquieres we will head across country to the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge. We
will get the chance to explore the trenches before heading North East to Ypres and our hotel.
Day 2 – Ypres - Ypres Salient - Flanders (80 miles approx)
Day 2 sees us visit the areas around Ypres and Flanders. In the morning we will visit the
Tyne Cot Cemetery (the largest British Cemetery in the world); from there we will head to the Sanctuary Wood Museum and Hill 62. At Sanctuary Wood we can explore the extensive
trench system. Before lunch we will visit the Messines Ridge and Irish Peace Tower before visiting the Hooge Crater Museum. The Hooge Crater was the result of a massive explosion
- a 190ft tunnel was dug by the Royal Engineers under the German lines and the resulting explosion created a 120ft wide x 20ft deep crater.
After lunch we will visit various other museums and memorials in the area including the
Ploegsteert, Hyde Park Corner/Royal Berkshire Cemetery, Christmas Truce Memorial and Yorkshire Trench.
In the evening we will go the Menin Gate Memorial - From 11 November, 1929 the ‘Last
Post’ has been sounded at the Menin Gate memorial every night and in all weathers. The only exception to this was during the four years of the German occupation of Ypres from
20 May 1940 to 6 September 1944. During this period the ceremony was continued in England at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey. On the very evening that Polish forces
liberated Ypres in the 2nd World War, the ceremony was resumed at the Menin Gate, in spite of the heavy fighting still going on in other parts of the town.
Day 3 – Ypres - The Somme - Ypres (150 miles approx)
Day 3 sees us travel south across country to the Somme area.
The first stop will be the fascinating Arras -Wellington quarries. The British had the idea of
linking two existing quarries together by 20kms of tunnels. The tunnels would provide an underground pathway to the front line and would also have the facility of to house 24,000
soldiers in safety. The work was carried out in great secrecy by the Tunnelling Company of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. These were men who had been recruited from
amongst the gold and coal miners and were thus already skilled in their trade.
The stone and earth removed was carefully distributed to ensure that German aircraft
would not notice the digging. The secrecy was so complete that the few thousand Arrageois who had decided to remain in their homes had no idea as to what was taking
place beneath their feet (or for some, beneath their houses).
The rest of the day will be spent visiting some of the many museums and memorials of the
Somme including Ulster Tower Memorial, Lochnagar Crater, Thiepval Memorial.
Day 4 – Ypres - Calais - Dover (120 miles approx)
In the morning we will visit either the fabulous Flanders Field Museum in the nearby Cloth
Hall or Talbot House Museum in Poperinghe. Then its onto our bikes for the short ride to Calais and home.
What You Get and Costs.
The basic cost of the tour is £350 for a single rider in a shared room; £425 for a single rider
in a single room and £600 for a rider and pillion. For these prices you will get the following:-
- Return ferry crossing (Dover- Calais)
- Three nights accommodation in a good quality hotel in Ypres
- Breakfast each morning.
- Service throughout the trip of a British Bike Tours guide.
- Route maps (paper based and/or digital - Garmin Mapsource)
The following is not included:
- Petrol
- Travel Insurance
- Breakdown cover insurance
- Evening Meals
- Museum entrance fees
You need to budget around 20 - 25 euros for a decent 3 course evening meal. For
lunchtimes we try and use local bakers for sandwiches/baguettes etc. Evening meal costs are very much dependent on how much wine and beer you drink!!
Schedules
In 2012 the World War One Tour is scheduled for 3 dates. These are:
Friday 20 April - Monday 23 April
Friday 1 June - Monday 1 June
Friday 3 August - Monday 6 August
WANT TO BOOK - £100 DEPOSIT REQUIRED TO SECURE A PLACE
CLICK THE BUY NOW BUTTON TO BOOK ON-LINE SECURELY USING ANY MAJOR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD
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