Battlefield Tour to Ypres and the Somme

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A school history trip to the WW1 battlefields of Ypres and the Somme will allow your students to experience the living conditions of soldiers in the trenches.

By putting themselves in the soldiers’ shoes on the battlefields of Ypres and the Somme, they’ll better understand the destructive power, waste and futility of war.

The events of the 1916 Battle of the Somme will be brought to life for them as you follow the Circuit of Remembrance, taking part in the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. Other highlights include the interactive In Flanders Fields museum, the British Dugout Experience and the German trench system at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917.

Battlefield Tour to Ypres and the Somme

From

£266PP

3 days, 2 nights

Need something bespoke?

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Travel from UK

Afternoon

Passchendaele Museum - Trench Experience and Tyne Cot Cemetery

Evening

Evening meal and ten pin bowling

Day 2

Morning

1916 Somme Museum in Albert

Afternoon

Lochnagar Crater, Newfoundland Park, Thiepval Memorial, Vimy Ridge

Evening

Evening meal and Last Post Ceremony

Day 3

Morning

In Flanders Fields Museum and Essex Farm

Evening

Travel back to England
  • 2 nights' half-board accommodation
  • Access to the Vamoos app to download all tour-related travel documents
  • Detailed information pack
  • Free itinerary planning service
  • Free staff place ratio 1:8
  • Motorway tolls and taxes
  • Return executive coach travel
  • Return ferry or Eurotunnel crossings
  • VAT at current rates to tour operators

Curriculum

A Level
  • The changing nature of warfare
  • Life in the trenches
  • Developments in British warfare
  • Life in wartime Britain
  • Challenges of German nationalism
  • Germany: democracy and dictatorship
  • Germany and West Germany
GCSE
  • Developments in British warfare
  • Conflict and tension: WW1
  • The Western Front
  • Life in wartime Britain
Key Stage 3
  • Challenges for Europe and the wider world, 1901
  •  
Primary
  • British history beyond 1066

Accommodation

Hotel Menin Gate

This former textile factory provides a brilliant base for groups visiting the battlefields and is located 100m away from the Market Square in Ypres town centre. Students will be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms, and staff in twins or singles (supplement may apply). All rooms are en-suite, and with a group size of 35 or more, you will have sole occupancy of the premises. Breakfast is served on site, and evening meals are taken at a nice restaurant in the town centre just two minutes' walk away. Packed lunches are available on request. Facilities include a PA intercom system, recreational room with TV, pool table, pinball machines, table football, free WiFi throughout, a large garden, and a staff room with minibar and digital TV.

Munchenhof Hotel

This school group hotel consists of 2 purpose-built annexes. Facilities include free WiFi in the reception area, pool tables, table tennis, TV lounge, football pitch, table football and a basketball court. All bedrooms are en-suite. The hotel has a self-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and evening meals. There is a swipe card system to gain entry to floors, rooms and lifts for extra security.

Poppies d'Albert

Poppies d'Albert is a purpose-built hotel, catering exclusively for school groups. It is located in the historic town of Albert, in the very heart of the battlefields of the Somme. Students are accommodated in multi-bedded rooms, all of which have an en-suite shower, toilet and washbasin. Breakfast is served at the hotel, and the evening meal is in a local restaurant. Each floor has a games room with a pool table and a drinks machine. There is also a staff lounge on each floor with computers, free internet access and a minibar. A room is available for group activities. Next to the hotel are a football pitch and a swimming pool, both of which can be used by the hotel's guests.

Educational Activities

Essex Farm

John McCrae's 'In Flanders Fields' remains, to this day, one of the most memorable war poems ever written.

In Flanders Fields Museum

This interactive museum mixes artefacts with documentary film, audio-visual presentations and contemporary artwork to vividly portray the horror and brutality of the events of 1914-1918.

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Commemorating the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, this museum contains fascinating exhibitions and interactive experiences of life in the trenches.

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel

On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, eight hundred men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over the top here – only 68 returned.

Somme 1916 Museum

A unique underground museum where students will learn about the lives of soldiers on the frontline of WW1.

Thiepval Memorial to the Missing

This colossal brick structure records the names of 72,000 British soldiers whose bodies were never found.

Tyne Cot British Cemetery

Take your students to the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, and let them reflect on the sheer number of lives lost.

Vimy Ridge

At Vimy Ridge, a striking monument, an interpretive centre and a section of preserved trenches commemorate the Canadian soldiers who wrestled control of the escarpment in a brief but bloody battle in April 1917.

Hooge Crater Museum

On the site where some of the fiercest battles were fought is the 'Hooge Crater' Museum 1914-1918, one of the

Cultural Activities

Bellewaerde Park

Bellewaerde Park is Belgium’s oldest theme park. Built around an ancient castle, this theme park is located only 75 minutes

Leonidas Chocolate Shop

Situated in the main square in Ypres, Leonidas Chocolate Shop is a popular choice for some light relief and delicious Belgian chocolates.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.

Let's chat!

This was a fantastic trip and really allowed us to see another side to our students. It was well worth every second.

Gloucester International School

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