Remembering the Somme
About the tour: Remembering the Somme
- Campaign: The Great War (WW1)
- Campaign Dates Covered: Jul 1916 - Nov 1916 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- Battle of the Somme - 1 July 1916One of the bloodiest battles of WW1, the Battle of the Somme saw the Britsh and French armies fight the Germans for five long months, with the aim to weaken the Germans and relieve the French Army who were fighting in Verdun.
- Flers-Courcelette and first use of tanks - 15 September 1916A subsidiary attack of the Somme battle. The Flers-Courcelette saw the first occasion that tanks were used in a battle.
- End of the Battle of the Somme - 18 November 1916After four months of bloody battles, the British Commander in Chief called a halt to the battle, which turned out to be a disaster and amounted to more than 600,000 British troops being wounded, killed or missing.
Tour Introduction
On this fascinating tour we take a look at the key sites of the Somme battlefield, the Somme being an epitome for the British sacrifice in World War 1, as more than 150,000 British Commonwealth soldiers died fighting during this battle. We visit key sites from the Sheffield Memorial Park at Serre, to Sunken Lane and the Thiepval Memorial. We also see the Lochnagar Mine crater and Butte de Walencourt, where the Somme battle come to a conclusion. Between all these well-known sites we see many memorials and cemeteries, such as Mametz Wood and High Wood, where the Welsh Divison was wiped out.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
- Travel by executive coach or upgrade to Silver Service
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
We make our way to the port of departure and coach interchange where you will join your tour coach for the crossing to the continent. We continue to northern France and our hotel for a four-night stay.
Day 2 - First Day of the Somme
Today we look at that terrible first day of the Somme and follow the line of 1st July 1916. We start at Gommecourt, then see where the Northern Pals battalions fought at Serre, walking up to the Sheffield Memorial Park and seeing the battlefield cemeteries. Following lunch, we look at the Beaumont Hamel battlefield, seeing the Sunken Lane where the Lancashire Fusiliers sheltered before Zero Hour and Hawthorn Ridge, where a huge mine was blown and filmed for posterity. We then examine the fighting for Thiepval Ridge, seeing the memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division and visiting the Thiepval Visitors’ Centre and Thiepval Memorial. We end the day at the Leipzig salient, seeing the memorial to the Dorsetshire Regiment.
Included meals: Breakfast
BEAUMONT HAMEL (7)
Key Visits
- Beaumont Hamel
- Thiepval-Memorial
- Gommercourt
- Serre
- Sheffield Memorial Park
- Sunken Lane
- Hawthorn Ridge
- Leipzig Salient
Day 3 - La Boisselle & Mametz
Continuing the story of 1st July 1916 we begin in Mash Valley at Ovillers, looking at the fighting there, then move to the Lochnagar Mine crater at La Boisselle, before seeing where regiments from Yorkshire fought at Fricourt. After lunch, we look at the story of Devonshire Trench at Mametz, and see where Captain Billie Neville and his men kicked footballs over the top and where the British lines met with the French. We end the day looking at the next stage of the battle with the fighting at Mametz Wood involving the 38th (Welsh) Division.
Included meals: Breakfast
LOCHNAGAR (4)
Key Visits
- Mash Valley
- Lochnagar Mine Crater
- Fricourt
- Devonshire Trench
- Mametz Wood
Day 4 - Delville Wood & Albert
The battle of the Somme continued beyond July and we follow the course of the fighting at High Wood and Delville Wood, seeing ‘Crucifix Corner’ and Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, following the story of New Zealand’s Unknown Warrior. We spend lunchtime in Albert with time to visit the Somme Museum. In the afternoon we look at the Australian attack on Pozieres, visiting the Gibraltar Bunker and Windmill site, and seeing where tanks were used for the first time at Flers-Courcelette. We end the tour at the Butte de Warlencourt, now a memorial site, where the Somme battle came to a conclusion on 18th November 1916.
Included meals: Breakfast
DELVILLE WOOD (7)
Key Visits
- DELVILLE WOOD
- Pozières
- High Wood
- Caterpillar Valley Cemetery
- Albert
- Gibraltar Bunker
- Pozieres Windmill Site
- Flers-Coucelette
- Butte de Warlencourt
Day 5
We leave the hotel after breakfast and travel to the Channel port. You will leave your tour coach behind as you join your transfer vehicle for your return journey to your original departure point.
Included meals: Breakfast
1 x packed lunch/museum package available whilst on tour approx. cost €25. The package comprises a packed lunch on day two of the tour - which includes a baguette sandwich, packet of crisps and bottle of water - entrance to Thiepval Visitor Centre on day two and entrance to the Somme Museum on day four. It also includes a 15 page tour booklet. Please note this is offered as a complete package only and must be paid in Euros (cash).
OPTIONAL EVENING MEAL PACKAGE AVAILABLE for £75 PER PERSON includes a 3-course meal at the hotel on days two and four (buffet starter and dessert and choice of main from pre-advised menu at breakfast each day) and one additional 3-course meal on day three: "Join us on a unique evening out on the Somme on day three where we attend a moving 'Sound and Light' show with extracts from WW1 accounts, music, and re-enactors in uniform - all combined with a typical WW1 meal from the trenches. This will take place in a covered area in the historic Bernafay Wood, the scene of heavy fighting in July 1916 and is organised by 'Digger Cote 160' a local remembrance group."
The local 'Sound and Light' show with meal on day three is subject to minimum numbers and favourable weather conditions and may be cancelled with short notice.
DISCOUNTS FOR CHILDREN DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS - We have many parents and grandparents who wish to take their children on a battlefield tour to share the experience and learning together. We are pleased to offer a significant reduction for children aged between 8 & 17 year olds during the school holidays. Call for details.
Pre-Tour Reading
A selection of related books for pre or post tour reading.
- Coombes, Rose - Before Endeavours Fade (After the Battle – many editions)
- Kendall, Paul - Somme 1916 (Frontline Books 2015)
- MacDonald, Lyn - Somme (many editions)
- McCarthy, Chris - The Somme: Day By Day (many editions)
- Middlebrook, Martin - First Day on The Somme (many editions)
- Reed, Paul - Walking the Somme (Pen & Sword Ltd new edition 2012)
Passenger Information
The Tour
This tour will look at the famous Great War battlefield of the Somme, where so many British soldiers fought and died in 1916. Occasionally it is possible, depending on time, for us to visit a cemetery or memorial outside the main tour itinerary. However, clients will appreciate there are more than 300 British military cemeteries in the Somme region and we are not in a position to visit them all. Such visits are at the discretion of your Specialist Guide/Drivers. It is advisable you speak them as soon as possible on the first day of your tour.
Foreign Currency
The ‘Remembering the Somme’ tour takes place in France only and therefore you will only need the Euro. You are advised to get Euros – in cash – in advance of your tour, as nearly all banks in France do not provided currency exchange services.
What to Bring
The weather in northern France can be changeable, and it is advisable to bring sensible clothes and always pack a jumper and waterproofs. Good, stout shoes are essential – remember this was once a battlefield and most of the time we are in rural France! Walking boots are ideal. In warm weather always bring a hat and sun cream, and it is advisable to have a supply of water.
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
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.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
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.
You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Ibis Styles Peronne Assevillers Hotel. The hotel has a restaurant and bar, and is situated approximately six miles from the centre of Peronne.
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats 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 for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. 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.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers 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.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay or the option to meet us at the interchange, our travel extras allow you to create a travel experience to suit your needs...
Join coach at Interchange
+ Find out moreJoin your tour coach at the interchange.
On most tours if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes tours to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
