Proudly the longest running Battlefield Tour operations in Canada - having escorted Canadian Veterans & their families for over 30 years
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CUSTOM BATTLEFIELD TOURS
Enjoy a private driver/guide to escort your clients throughout their journey, have a hop on guide join you. Take a look at all the elements of your trip and choose what fits your way of exploring the Battlefields.
PRIVATE
DRIVER GUIDE
Enjoy a private driver/guide to escort your clients throughout their journey
RAIL PASS & TRANSFERS
Take a train, and meet your guide at the train station before you start your tour
SELF-DRIVE
TOURS
Enjoy full flexibility with our insured & discounted rental plans - have a hop on guide join along.
TOURS for FAMILY + FRIENDS
Enjoy a small group tour with just your friends and family - private groups are the best way to go
VIRTUAL
TOURS ONLINE
Connect with a private guide to escort clients through their journey, online
DESTINATIONS
Enjoy a private driver/guide to escort your clients throughout their journey,
FRANCE
The most popular destination in the series, France is home to the largest WWI&II battlefields in the world
VIETNAM
The American War in Vietnam is a battlefield story we should never forget - learn & discover
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NETHERLANDS
A strong link is celebrated between Canada & the Netherlands, see for yourself
FLANDERS
West Flanders Belgium, where poppies grow, have some of the most famous battlefields of WWI
OUR TOUR GUIDES
Enjoy a private driver/guide to escort your clients throughout their journey,
Brigitte de Cuyper
English, French (French)
Brigitte worked for 5 years for the “Somme 1916 Museum” in Albert. She lived in the UK for 26 years and brings passion and knowledge to the battlefields she grew up on.
Somme, Vimy
Driver/Guide
Glenn Edmonds
English (Canadian)
Glenn Edmonds, based in Manitoba, has worked with us since 2003, escorting Canadian veterans and their families as a principal guide on many projects.
All Areas*
Step-On Guide
Samantha Cowan
English, (Canadian)
Sam is the operations manager here at The Battlefield Tours. She works with group tours both large & small and books all special interest groups
All Areas*
Step-on Guide
Cory Powell
English, French (Canadian)
Cory has worked on The Battlefield Tours as a guide since 2017. His most notable tours include Passchendaele 100 & the Vimy 100 FS Indigenous Veterans tour.
All Areas*
Step-On Guide
Carl Ooghe
Dutch, English, French
Carl Ooghe is a full time tour leader based out of Lille, highly specialised in cycling tours, specifically in Flanders Fields (+ northern France).
France, Belgium
Driver/Guide
Salient Tours
Dutch, English, French
Meet Steve Douglas, founder of the Maple Leaf Legacy Project and his team, a group of multilingual specialised guides based in Ypres
From Ypres
Driver/Guide
Cindy Fradet
English, French
Cindy received her degree in tourism from the University of Boulogne sur Mer, and has been guiding throughout France since 2012
Verdun
Driver/Guide
Ken Lees
German, English, French
Ken retired from the police in the UK after 30 years - he and his wife now live in the heart of the tranquil Somme, studying geneaology on the battlefields
Somme, Ypres
Driver/Guide
Joël Stoppels
English, Dutch
Joel started collecting artefacts in the Groningen region of the Netherlands when he was 12 years old - now he guides & lectures throughout the local area.
Groningen, NL
Driver/Guide
Jip Meijer
Dutch, English
Jip is based in Holland but guides travellers in France, Belgium, Poland, and Germany too. He particularly enjoys the Canadian story.
All Areas*
Driver/Guide
Jon Haslock
English, French
Jon is from the UK, but today, he's based in the heart of the Somme, his tea shop The Old Blighty sits a mere 100 metres from Lochnagar Crater.
Somme + Vimy
Driver/Guide
Eva Ruttger
German, English, French
Eva grew up in Bavaria, Germany, studied tourism in Paris, and worked in Courseulles-Sur-Mer before she guiding at Juno in '07.
Normandy
Driver/Guide
OUR ACCOMMODATIONS
We like to partner directly with the best local hotels and self-catering accommodations.
EXPERIENCES
the Somme Battlefields
BEAUMONT HAMEL NEWFOUNDLAND MEMORIAL PARK
The largest preserved Battlefield in the world. Thousands of people from archaeologists, historians, to students from all nationalities travel to see this battlefield, which is proudly managed today by Veteran Affairs Canada.
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Visits take approx. 1.5-2.5 hours
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Washroom facilities & Interpretation Center on-site
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Free Entrance
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Some pathways are Mobile Accessible
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Managed By Veteran Affairs Canada
TYPES OF TRANSPORT
Executive Coaches
Large Groups & Organizations
Coaches come in the various sizes & include all fees:
- 22 Seater
- 38 Seater
- 50 Seater
- 60+ Seater
Licensed Car
F.I.T // Up to 3 travellers p car
Private Car with liscensed Driver-Guide for up to 3 people is a way for individuals to see the Battlefields. Meet your driver at either your hotel or train station for the day.
Mercedes Sprinter
Small Groups 6-19 pax
Serves best for groups with 6-19 passengers. There's no washroom on board, but there's enough luggage for up to 19 people. A driver-guide can be incl. for <8pax
SUV & Off-Road
F.I.T // Up to 4 traveller p suv
Subject to availability you can take a speciality guided tour with driver/guide in a private Sports Utility Vehicle. Similar to a private car, this makes for a great day tour
Executive Car
F.I.T // Up to 3 travellers p car
Choose a private executive car transfer for up to 3 passengers for an enjoyable + professional transfer to and from train stations or airports, or as otherwise instructed.
Self-Drive Car
Enterprise & AutoEurope
Take the driver's seat - with our self-drive itineraries meeting local battlefield guides and battlefield friends along the way + enjoy premium coverage.
SAMPLE ITINERARIES
Canadian Battlefields of Normandy
[ 3 days, 2 nights ]
RAIL + Driver Guide
Canadian & American Battlefields of Normandy
[ 4 days, 3 nights ]
RAIL + Driver Guide
Normandy Battlefields with Holiday Extension
(includes St. Malo, Mont St Michel, Bayeux Tapestry & Calvados tasting)
[ 5 days, 4 nights ]
RAIL + Driver Guide
Normandy + Dieppe
[ 5 days, 4 nights ]
RAIL + Driver Guide
- Self-Drive Samples
- Full 10-Day Battlefield Samples
Map of the most popular Battlefield Sites
MORE INFORMATION:
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Transportation Hubs:
[AIR]
London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt
[EUROSTAR]
Lille, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin
[REGIONAL TRAIN]
(Normandy: Caen), (Somme & Vimy: Arras), (Flanders: Kortrijk, Bruges, Brussels) (Netherlands: Antwerp, Amsterdam, Arnhem, Groningen)
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Countries Covered:
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy
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Hotel Hubs:
London, Portsmouth, Caen, Bayeux, Paris, Reims, Amiens, Arras, Ypres, Kortrijk, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Amsterdam, Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Berlin
NEXT STEPS
- Request with: Name of Group, # of pax, dates, type of tour & wish list, + Meals & any other special requests
- Invoice issued with itinerary, terms & pricing
- $500 CAD Non-Refundable Deposit to confirm per person
- Custom online Battlefield Guide Kit submitted 30 days prior to travel [See our Map Kit Samples]
QUICK TIPS & TRICKS for selling the Battlefield Tours
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Ypres, the City of Peace, (pronounced EE-PER) is spelt two different ways: Ypres, & Ieper. Like most places in West Flanders Belgium, (like Bruges/Brugge) this city has both a french and flemish name, which can be used interchangeably by travellers.
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The best bookshop is at the Theipval Memorial Centre
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There are exactly 300 Commonwealth Grave Cemeteries in France, and 300 Commonwealth Grave Cemereirs in Belgium dedicated to the First & Second World War
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Tours to the Grange Tunnel at Vimy Ridge are free but reservations must be made on-site on the day of the visit. Other tunnel tours include Wellington Quarries in Arras, or those more able-bodied travellers can enquire with us about a private visit underground with specialist guides to other, raw areas.
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What Regiment? It's helpful to find out more about the family's footsteps with a name & regiment - we can do the rest.