Canadian Battlefields Tour May 1 12, 2018 12 Days, 11 Nights Summary Itinerary Tuesday, May 1 st Day 1 Depart Canada Depart from the Maritimes from select Maritime airports (Charlottetown, Moncton, Fredericton, or Halifax). Our group will assemble at the Halifax International Airport and meet your Target Tours Tour Director before your overnight flight to Heathrow Airport in London, England. Try to get some sleep before your morning arrival in London. Overnight-On flight (Snacks and Breakfast served on board flight) Wednesday, May 2 nd Day 2 Arrive London, England A warm London welcome! Upon your arrival at London s Heathrow Airport, you will be met by our driver and battlefield guide. We will begin with a short tour of Windsor as well as a visit to the Commonwealth Air Force Memorial overlooking Runnymede, before enjoying an early hotel check-in and a Welcome Dinner in London City. Overnight - London (D) 4**** Copthorne Tara, Kensington or similar (3 nights) Thursday, May 3 rd Day 3 London's war story After breakfast this morning, we will take a tour of London on a Vintage 1940 s London Bus, exploring the city through the lens of the Second World War. We will also enjoy stops at the new Imperial War Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms - where Churchill would spend his most historic years. This evening, we enjoy a Pub Night in one of our favourite local city pubs. Overnight - London (B, D) Friday, May 4 th Day 4 A Tour of Bletchley This morning we take the drive to Bletchley Park, the centre of British code-breaking activity during World War II. Here, we will get a first-hand look at the secret and undercover history of spies and espionage. Learn of the determination and brilliance behind the code breakers who worked here, and how they impacted not only the war effort but the world on a revolutionary scale. After our tour, we will enjoy afternoon tea together in the Bletchley Park Mansion's Victorian dining room. After lunch, we will enjoy a visit to the Royal Air Force Museum, which offers a world-class collection of aircraft, aviation and wartime artifacts. The museum has just reopened after a major transformation to mark the RAF s Centenary in 2018, displaying entirely new exhibits of their Battle of Britain collections. Enjoy our last overnight in London with some free time to explore and dine on your own. Overnight - London (B, L)
Saturday, May 5 th Day 5 Tour to Portsmouth Today, we say our farewells to London, and travel down to Aldershot to visit the Aldershot Military Museum. Housed in two original Victorian barrack blocks, the museum explores the civilian and military history of Aldershot, Farnborough and Cove. We will also visit the Canadian Military Cemetery at Brookwood before travelling on to Portsmouth, where we will visit Portsmouth's historic Southsea Castle, overlooking the shores of England's south coast. After exploring the castle's fascinating history, we will meet with the research staff of Portsmouth's D-Day Museum to discuss Portsmouth's role in the intense preparation for the D-Day Normandy landings. This evening, we head to our hotel for our check-in, dinner, and overnight. Overnight - Portsmouth (B, D) 3*** Ibis Portsmouth, or similar (1 night) Sunday, May 6 th Day 6 Channel crossing to Normandy This morning, we begin our ferry crossing to Normandy (approx. 4h30min crossing - Brittany Ferries). Upon arrival, we will visit Pegasus Bridge where the 6th British Airborne landed, captured and liberated the first house in Europe, the Café Gondree. We will then make a short visit to see the Canadian Memorial Garden at the Abbaye des Ardennes. After paying our respects, we will make our way to our hotel for some rest and relaxation before enjoying our first dinner together in France. Overnight Caen (B, D) 3*** Royal Caen Hotel, or similar (2 nights) Monday, May 7 th Day 7 Exploring Normandy Beaches This morning, we will visit Omaha Beach. We will first explore the American Military Cemetery to discover the appalling difficulties that were required for landing on Bloody Omaha. After leaving Omaha, we will visit La Chaos, the German offshore battery, which is still relatively intact, even after 70 years. In the afternoon, we will view the Mulberry Harbor in Arromanches, where we will receive a full orientation. We then travel on to Courseulles-Sur-Mer to explore the Juno Beach Center, dedicated to the 3rd Division landings as well as Canada s full involvement during World War II. Before heading back for dinner, we will visit the Canadian Military Cemetery in Beny-sur-Mer. Overnight Caen (B, D) Tuesday, May 8 th Day 8 Dieppe This morning we will travel through the Normandy countryside to Dieppe. You will visit the Dieppe Canadian Cemetery, the Green Beach at Pourville and the main landing beaches of Red and White on the Dieppe seafront. We will then explore Blue Beach in Puys to view the gun emplacements on the cliff tops, which were responsible for the terrible Canadian casualties. After leaving Dieppe, we will travel on to Amiens for our check-in and dinner. Overnight - Amiens (B, D) 3*** Holiday Inn Amiens, or similar (2 nights)
Wednesday, May 9 th Day 9 The Somme Region Today, we begin our discussions of the First World War. After breakfast, we begin with a short walk of Amiens to discover the traces of the First World War that have left their mark on the cityscape. Our walk will include a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral of Amiens, the largest cathedral in France, where we will learn of its miraculous survival amidst some of the fiercest fighting. We travel on to the iconic town of Albert to visit the Musee de Arbris, where you will find your own perspective on the Somme. Enjoy lunch at the Old Blighty Tea Room before discovering Lochnagar, the largest man-made mine crater created in the First World War. We will then head out to explore the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, as well as Beaumont Hamel, one of the largest surviving and intact battlefield monuments in the First World War. The park is maintained by Canada, and remains as it was during the Battle of the Somme. It is now dedicated to the Newfoundland Regiment who lost so many men on that first day of battle. This evening, we return to the medieval city of Amiens for our dinner and overnight. Overnight Amiens (B, D) Thursday, May 10 th Day 10 Vimy & Hill 70 This morning we depart Amiens, and take an extended visit at Vimy Ridge, where the Canadian Corps fought and won their greatest battle. Here, we will explore the trenches, tunnels, and the new interpretation centre opened for Vimy's Centennial Remembrance. We will then take a tour of the famous Canadian Memorial, designed by Sir Walter Allward, sitting at the top of the battlefield on Hill 145. Enjoy a picnic lunch, before travelling to the new Memorial at Hill 70, Loos-en-Gohelle, where we will discuss Canada's "forgotten battle". We will finish our tour today in Ieper (Ypres), Belgium, - otherwise known as the City of Peace, in the heart of Flanders Fields. Enjoy a walking tour with your guide to orient yourself to the city's Grote Markt and medieval ramparts. You will have free time this evening to enjoy shopping, Belgian chocolate, and dinner on your own at any number of Ieper's local patios boasting a variety of flavours and dishes. Overnight -- Ieper (B, L) 3*** Flanders Fields Inn, or similar (2 nights) Friday, May 11 th Day 11 Exploring Flanders Fields This morning, we head out to explore the Ypres Salient Battlefields including a visit to Essex Farm, the place where John McCrae wrote the iconic poem In Flanders Fields. We will also visit St Julian - Vancouver Corner, Tyne Cot and the Passchendaele Museum as well as Hill 62 - a small area of the original battlefield and part of the Canadian Front Line. This evening we will enjoy a Farewell Dinner together, before participating the Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony at 8:00 PM, which will be led by the Ieper Fire Department & the Last Post Association. In these Centennial Years, the Last Post Association promises to be one of the most memorable Last Post Ceremonies yet. Overnight Ieper (B, D) Saturday, May 12 th Day 12 Return to Canada This morning after breakfast, we will transfer to Brussels International Airport for our flight home. Here we will say goodbye to our local guide and fellow travellers and proceed to return to Canada and our respective Maritime airports with many great memories of your Canadian Battlefields tour with Target Tours. (B, Lunch and snacks on board flight)
Includes: Flights from select Maritime cities (Charlottetown, Moncton, Fredericton, or Halifax) to London (overnight) and return from Brussels (daytime) Airport transfers at destination and Executive Motorcoach with washroom/ac/tea/coffee 10 nights accommodations in 3* & 4* hotels including breakfast daily 8 dinners and 2 lunches included Britanny Ferry passage Portsmouth, UK to Ouistream (Caen), France Guided tours and entrance fees as outlined in the itinerary Full Time professional and experienced Battlefield Tour Manager Small Group Tour. Maximum 26 participants. All taxes and fees Personally escorted by Target Tours Tour Director Price: Double $ 5699 per person, 2 per room Single $ 6989 per person, 1 per room Prices are based on double occupancy, in CAD, and includes all taxes. Prices include air and land. Proof of out-of-country medical insurance required. (Can purchase insurance through Target Tours. Please contact for a quote.) Deposit of $1500 per person due at time of booking. Final payment due February 23, 2018. Tour Director and Driver Your Battlefields Tour Guide and Driver play an important role in making your vacation as memorable and hassle free as possible. While optional, gratuities are a great way to show your appreciation. The suggested industry guideline is 3.00 to 5.00 Euro per person, per day for your Battlefields Tour Guide and also your Driver. This should be extended on a voluntary and individual basis at the completion of the tour. No gratuity required for your Target Tours Tour Director. Travel Insurance Your tour price does not include travel insurance. If you are covered, we advise you to look into coverage details, if there is a deductible, if you need to pay up front, and where to call in case of emergency. We highly recommend medical, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage. If you would like a quote, please call our office at 1-877-214-5367. Please note that your Provincial Health Plan will not always fully cover all medical expenses incurred in other provinces and has no coverage once you leave the country.
What to expect after you book We will send you your receipt and proof of reservation via email or mail. Before final payment we will reach out to you via phone or email to remind you of your final balance and determine final method of payment. After final payment, we will send you a document outlining information on the destinations and provide optional activities you can book in advance. About 2-3 weeks prior to departure we will send you your Detailed Itinerary which will feature exact times and locations as well as details on your Tour Director. Around one week before departure you will be contacted by your Target Tours Tour Director via email or by phone to introduce themselves and ask if you have any questions before departure. Target Tours P.O. Box 2693 Charlottetown, PEI C1A 8C3 1 877 214 5367 info@targettours.ca