Compare WWI Battlefields - Classic Group by Insight Vacations vs Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley 2023 by Tauck
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5 | Excellent
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4 | Great
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| Duration | 5 days | 13 days |
| Price From | $ 1,525 | $ 7,490 |
| Price Per Day | $ 305 | $ 576 |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Premium |
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| Flights & Transport | Airfare included | No |
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| Meals Included | N/A | N/A |
| Description | Live through the history and grit of World War I during this 4-day guided tour of its key battlefields and monuments. Journey from Paris to the Ypres Salient battlefields and see the Passchendaele Memorial and Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, the largest cemetery in the world for Commonwealth forces. Later, visit the Australian Fromelles Military Cemetery, where 250 British and Australian soldiers were buried after the Battle of Fromelles. Meet a Local Expert for a tour of the key battlefields of the Somme and see the church in Albert where many weary soldiers stopped for comfort on the way to those battlefields. On the way to Paris, visit the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and the Franco-Australian Museum in the local Victoria School. |
Visit the poignant beaches of D-Day, discover the rugged Brittany Coast, dine at an elegant estate in chateaux country, and spend three memorable nights in Paris on one of our most comprehensive journeys in France. |
Day 1: Ypres Battlefields and Lille
Depart Méridien Etoile Paris at 09:00 bound for Flanders Fields. Visit the Ypres Salient battlefields, including Hill 60, Polygon Wood, the Passchendaele Memorial and Tyne Cot Cemetery. In the town of Ypres, hear the Last Post sounded at the Menin Gate. Continue to your hotel and join your Travel Director for a Welcome Drink.
Mercure Lille Centre Grand Place Hotel.
Day 2: Fromelles and Vimy Ridge
See the Australian cemetery of Fromelles, commemorating one of the darkest days in Australian military history. Explore Arras with Insight Choice. Spend time at Vimy Ridge and walk among original trenches or learn about the efforts of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Continue to Amiens and perhaps visit the impressive cathedral?
Mercure Amiens Cathédrale Hotel, Amiens.
Breakfast
Day 3: The Battlefields of the Somme
Meet your Local Expert to explore the key battlefields of the Somme. Visit the Lochnagar Crater, the South African and New Zealand Memorials at Longueval, Newfoundland Memorial and Museum and the Franco-British Memorial at Thiepval. Enjoy a stop in Albert to see the church and hear the legends of the Golden Virgin statue atop - once a beacon to many soldiers who passed through the town during the Battle of the Somme. Afterwards, explore Beaumont-Hamel, one of the largest allied offensives of the war, and return to Amiens where you will have the afternoon at leisure. Maybe do a little shopping or spend some time in the historic Saint-Leu district?
Mercure Amiens Cathédrale Hotel, Amiens.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 4: Return to Paris
Visit the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and the Franco-Australian Museum in the local Victoria School. Stop to explore Le Hamel and then continue to Péronne. On return to Paris, a stop is made at Charles De Gaulle Airport. For those departing in the evening, please do not schedule flights before 20:00. Alternatively, the coach will drop you at the Méridien Etoile Paris hotel.
Breakfast
Day 1 Arrive Paris / Versailles
Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Trianon Palace Versailles. A transfer is included from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Trianon Palace Versailles, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, less than a mile from Château de Versailles. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.
MEALS : D
LODGING : Trianon Palace Versailles – A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
PORTOFCALL : Versailles, France
Day 2 Chartres to Châteaux
Begin the day traveling from Versailles to Chartres. See some of the world's greatest examples of the art – more than 27,000 square feet of it, created by artisans of the 12th and 13th centuries – inside Chartres' Gothic cathedral, among the most impressive in all of Europe. After touring the town of Chartres, continue on to Langeais in châteaux country, where you'll spend the next two nights at Château de Rochecotte, once the private estate of diplomat Prince Tallyrand and the Duchess of Dino. Tonight, enjoy an immersive Loire Valley experience at Château de Champchevrier, a private country estate, where you'll meet the Baron and his family, enjoy a reception and dinner, and witness a hunting hound demonstration in full regalia.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Château de Rochecotte
Day 3 The Loire Valley & Châteaux Country
For centuries, royalty and nobility built their magnificent châteaux in the Loire Valley, which also attracted poets, novelists and artists to find their inspiration in the lush forests and rich farmland of the "Garden of France." First, enjoy a glimpse of the princely life on a guided visit to Château de Langeais, overlooking the Loire River; King Charles VIII of France was married here in 1491. Next up is a private visit to the vineyards of Le Moulin Bleu in Bourgueil for lunch and a wine tasting. Later, visit Château Villandry – reputed to have the most spectacular formal gardens in all of France – prior to returning to your Langeais château hotel for dinner and an evening spent as you please.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : Château de Rochecotte
Day 4 Château d'Angers and the Seaside
In the midst of the wine-growing area of the Loire Valley lies the 13th-century Château d'Angers, home to the famous Apocalypse Tapestry, the longest medieval tapestry in the world. After a visit to this 17-towered fortress to view its celebrated depiction of scenes from the Book of Revelations – of which about 329 feet of its original 459-foot length survive – continue on to Port du Crouesty to enjoy a two-night stay in the elegantly furnished and quite unusual waterfront spa resort, Miramar La Cigale – Hôtel Thalasso & Spa.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Miramar la Cigale – Hôtel Thalasso & spa
Day 5 Scenic Cruise & Rochefort-en-Terre
As Tauck's most delightful of France and Normandy tours continues, start the day with a walking tour of Le Petit Mont, a Neolithic-era tomb that German forces used as a bunker during WWII. Take a sightseeing cruise among the islands of the scenic Golfe du Morbihan, followed by an excursion to Rochefort-en-Terre. This lovely 19th-century stone village has earned a reputation as one of France's top floral towns thanks to a century-long tradition, begun by French-American painter Alfred Klots, of blanketing the town with pink and red geraniums each spring.
MEALS : B, L
LODGING : Miramar la Cigale – Hôtel Thalasso & spa
Day 6 From Vannes to Josselin & St-Malo
Brittany's medieval history reveals itself as you take a walking tour, view the Cathedral and meander along the Promenade de la Garenne in Vannes. Visit the ancient town of Josselin and explore its castle, Château Josselin, one of the oldest châteaux in western France and the residence of the aristocratic Rohan family. Your guided tour reveals the castle's turbulent history and includes a collection of rare dolls in its Doll Museum. Wind your way through idyllic Breton villages to St-Malo, where you'll spend the next two nights on the English Channel coast at Le Grand Hôtel Dinard.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Le Grand Hôtel Dinard
Day 7 Mont-St-Michel & Medieval St-Malo
Considered to be one of Western civilization's premiere achievements, the impressive Abbey of Mont-St-Michel was once totally unreachable at high tide. Check out the range of architectural styles it embodies – with lots of walking up and down hills – on this morning's visit. Once the infamous base for French corsairs, the medieval port town of St-Malo, set dramatically overlooking the sea, offers much to discover on a guided walking tour of its atmospheric walled center, La Ville Intra-Muros, with your Tauck Director. Or you may spend the rest of the day exploring as you wish.
MEALS : B
LODGING : Le Grand Hôtel Dinard
PORTOFCALL : Saint-Malo, France
Day 8 Centuries of History in Normandy
Set out from St-Malo across the countryside on this most satisfying of Normandy tours to the coast, and view the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Your scenic drive along the Yellow Roads brings you to Le Mémorial de Caen, commemorating the sacrifices of World War II and the battle for Caen, and featuring a Peace Museum and memorial gardens. Late afternoon, arrive in the seaside resort of Deauville and your accommodation for the next two nights, the epitome of Belle Époque elegance. Dine à la carte at your hotel tonight.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Hotel Le Normandy Barriere Deauville
PORTOFCALL : Deauville, France
Day 9 Poignant Memories of D-Day
A poignant moment on your journey is a visit to the beaches on which Allied forces landed on June 6, 1944 – known forever after as "D-Day" – to begin the World War II liberation of Europe and the long march to Berlin. Your memorable visit includes an introduction to the momentous events of D-Day by Tauck's local expert; a look at a private World War II memorabilia collection and a hands-on exhibit; and guided visits to Pointe du Hoc, the 100-ft. cliff taken by the 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day... the now-quiet Omaha Beach, where American assault units took heavy casualties in establishing a beachhead... and the poignant American Military Cemetery, final resting place of thousands of U.S. troops. Your explorations at these sites connected to "the longest day" make for a day you'll never forget.
MEALS : B, L
LODGING : Hotel Le Normandy Barriere Deauville
PORTOFCALL : Deauville, France
Day 10 Monet's Giverny & on to Paris
Depart Deauville and continue along the River Seine to Giverny to tour the celebrated home and oft-painted gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet. Monet (who moved to Giverny at the tail end of the 19th century) painted some of his most recognizable work at his home here, including a series of paintings focused on his beloved water lillies. Your final destination today is legendary Paris. Select small group departures (see dates and prices under "Pricing & Availability") will stay at legendary Le Meurice; all other departures stay at Le Scribe Paris Opéra.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Le Scribe Paris Opéra
PORTOFCALL : Paris, France
Day 11 Parisian Pleasures
Begin the day with a morning city sightseeing coach tour of Paris where you'll view famous Parisian landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the glamorous Champs-Élysées and iconic Cathedral of Notre Dame. The remainder of the day and evening is free for you to explore Paris as you please; if you wish, you may join us for an optional walking tour in the afternoon.
MEALS : B
LODGING : Le Scribe Paris Opéra
PORTOFCALL : Paris, France
Day 12 Impressionist Art at Musée d'Orsay
Immerse yourself in the soft beauty of the works of the Impressionists during a locally guided visit to the famous (and newly renovated) Musée d'Orsay, whose great collection of 19th-century French Impressionist paintings, sculptures and art objects is displayed in the restored Gare d'Orsay, a former railway station built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900 (subject to closure). We invite you to join us for a special farewell dinner at historic – and legendary – Fouquet's on the Champs–Élysées.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : Le Scribe Paris Opéra
PORTOFCALL : Paris, France
Day 13 Journey home
Tour ends: Paris. A transfer is included from Le Meurice or Le Scribe Paris Opéra to Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports or Paris' Gare de Lyon, Charles de Gaulle-Station or Gare du Nord train stations. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.
MEALS : B
PORTOFCALL : Paris, France
