I want to tour the WW1 sites (1 Viewer)

[MikeD]

I want to tour the WW1 battle sites in September.

Any recommendations on where to visit and sites/aires to stay at would be welcome?

 

[Anthea M]

Camp site in Ypres/ leper which becomes an aire in winter.
Great museums and tourist information has many maps of the different sites.
( fully booked over 11.11. 2018 period as it’s the centenary anniversary .)

 

[Bailey58]

Try this from Vicarious Books, WW1 sites, stopovers and Aires all for £6. I've had a copy for a few years and still not done the tour.

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[busby]

Somme museum and memorial at Theipval just outside Albert,,Pashendale museum in Zonnebeke,,aires nearby at leisure centre. Pre Book aire at Ypres on line a few days before as it is usually full. BUSBY.

 

[ChrisSue]

Beaumont Hamel for Newfoundland Memorial. The guides are young Canadians on gap years and are incredibly knowledgeable. Also the nearby Ulster Tower.
Go to Albert for the catacombs. The museum at Peronne is more French orientated but good.
Vimy Ridge Memorial is spectacular too particularly if you have connections to Canada as I do.
Totally endorse Ieper. Flanders Fields Museum is wonderful and we took a minibus tour of the Salient with a really knowledgeable guide who would tailor his tour to suit you. And of course the Last Post is so moving

 

[Kybod]

North of Albert is the Newfoundland Regiment memorial at Beaumont-Hamel where the battle field has been preserved as it was, also close by is Lochnager Crater the result of a massive undermine explosion. As already mentioned the British memorial at Theipval is also in the area. Lots of other smaller memorials in the area, Serre Road on the D919 has a number of them, Sheffield Memorial park is one that sticks in the mind.
Moving northwards is the Canadian memorial and museum at Vimy Ridge between Arras and Lens, probably the one i would recommend if someone was just wanting to do the one.
Then as others have mentioned Ypres and the cemetery at Tyne Cot.
I did all the above about 4 years ago over a couple of days, it was emotionally exhausting. Stayed at an aire at Doullens one of the nights which was ok.
Mike

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[Chris Laing]

I want to tour the WW1 battle sites in September.

Any recommendations on where to visit and sites/aires to stay at would be welcome?

Don't forget to visit the Memorial to Heart of Midlothian FC at Contalmaison.
The only club in the UK that all members of the 1st team signed up to fight for their country at the Somme.

 

[Lot lover]

Another vote for Wipers.

 

[DBK]

I've just bought the Vicarious book as well. It is quite thin but has some good maps and is well produced.

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[Baileysbus]

Another vote for Wipers.

My Grandad always used to call it Wipers too . He was there and at Hooge with the Liverpool Irish. He survived the war but suffered lung damage and died young I do need to get over there too and investigate further.

 

[munkey_bwy]

I thoroughly recommend a visit to the Thiepval memorial and all of the surrounding area. Its very humbling.
We were lucky enough to win tickets to the Centenary commemorative event, it was an amazing experience to be involved in. I can recommend staying at the Le Crotoy aire, slightly more relaxing that staying in the seriousness of the Somme.

 

[brynric]

We’re having a couple of days on the Ypres aire in August. Lots of advantages:
You can book it online, not all computerised but they respond quickly by email.
Use all the facilities of the adjacent camp site,
Easy walk into a fascinating historic town,
Supermarket a short walk away,
If you have bikes ( rental available at the aire) there are lots of WW1 sites accessible not far away. You get a vivid image of the lie of the land whilst cycling.
The Menin Gate memorial last post is one of the experiences of the war.
We also found a vet where we could book an appointment by email for Beth’s return check. Sadly this year will be our first without her.

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[Riverbankannie]

We did a tour recently with friends so stayed in BnBs.
I can thoroughly recommend the English tour guides at Number56, a BnB in Albert.
Even if not staying with them I expect you could book a personal session. If a relative of yours died on the Somme they will research and take you on a tour. Their knowledge and insights into individual battles as fascinating to listen to. I though I was well read about the war until I spent a few evenings around the dinner table with them.

 

[Eenansue]

Caberet Rouge and the German cemetery at Neuville St Vaas are worth a visit, particularly the German cemetery which will leave a lasting impression for reasons that will become aparant when you get there.

 

[DangerMousy]

The Sanctuary Wood museum just outside Ypres is worth a visit and makes a contrasting change from the well-kept official sites. Its a small private museum, quite quirky and unusual. Supposedly the section of trenches in the wood have been preserved as they were at the end of the war.

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[suavecarve]

Arras has the underground tunnels built by Kiwis which (i am now going from memory) was used in WW2 but something is nagging at me that it was used in WW1 as well, either way it is well worth going on and very enlightening. (even though i cant remember if they were used in ww1 or not)
If you do decide to go, get your tickets then choose the time of your english tour.

 

[suavecarve]

Just checked it up and its the wellington tunnels and it was WW1 they were used in so is a perfect hit for you. (I now think they might have been used in WW2 as well !)

Enjoy

 

[Stealaway]

A little bit later but a stunning visit to a Maginot line fortress. Tours in English but give yourself some time for a visit.

http://www.moselle-tourism.com/en/v...6140032_hackenberg-maginot-fort-veckring.html

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[Stealaway]

Tour train

 

[munkey_bwy]

On our way back from rad am Ring we overnighted in Ypres and walked up the the Menin gate for last post. Even for people that are disconnected from the whole events of WW1 it is a very emotional 15 minutes. We are going to go back to Ypres and spend some time exploring what is a very lovely town with very friendly people.

 

[Clickem]

We stayed at Jeugdstadion in Ypres in May. If you like cycling there are a couple of circuits that take in a lot of the surrounding WW1 sites

The Peace Route is about 26 miles and the Ypres Salient about 22 miles - both very flat

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[Timtomxf]

New to this moho game (not sure beach trips in an classic VW camper quiete count . . . ) but desperate to get over to these sites; anyone an idea of the travel time off the Dunkirk Ferry to the Somme sites, just a rough idea so I can start to form a plan . . . .

 

[pappajohn]

New to this moho game (not sure beach trips in an classic VW camper quiete count . . . ) but desperate to get over to these sites; anyone an idea of the travel time off the Dunkirk Ferry to the Somme sites, just a rough idea so I can start to form a plan . . . .

Around 50 minutes Dunkirk to Ypres.

 

[Jim Jackson]

I am planning our first trip out of the UK with the campervan at the end of May.
We aim to vist the 1st WW battlefields and cemeteries. I have booked 4 nights on the campsite atJeugdstadion in Ypres.
We are hoping to then head down to the Somme area, Thiepval being one definite visit. Has anyone a suggestion for a site down that area. Will need electric hookup as fridge not on gas.
Jim

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[Rob and Val]

Hi, @Jim Jackson
This one looks good. Haven't tried it personally as we used aires when we were there.
http://www.camping-albert.com/indexgb.html

 

[Viennese]

The Museum in Caen is well worth visiting even though it's mainly WW2, and it's possible to stay overnight in the car park there.

 

[Riverbankannie]

I am planning our first trip out of the UK with the campervan at the end of May.
We aim to vist the 1st WW battlefields and cemeteries. I have booked 4 nights on the campsite atJeugdstadion in Ypres.
We are hoping to then head down to the Somme area, Thiepval being one definite visit. Has anyone a suggestion for a site down that area. Will need electric hookup as fridge not on gas.
Jim

Hi, @Jim Jackson
This one looks good. Haven't tried it personally as we used aires when we were there.
http://www.camping-albert.com/indexgb.html

@Jim Jackson
Albert would be a great base for the Somme. We stayed there last year in a B&B. Easy access to Thiepval and the numerous other smaller cemeteries. All the smaller cemeteries have lay-bys to park in while visiting.
The Newfoundland memorial site was interesting for the young Canadian student guides and don’t miss going into Arras and visit the Wellington Caves. Good carpark there. The Lochnigar Crater is also at Albert.

On the drive from Ypres to Albert, we stopped off at the Canadian memorial at Vimy.

One tip I will give you is to plan in advance a bit so that you have some sort of focus when visiting all these cemeteries. Otherwise they can blur into one and you might just find yourself aimlessly walking down the rows.
I made sure I had details of relatives graves and also I took a box of poppy crosses, I’ll put the link below, and in each cemetery we looked for some sort of link, be it someone with same surname or who came from same place in U.K, may be someone very young. Then we just wrote a simple message on the cross with a pen before laying it. It really helps.

https://www.ladyhaigspoppyfactory.org.uk/product/remembrance-cross/

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[Jim Jackson]

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. I will do more investigation into them later when home from work.

Hi, @Jim Jackson
This one looks good. Haven't tried it personally as we used aires when we were there.
http://www.camping-albert.com/indexgb.html

That site looks ideal.
Jim

 

[Johnen]

Annie Thank you for that link to the poppy factory. I was looking for the cross to leave at some of my wifes family members graves. We have family from both world war to visit.

 

[MisterB]

Ypres - there is a free aire (just parking NO facilities) at Zillebeke lake - very peaceful and 2 mins past a fully serviced aire, where you can empty your waste . The path you can see is a fully lit cycle path into Ypres itself and the small vans parked there are all fishermen. I saw a massive carp being returned on a morning stroll along the path alongside the lake.

we also stayed at another free aire near albert called Bapaume overlooking this church. its not far from Albert. There is space for around 6 motorhomes on one side of the road and about 4 more on the other. There is also a friterie right on the corner and plenty of bars and restaurants. there is a service point about 50 yards away, but i'm not sure how well it works, though we did empty our toilet without a problem. There was another English van parked there with teenagers who asked if we had any dvd's they could watch - unfortunately we didn't, if their parents are reading this - SORRY !!

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