>> ANZAC Western Front - Belgium |
24th - 26th April 2009 |
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First Festival Travel is pleased to bring you this memorable alternative ANZAC experience to that at Gallipoli. Commemorate the ANZACs in 2009 at the Western Front at Messines, Passchendaele and Ypres in Flanders Fields, Belgium.
Probably the most important heavily fought area in World War 1, where an estimated million young men lost their lives and 500,000 of those died in 1917 at Passchendaele, where the ANZACs suffered their greatest losses.
This new tour is a fantastic combination of history, ANZAC memorial services, New Zealand and Australian war cemeteries and visits to the battlegrounds with professional local tour guides and war historians.
This tour commences on Friday evening and returns Sunday evening so no need to take any time off work [Mon - Fri workers] Join us to pay your respects to those fallen ANZACs who fought on the Western Front over 90 years ago.
Availability for this weekend is truly limited so book soon to avoid disappointment.
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ANZAC Western Front Tour Details |
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| 3 Day Western Front Tour - 24th April - 26th April £249 per person |
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| Hotel Upgrade Option |
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| >> ANZAC Western Front - Belgium :24th - 26th April 2009 - £249 |
| >> Package Itinerary |
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Friday 24th April:
Meet your tour leader and the rest of the tour group at St. Pancras Station at 6.30pm tonight for the quick Eurostar train through to Lille and then coach transfer to our accommodation in Messines.
Saturday 25th April:
Early this morning we’ll all head down to the Dawn Service at Buttes Polygon Wood for the first ANZAC service of the day. After the Dawn Service the New Zealanders and *Australians are split into two groups for breakfast and then to gather at their respective country's memorial ANZAC services. Joining together again just before lunch for the march to the Menin Gate for the combined ANZAC service followed by a reception hosted by the Mayor of Ypres at the Ypres Town Hall, followed by free time in Ypres for lunch. This afternoon we'll split the groups again for a memorial ANZAC walk, following in the footsteps of the soldiers who once fought here. This evening is free time in Ypres with a free return shuttle available later in the evening back to our accommodation.
* [The Australian breakfast today is hosted by the community of Zonnebeke/Passchendaele]
Sunday 26th April:
After breakfast we check out of our accommodation and the whole group will head to Passchendaele for a battlefield tour including a visit to a German cemetery for a different experience. We'll also visit the Memorial Museum at Passchendaele where you can gain a thorough understanding of how the ANZACs lived day to day in a make shift bunker system as well as fantastic examples of the clothing, weapons and defenses used during the war. Included in the tour is a lunch stop at a local cheese factory for a traditional ‘Tommy Tucker' lunch as the WW1 soldiers would have had. This afternoon we have various NZ and Australian sites to visit, an Australian bunker and Dave Gallaher , the NZ All Black captain's grave, followed by free time for some final shopping in Ypres before heading back to Lille for our evening Eurostar return to London for the end of our tour.
[Please note that this afternoon's list of sites to visit is time dependant.] |
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| >> Tour Package Includes: |
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 2 nights bed and breakfast accommodation in multi-share dorm units
Return Eurostar London - Lille
Coach shuttle transfers throughout the tour
Local guides and historians
Entrance fees to visited sites
ANZAC memorial services on 25 th April
'Tommy Tucker' lunch on Sunday [soup, corned beef, cabbage stew, raisin cake & coffee]
Guided walking tour of the Australian or New Zealand battlefield
Services of First Festival Travel tour representatives |
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| >> Tour Package Excludes: |
 Meals & drinks unless otherwise stated
Personal expenses
Entry visa's where required |
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| ** Please Note: Upon booking we will need to know if you wish to book the Australian OR New Zealand based tours, as some parts of the itinerary split to cover the associated countries history of the area |
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| >> Hotel Upgrade in Ypres City Centre: £50 per person |
Will the majority of the group will be staying in Messines, if you would prefer to upgrade to a private double/twin room in the heart of Ypres then this package is for you. You will still cover the itineary as per above and each morning you will be transferred to Messines to join the rest of the group on coaches, then returned back to Ypres in the evenings.
>> Upgrade Package Includes:
2 nights Hotel accommodation in private twin or double room [based on 2 people sharing]
Breakfast each morning
Transfers to and from Messines to join group each day |
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