At War with Wellington - The Peninsular War by Air
12 days from £1,399pp
About the tour: At War with Wellington - The Peninsular War by Air
Tour Introduction
Fly into Spain and join us as we spend time exploring some of the country’s fascinating battlefields. As we walk the ground where the British Redcoats fought the soldiers of Napoleon during the Peninsular War. We take an in-depth look at some of the most influential battles fought in Salamanca, Talavera and Badajoz. Visit the battlefield of Albura and ‘Fatal Hill’, see the battlefield of Fuentes de Onoro, study the bloody Storming of San Sebastian and see the spectacular palace of Fontainebleau, as we travel to France where our tour comes to an end.
Tour Includes
- 11 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- 9 evening meals
- Specialist Historical Guide
- Outbound flight to Madrid (return by coach to the U.K.)
- Airport transfer in Spain
- Travel by Silver Service coach
(Deposits from £150pp)
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (01709 385 624), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Fly to Madrid where you will be met and transferred to your overnight hotel.
Included meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Talavera 1809
This morning we visit Wellesley’s (Wellington) advanced Talavera ‘outposts’ along the banks of the Rio Alberche hearing the story surrounding the fortified Casa de Salinas. Touring the battlefield we then visit the memorial sited on the slopes of the Cerro de Medellin Hill and study the landscape on which the principal fighting occurred. We stay for two nights in Badajoz.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Key Visits
- Casa de Salinas
Day 3 - Badajoz 1812
Badajoz, a fortified ‘gateway’ town to Spain fell to Allied troops in one of the bloodiest sieges of the campaign on 6th April 1812. We view the ‘breaches’ where the main fighting occurred. On the ramparts we study how the French and German garrison resolutely resisted the Allied operations for many days. Later, we ascend to the exterior of Fort San Cristobal and view Badajoz from the opposite bank of the River Guadiana.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Badajoz (2)
Key Visits
- Badajoz
Day 4 - Albuera 1811
A hard fought victory for the Allies commanded by General Beresford, ‘Bloody’ Albuera was one of the most sanguine battles of the campaign. Today, we see the ‘Fatal Hill’ where the principal fighting occurred. Wellington, surveying the aftermath, observed the corpses ‘literally lying dead in their ranks as they stood’. We drive to Guarda for an overnight stay.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Key Visits
- Albuera
Day 5 - Fuentes de Onoro 1811 and Ciudad Rodrigo 1812
This morning we visit the Battlefield of Fuentes de Onoro, both one of Wellington’s closest run and finest victories. After lunch in Ciudad Rodrigo we study the British success at the ‘breaches’ where you will hear about the circumstances surrounding the acceptance of the French Governor’s surrender? Afterwards, we commence our study of Wellington’s 1812 retreat from Burgos as we drive to Salamanca for a two night stay.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Salamanca (2)
Key Visits
- Salamanca
- Fuentes de Onoro
Day 6 - Salamanca 1812
A few days after the Battle of Salamanca the French General Foy, writing of Wellington’s skill, said ‘it brings up Lord Wellington’s reputation almost level to that of Marlborough’. Today, we unhurriedly drive and walk across the battlefield and beyond seeing and hearing why.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Salamanca (2)
Key Visits
- Salamanca
Day 7 - Vitoria 1813
Leaving Salamanca we study further events surrounding Wellington’s retreat from Burgos including the engagement at Venta del Pozo. Later we see how he masterfully outflanked the French and brought them to battle winning the decisive victory at Vitoria. We drive to Pamplona where you will learn how the French fortress commander reluctantly surrendered to the Spanish. We stay at Pamplona for one night.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Pamplona (2)
Key Visits
- Venta del Poza
- Pamplona
Day 8 - Battles of the Pyrenees and the Siege of San Sebastian 1813
Today we will stand on the bridge where Wellington wrote a despatch prior to defeating Marshal Soult at the battle of Sorauren, ending any attempt to relieve the besieged French garrison at Pamplona. After examining the Allied defence at the Maya Pass we study the Storming of San Sebastian, the battle of the Bidassoa River 1813 and preview the battle of the Nivelle. We then drive to the Biarritz area for two nights.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
San Sebastian (2)
Key Visits
- San Sebastian
Day 9 - Battles of the Nivelle and Nive 1814
Today we over-view the landscape encompassing both the Battles of the Nivelle and the Nive. After lunch in Bayonne we reveal how General ‘Daddy’ Hill held his nerve and won the action at St. Pierre. Here we visit Marshal Soult’s Memorial. Afterwards, we study the French Sortie from Bayonne and visit an associated British battlefield cemetery.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Bayonne (2)
Key Visits
- Bayonne
- Battle of St Pierre
Day 10 - Orthez and Toulouse 1814
This morning, we view the landscape of the Battle of Orthez 1814 and hear how both Wellington and Foy were wounded. After lunch, we drive to Toulouse. Here we study how Wellington wrested the city from the French on 12th April 1814 only to hear that Napoleon had recently abdicated. We stay overnight in the Limoges area.
Included meals: Breakfast
Toulouse (2)
Key Visits
- Battle of Orthez
- Toulouse
Day 11 - Fontainebleau
Today we travel to the Palace of Fontainebleau where your guides will explain the political circumstances surrounding both the 1807 and 1814 Treaties of Fontainebleau (entrance fee extra – approx. 11 Euro). Then to Paris area for an overnight stay.
Included meals: Breakfast
Palace of Fontainebleau (2)
Key Visits
- Palace of Fontainebleau
Day 12
Return home. You will return by coach to either your original departure airport* or one of our local joining points.
Included meals: Breakfast
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Silver Service Coach
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Silver Service Features
- Sit back and relax in specially-designed, deluxe reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and more legroom than standard coaches.
- Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control.
- Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.
- Servery on board offering a range of refreshments.
- Porterage* at most hotels, so you really don’t have to lift a finger.
- Time flies with our onboard entertainment system.
- With free personal headphones you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs.
- Onboard toilet
Silver Service Seating Plan
