Beer & Battlefields
About the tour: Beer & Battlefields
- Campaign: The Great War (WW1)
- Campaign Dates Covered: Oct 1914 - Sep 1918 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- First Battle of Ypres - 31 October 1914One of the first fights to breakout between the Germans and the Britians during WW1, the First Battle of Ypres was fought in 1914. It saw a battle that lasted for 34 days, as the Germans faught to get to the English Channel, and the beginning of trench warfare on the Western Front.
- Second Battle of Ypres - 22 April 1915The second battle of Ypres involved four battles which were faught in the northern part of the Ypres Salient. The first battle saw the Germans launch an attack on the French on the Allied Front with poisonous gas, this battle was the first time that this weapon was used.
- Battle of Messines - 7 June 1917Arguably one of the most successful operations of WW1 on the Western Front, the Battle of Messines saw nineteen mines being detonated underneath the German mines, in a bid to secure Messines Ridge.
- Third Battle of Ypres - 31 July 1917Known as The Battle of Passchendaele, the Third Battle of Passchendaele began in July 1917 and was fought for four long months. The attack was Haig’s attempt to break through Flanders.
- Battle of the Lys - 9 April 1918Also known as the Spring Offensive and the Fouth Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Lys was the Germans final attempt to break the Allied lines around Ypres. They did this as an attempt to defeat the Allies before the American troops arrived to aid th British and French soliders alreasdy fighting on the Western Front.
- Fourth Battle of Ypres - 26 September 1918Also known as the Spring Offensive and the Battle of the Lys, the Fourth Battle of Ypres was the Germans final attempt to break the Allied lines around Ypres. They did this as an attempt to defeat the Allies before the American troops arrived to aid th British and French soliders alreasdy fighting on the Western Front.
Tour Introduction
Designed by our popular battlefield guide Marc Hope, we have a fascinating experience waiting for you. We have combined some of the most well-known battlefield sites for both World War 1 and World War 2, with visits to the breweries, whose beers were drunk by the troops. In Poperinghe we look at the subject of those ‘Shot at Dawn’ and see the Hop Museum. In Dixmude we see the Trenches of Death, before we head to the Belgium town of Ypres. Between visiting these sites, we visit some of the best local breweries, where we enjoy guided tours and a sampling of the beers! We also offer a five day tour, which give guests an insight into the Retreat to Dunkirk and the Battle of Flanders.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), 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
Local departure by coach, then to Ypres for a four-night stay. Your guide will discuss some beer recommendations en-route, together with running through the itinerary.
Day 2 - Poperinghe; Hop Museum & Kasematten Brewery
Today we look at life behind the front and discuss the famous estaminets where soldiers got to drink the local beer themselves during the war. In Poperinghe we visit Talbot House and their Behind the Lines Museum. We also look at the subject of those ‘Shot at Dawn’ and visit the Death Cells. Lunchtime in Poperinghe followed by a visit to the Hop Museum to look at the whole history of this in the Flanders region and enjoy a tasting. We then go into Ypres and visit the Kasematten Brewery in the ramparts close to where the Wipers Times was published in 1916.
Included meals: Breakfast
Hop Museum (3)
Key Visits
- Poperinghe
- Talbot House
- Hop Museum
- Kasematten Brewery
Day 3 - Bierkasteel Van Honsebrouck, Brasserie Thiriez, Hooge & Trenches of Death
This morning we start at the Bierkasteel Van Honsebrouck at Kortrijk, and after lunch at Hooge Crater Café, with time to explore the museum and trenches. We then make the short journey to Diksmuide to see where the Belgium Army was fighting during the Great War and see the fascinating Trenches of Death which snaked along the Yser Canal: a place where two armies opposed each other over a short stretch of water. We end the day with a visit to the Brasserie Thiriez in Esquelbecq, a French brewery frequented in the ‘phoney war’ by British Troops.
Included meals: Breakfast
Trenches of Death (3)
Key Visits
- Hooge Museum
- Dixmude
- Trenches of Death
- Bierkasteel Van Honsebrouck
- Brasserie Thiriez French Brewery
Day 4 - Retreat To Dunkirk; Deca Brewery
We spend today looking at the Battle of Flanders in 1940 and the Retreat to Dunkirk following the fortunes of the British Expeditionary Force, including the Wormhoudt Massacre site. After lunch at St. Omer we visit the Deca Brewery in Vleteren close to the Belgian front line.
Included meals: Breakfast
St. Omer (2)
Key Visits
- Deca Brewery
- Wormhoudt Massacre Site
- St. Omer
Day 5
Return home.
Included meals: Breakfast
With each brewery visit you will get a guided tour of the brewery plus a chance to sample the beers and also have an opportunity to buy products from each brewery’s shop. Each visit takes around 1.5 to 2 hours.
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.
You will stay for four nights at the 3-star Novotel Ypres. This excellent hotel is located in the heart of historic town of Ypres, only a couple of minutes-walk from the Menin Gate Memorial, where the 'Last Post' is sounded every evening. The hotel is a firm favourite within Leger’s Battlefields programme and makes the ideal base for exploring the rich military heritage of the area. The hotel has a small bar area and restaurant.
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.
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay or the option to meet us at the interchange, our travel extras allow you to create a travel experience to suit your needs...
Join coach at Interchange
+ Find out moreJoin your tour coach at the interchange.
On most tours if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes tours to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
