Reims & Verdun


5 days from £699pp

About the tour: Reims & Verdun


Tour Introduction

On this fascinating new battlefield tour we look at the ground fought over by the British, French and German Armies in Reims, combining with a visit to Verdun – an iconic WW1 site. Highlights of the tour include the ‘Caverne du Dragon’, an underground quarry where the French and Germans fought, the remarkable private collection of memorabilia at the Romagne War Museum, and the trenches at Main de Massiges.

Tour Includes


  • 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
  • Specialist Battlefield Guide
  • Convenient local joining points
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(Deposits from £150pp)

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 -

  1. 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.
  2. Send payments via online banking.
  3. Send payments via cheque.
  4. 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.

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Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Local departure by coach, then to our hotel in Reims for a four-night stay.

Day 2 - Aisne 1914 – Chemin Des Dames

We start this morning just outside Reims, on the spot where the French Army used tanks for the first time in April 1917 as part of the attack on the Chemin des Dames. We’ll see the memorial and life-sized models of French tanks, before looking at the ‘Old Contemptibles’ in the fighting here in 1914 – the men of the British Army. We see the church and British graves at Soupir and Vendresse, and the memorial at Cerny. Here, we come onto the Chemin des Dames, the high ground above Reims, and visit the French cemetery and memorial chapel. After lunch in Soissons, where you can visit the Soissons Memorial to the Missing which commemorates British soldiers who fell in 1918, we discover the memorials and bunkers of the Moulin de Laffaux, a major French battle site throughout the war. We then go beneath the battlefield into the ‘Caverne du Dragon’ – the Dragon’s Cave. This is where the French and Germans fought each other in a quarry deep underground. We continue across the Chemin des Dames back to Reims.

Included meals: Breakfast

French Tank Memorial, Chemin des Dames

French Tank Memorial, Chemin des Dames (8)

Key Visits

  • Caverne du Dragon
  • Soissons Memorial
  • Soupir Church
  • Vendresse Cemetery
  • Laffaux Memorials
  • Cerny Memorial and Cemetery
  • French Tank Memorial, Chemin des Dames

Day 3 - Verdun – The Mincing Machine

Today we head for Verdun; a battle of 300 days, it was the longest of the war and called the ‘Mincing Machine’ by the soldiers due to the way it drew in and destroyed so many French regiments. We start at the impressive Memorial Museum at Fleury, with its many displays, artefacts and the ‘lost village’ of Fleury close by. We then visit the Ossuary and French Cemetery at Douaumont, before taking lunch in Verdun. In the afternoon we explore two of the iconic forts, which featured so heavily in the battle – Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux. Inside you can walk the corridors, admire the gun turrets and museums, and see the massive shell craters on the roof caused by heavy guns from both sides.

Included meals: Breakfast

Douaumont Cemetery

Douaumont Cemetery (6)

Key Visits

  • Fort Douaumont
  • Memorial Museum, Fleury
  • Douaumont Cemetery
  • Douaumont Ossuary
  • Fort Vaux

Day 4 - Champagne – Argonne

Today we’ll explore the battlefields east of Reims, starting in the Argonne sector with a visit to the American Memorial at Montfaucon, before paying our respects at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery – the largest US War Cemetery in Europe with more than 14,000 graves. Time for lunch at the Romagne War Museum, viewing the incredible private collection of militaria. In the afternoon, we explore the Champagne battlefields with a visit to the trenches at Main de Massiges: here a whole trench system has been reconstructed on a hillside alongside original mine craters with sandbags, duckboards and firing positions. You can walk the trenches, go in the dugouts and see the dressing station. Our day ends at the Navarin Farm Memorial to the American and French soldiers of the Champagne; we’ll learn of the story of a former British Colonel, who having been court martialled served as a Stretcher Bearer here in the French Foreign legion.

Included meals: Breakfast

Massiges

Massiges (6)

Key Visits

  • Romagne War Museum
  • Navarin Farm Memorial
  • Massiges
  • Montfaucon American Memorial
  • Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

Day 5

Return home.

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.

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Hotel

You will stay for four-nights at the Novotel Reims Tinqueux or Mercure Reims Parc des Exposition.

Novotel Reims Tinqueux

Novotel Reims Tinqueux
Novotel Reims Tinqueux
Novotel Reims Tinqueux

About the hotel

The 4-star Novotel Reims Tinqueux is located in the Champagne region of France and situated close to popular attractions such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Saint Remi Basilica and the famous wine cellars.

Hotel Features

  • Bar
  • English Speaking Staff
  • Restaurant
  • WiFi Available

Room Features

  • Bath and/or Shower
  • Hairdryer
  • Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
  • Telephone
  • TV

Travel Options

All our coaches and transfer vehicles operate a 'no smoking on board policy'. The use of electronic cigarettes is strictly forbidden.
In the interest of fellow guests, do not take hot food or ice cream on board.
alcohol can only be taken on board our vehicles at the discretion of your driver.

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

Silver Service, refreshments
Silver Service, lounge
Silver Service, entertainment

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

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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

Join 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.

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