Spend ANZAC Day 2018 on the western Front in FRANCE & BELGIUM, 23 – 25 APRIL 2018
3 Day Coach & Hotel Tour: only £339 per person
We also have a tour which starts and finishes in Lille, France. Please click here to see details of our Lille to Lille tour.
***Please note, this is an Australian specific tour***
Would you like to Spend ANZAC Day on the Western Front in France and Belgium? You can spend four days in April visiting the areas where more than 310,000 Australian troops (after their 8 month ordeal in Gallipoli) fought on the Western Front in France, and where 53,000 Aussies made the ultimate sacrifice.
During this three day professional and emotional tour you will see the main ANZAC battlefields and memorials of the Western Front, and you will leave the tour with an in-depth understanding of what our soldiers had to endure during the First World War.
To see photos from our 2016 tour, please click here….
Attend the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux
On 25 April you will visit the amazing dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux which is attended by 5,000 like-minded Aussies (the largest ANZAC Day Festival outside Australia & Turkey). Villers-Bretonneux was the location for two horrific battles in April 1918, and ANZAC soldiers were crucial in not only stopping a German advance, but starting to push them backwards in what was a long retreat which eventually ended the war.
Visit the Passchendaele Area of Belgium
You will have heard of Passchendaele and you will have images in your head of mud and horrific fighting. You will visit the area where the horrendous battle took place. You will visit famous ANZAC battlefield sites like Polygon Wood and huge cemeteries such as Tyne Cott. Make sure you watch the Aussie film “Beneath Hill 60” before you arrive because you will visit this area and see the huge mine craters that were left behind.
Attend the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate
Each night at the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres in France there is a touching ceremony at which buglers play the Last Post to remember the fallen. The sound of the Last Post echoing around the huge Menin Gate Memorial is an experience you will treasure for the rest of your life.
Visit the Somme Area of France
You will visit the infamous Somme Battlefields, and visit the towns of Bullecourt and Pozieres whose names are now etched into Australian History. Our amazing battlefield guides will walk you around these battlefields and show you exactly what happened and where. You will also visit the Beaumont–Hamel trenches (probably the best preserved battlefield on the western front) and you will have opportunity of seeing the huge Thiepval memorial.
Visit Fromelles
The small French town of Fromelles became a household name in 2007 when amateur Australian historian Lambis Englezos found the location of a mass grave. Since then thanks to modern DNA testing a number of the fallen have been identified and reburied at the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, about 120 metres from the site of the original mass grave. You will visit the town of Fromelles, and the new cemetery and visit the new Fromelles museum. You will also see the location of the original mass graves.
Stay in 3 Star Hotel in Central Lille
During your tour we stay in the amazing 3 Star IBIS Lille Centre Gares. This hotel is located in central Lille, meaning you are surrounded by shops and restaurants so you have plenty of things to do in your spare time. You won’t be staying in an isolated motorway hotel in the middle of nowhere if you book this tour! The best thing about the location of our hotel is that it’s next to the Lille domestic train station with direct trains every hour to Paris. It’s also a short walk away from Lille’s International train station with Eurostar links to London, Paris and Brussels.
Local & Professional WW1 Guides
You will be shown around the battlefields by the very best WW1 guides who work in France and Belgium 365 days a year. They know the local language and they know everything about the local area and the ANZACs. We have used the same guides (Vic & Peter) for the last 5 years and each year our clients are always thankful for their passion and expertise. If you have any doubts about how good our WW1 guides are, please read the testimonials and watch the video testimonials at the bottom of this page.
A Respectful Tour suitable for all ages
This is a professional and respectful tour suitable for all ages. Our main priority is to visit the battlefields and learn about ANZACs and WW1. We always attract a full age range of people, from 20 year old gap year students to 70 year old veterans, and everybody in between. Regardless of your age, as long as you want a professional and respectful ANZAC Day experience you are very welcome. We have to be honest, if you are looking for a party, this is probably NOT the tour for you.
We are Flexible Where you Start and Finish the Tour
We offer two tours (London to London and Lille to Lille) but we know this may not fit your specific travel plans. We are very flexible where you start and finish the tour. You can join our London to London tour and stay in Lille after the tour has finished. We are very flexible, please just talk to us and we will be willing to help!
Experienced ANZAC Day Tour Operator
Let’s be honest, you probably have not heard of Pillow and you are a little concerned about booking with us. Don’t worry, we have been operating ANZAC Day tours since 2009 and are very experienced and know what we are doing. If you are based in Australia you won’t of heard of us because we don’t operate or advertise in Australia. However, in the UK we are regarded as one of the largest festivals and events pre-pitched camping and glamping companies, and are well know for having a flourishing tour operating business. Please watch the video testimonials and read the other testimonials from our past ANZAC Day tours to put your mind at ease! If you have any further worries, please contact us and have a chat and we are sure you will be very happy to book.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Return Luxury Coach Travel from London Embankment to France & Belgium, (Coach with toilet and DVD player) and crossing to France.
Tours and transportation over 3 days to major Anzac memorials and battlefields, including Pozieres, Le Hamel, Menin Gate, Hill 60 and Fromelles. (3 Days with dedicated local WW1 expert tour guide.)
B&B Accommodation for 2 nights in a 3 STAR central Lille IBIS hotel, breakfast included but we leave before breakfast on ANZAC Day.
Sandwich lunch on 25 April is included.
ANZAC Day Dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux, Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate.
Services of an experienced Pillow Tour leader for duration of tour.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Entry to the Fromelles museum.
All food and drink which is not listed above.
Any souvenirs you wish to buy.
Your personal travel insurance suitable for a trip of this nature.