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ANZAC Day 2018 in France and Belgium Tour (London to London option)

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.

ANZAC Day Tour to France & BelgiumVisit 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.

anzac-day-western-frontVisit 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

Green Book Now ButtonThis 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.

Pillow ANZAC Day Tour Testimonials from People Like You

Ashley Canova
Ashley Canova
Perth Australia – 2014 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

Very personal approach. Tour guides went out of their way to help out and were very knowledgable. I’m excited about my return trip with Pillow again to France celebrating ANZAC Day 2015 this year.

 
Christine Promnitz
Christine Promnitz
Surrey UK, – 2014 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

My husband and I joined a Pillows tour to spend ANZAC day at Villiers Brettenoux in 2014. It was a memorable trip – so much was packed into those days, and we will never forget our experience. Rick – our guide, was informative and relaxed. Peter – our WW1 guide was a fount of knowledge – he seemed to know the answer to nearly every question!

I would be hard pressed to say what part of our tour left the greatest impression – laying a wreath at the Menin Gate evening service, or the inspiring Dawn Service on the 25th. Perhaps the most powerful experience was the from the residents of Villiers Brettenoux – their gratitude to Australia is palpable (and humbling) 100 years later!
Initially we chose Pillow because it was good value, but I could not recommend them highly enough to others – Rick and Peter were helpful, knowledgeable, and accommodating – taking a number of us to specific cemetaries to find family members buried in France.
Overall, a trip I will always remember!

 
Chris Porter
Chris Porter
Adelaide South Australia – 2014 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

I can- not recall exactly how I came to choose Pillow from other tours that are advertised on GOOGLE, but I am glad to say I made an excellent choice. The tour was well organised , it covered a lot of ground in a short time, but I never felt hurried. Rick and Peter were well versed in the history of WW1.

As a school boy at age ten we were asked to dress up as an Australian hero. Influenced by my maternal Grandfather (of German Jewish origin) I went as Sir John Monash, rated by General Montgomery as the best allied General in WWI. Later in life I learnt of the troops under Monash saving the town of Villers-Brettoneux(VB) and also how the Australians helped to rebuild the school. A few years ago bush fires destroyed a number of townships around parts of Victoria and the children from the school in VB sent a large donation to help with the restoration. So ,I guess my three days in Belgium and France was a sort of a pilgrimage.

Visiting the battlefields, the graveyards, memorials ,statues, the school yard and of course the dawn service was a very sobering experience. As peoples we have not learnt much from the war that was supposed to end all wars.

 
Tim Rowland
Tim Rowland
Sydney Australia – 2013 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

The Villers -Bretonneux Anzac dawn service and Western Front tour that my wife and I attended in 2013 is one of the most memorable experiences we have had following the war trails.
We searched the Internet for a tour to the Western Front and found Pillow to be so reasonably priced and met our needs for a round trip from London.
The tour far exceeded our expectations and the knowledge and insight into the history provided by the Crew (Rick) and guide (Peter) was so well conveyed, that left us with life long memories.
I recommend this tour and Pillow to everyone and look forward to joining you again to repeat this tour at a future time.

 
Ruth Duncan
Ruth Duncan
Ipswich, Queensland – 2012 Lille to Lille ANZAC Day Tour

The Dawn Service at Villers-Brettoneux was undoubtedly the highlight of our tour. The vision of row upon row of graves, so neatly kept in Australian War Cemeteries, with the wreaths of beautiful flowers at the memorial cenotaphs, are etched in our mind. Nothing can take away the chilling effect of that Anzac Day service. What did my grandfather feel when he served in that area? Was he the soldier in the Villers-Brettoneux museum? We knew the warmth of those townsfolk by their wonderful decorations in the street, and in the sincerity of the Menin Gate ceremony at Ypres. The experiences we had from the Pillow staff certainly led us through some memorable experiences of the Lille-Lille tour.

In contrast to the various Australian War Memorials, I found the German mass grave memorial at Langemark very confronting. Its starkness was difficult to take in. Then I looked at the names on the four pillars at the entrance. I looked for the name of my mother’s uncles. There they were.

That was extremely sad to me, almost more so than being in the same town that my grand-father served. They could have been fighting each other, these members of my own family. No pretty flowers here. Three bare crosses in a field and four stone guardians of this mass grave. Confronting, yes, but I was glad to have been there. It brought home that there were sacrifices on both sides of war. My family to bring my respects.

 
Jacob and Harmony Aldridge
Jacob and Harmony Aldridge
Brisbane Australia – 2011 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

Without doubt, the Western Front ANZAC Day coach tour we did with Rick and Pillow Tours was one of the best experiences in our many years of travel.

All of the most important sites were covered in a short period of time, including the Last Post at Menin Gate, a number of significant Cemeteries from all sides with expert guidance, preserved trenches to reinforce the terrifying realities our soldiers faced, and importantly for me a stop at Bullecourt where my great-grandfather fought. It was a powerful and emotional experience for all of us on board, culminating in the Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux where the WWI Australian Memorial stands, and the rising sun catches WWII bullet holes as a poignant reminder that the devastation we were observing was not the war to end all wars.

Having made a late decision to attend, we were also impressed by the opportunity to explore some of the towns and cities as they stand today, all combined with the convenience of a round trip from London.

12 months later, we attended the Dawn Service at Gallipoli on ANZAC Day. For us, the Western Front and Villers-Bretonneux was the superior experience. Both are must-do pilgrimages for Australians and New Zealanders: Gallipoli on ANZAC Day was crowded and restricted and would be better to visit quietly at other times of the year, while France and Belgium in April were welcoming, solemn, deeply moving, and respectful of the smaller crowds and our reasons for being there. Pillow Tours was the same, and we recommend it highly.

 
Jayne Dean
Jayne Dean
Queensland, Australia – 2011 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

We did our WW1 Anzac Day tour in April 2011 and what an amazing tour it was.

From the moment we joined the tour in London to when we left 4 days later in Lille, France, we had a wonderful experience.

In particular, the knowledge of our tour guide Peter (In the photo with me) was outstanding. It was a very emotional 4 days and a tour that we would have no hesitation in recommending to anyone that was considering the Western Front WW1 Anzac Day tour. Thank you Pillow!

 
Fiona Hunt
Fiona Hunt
Sydney, Australia – 2011 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

I chose Pillow tours’ Anzac day in France tour. I had researched a number of tour companies as I am a historian myself so was after an informative tour but the majority of tours were catered to the older retired traveller and were very expensive.

I was apprehensive booking with Pillow as I was worried that it would be a festival tour and would not recognise the real purpose of travelling to the region. I had suffered a similar experience in Turkey so did not set my hopes high. I was completely surprised, all my scepticism was immediately blown out of the water the moment I got on the bus. The tour group was small and fantastic with a range of ages.

When we arrived in France and were met by our WWI guide Peter, well all I can say is WOW! He was an oracle. His knowledge and story telling was fantastic and engaging. The tour itself covered so much ground in a few short days but you never felt rushed. The dawn service was outstanding and more personal than Gallipoli, especially as the village puts on breakfast for everyone after the service. I highly recommend this tour (try and get Peter as your guide if you can), it is highly enjoyable and informative.

 
Jasmine Johncock
Jasmine Johncock
Mount Gambier South Australia – 2010 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

I booked this tour last minute and feel lucky to have had the opportunity to go. I chose Pillow because of the specific connection and focus the tour had on Australia and New Zealand’s involvement in WW1. I met an amazing and diverse group of people on our tour who all had special stories to share. I still share stories from this tour today with family and friends as learnt so much about the western front.

A special moment of the tour was watching another tour member visit a family members burial site for the first time to say there goodbyes and put them to rest. Overall, the tour is heartwarming, educational, and an experience that I will never forget.

 
Eric Gale
Eric Gale
Kurnell, NSW, Australia – 2010 London to London ANZAC Day Tour

I have nothing but praise for ANZAC Day tour I took with Pillow nothing was an issue the information was relevant to us Aussies and Kiwis the accommodation comfortable for anyone doing a tour of the Western Front I heartily recommend Pillow and have done to friends who have indicated to me their desire to see the battlefields when they get to Europe.

 
Allan Joyce
Allan Joyce
Canberra, Australia – 2009 Lille to Lille ANZAC Day Tour

I found Pillow Tours to be professional and very well organised. Nothing was too much trouble. The English tour guide Vic was excellent, as was our Tour Leader Larissa. Vic had an outstanding knowledge of Australian military history on the Western Front.

My wife has a relative who is one of the missing on the Western Front and when we went to Thiepval, the guide helped us find the tablet on which my wife’s relative is remembered. My wife and I have recommended the Pillow Tours ANZAC Day tour to a number of our friends.

 

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THE DETAILS

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Itinerary

Monday 23 April 2018

Meet at Embankment Tube Station (Central London) at 7.30am for 8am departure to Dover and our crossing to France. Once in Calais we will drive to the Ypres area of Belgium (famous for the Battle of Passchendaele). We will visit a number of Australian battlefields and memorials like Polygon Wood, Hill 60 and Tyne Cot and many more before free time in Ypres for dinner (not included) and the moving Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate at 8pm. We will check into our hotel at 9.30pm.

Tue 24 April 2018

After breakfast in the hotel (included) we will visit the Somme area of France (famous for the Battle of the Somme). We will visit a number of Australian battlefields and memorials like Bullecourt and Pozieres. After lunch in Arras (not included) we visit the Thiepval memorial and Beaumont–Hamel trenches. Finally on the way back to Lille we will visit Fromelles and see the battlefield which saw 5,533 Australian casualties in 24 Hours. You also visit Pheasant Wood, the “Don’t Forget Me Cobber” statue and the new cemetery and museum (entrance cost included in the tour). We will then return back to our hotel in Lille around 6pm for dinner (not included) and an early night as we have a very early start tomorrow!

Wed 25 April 2018

A very early start (2.30am) for the drive to the Somme area of France, and Villers-Bretonneux to attend the dawn service which starts at 5.30am. After the dawn service we visit Victoria School museum and see the “Don’t forget Australia” sign. We then visit Adelaide Cemetery and see the grave from which Australia's unknown soldier was taken on 2 November 1993. After a break for an early lunch (included) we will drive back to our hotel in Lille, collect our bags and head back to Calais and London. We are expected to arrive back in London by 8pm when the tour will terminate.

COSTS

Cost per person: £339

Single Supplement is £75

Book today for £50 per person deposit, full payment required 6 weeks before departure.

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GALLERY

2009 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery 2010 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery 2011 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery 2012 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery 2013 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery 2014 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery 2017 ANZAC Day Tour Gallery

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