Drving Holiday - France / WW1/2 Sites / Belgium

[Dan_1981]

Would love to do a driving trip up the coast of France from probably Calais, calling into several war cemeteries, historical sites that sort of thing, Dunkirk, etc, including a visit to Belgium for Ypres & the Menin Gate etc.

Distance wise it doesn't look too far at all, has anyone done a similar route at all?

Is it a nice enough drive or pretty boring?

Any diversions to take? Must sees?

Hotel reccomendations or chains? Or even camp sites?

And anything in the area that isn't purely war and history related as the missus will want to do other things.

[Dan_1981]

Bump for the far better travelled, week day folks

[selwonk]

I've done several beach (and other) tours with my mate and it's well worth the effort. You'll enjoy the driving heading towards the Cotenetin Peninsula purely because it's so quiet on the roads.

Highlights:

o The beaches.
o Pointe-du-Hoc.
o Arromanches where some of the Muberry harbour still exists.
o The Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery.
o Le Grand Bunker at Ouistreham.
o Pegasus Bridge (don't bother with Cafe Gondres mind).

There is a lovely hotel at Omaha Beach:

http://www.omaha-beach-hotel.com/

Not cheap but well worth the stay.

It's quite a way down from Calais, so treat the missus to a day in Honfleur - she'll love it. Depending on where you are in the UK, you might find arriving via Eurotunnel and leaving via Cherborg --> Portsmouth ferry the most time efficient trip (or vice versa).

If you are oop North like I am, there is a great tour we did two years ago:

1. Eden Camp near Malton. This will get your juices flowing for the trip.
2. Hull ferry overnight to Holland.
3. Arnhem to see the bridge too far and the Hartenstein Hotel.
4. Njimegen for the museum and cemetery.
5. The amazing Liberty Park at Overloon where there is a huge collection of vehicles.
6. Bastogne in Belgium where you can stand in the fox holes in the Bois Jacques where Winter's men were holed up during the snow in Band of Brothers.*

• If you stay here, stop at the Hotel Collin where you can lock your car up in a garage for the night.

From Bastonge you can choose your route back to Calais to get the Eurotunnel. You might want to visit La Coupole at St Omer followed by a visit to the Block House V2 rocket base at Epercleques which is well worth a visit.

Back towards the beaches, there is also a great little museum we found at Dead Man's Corner which is excellent and currently holds Dick Winters D-Day artifacts. The shop selling original and reproduction uniforms, weapons etc. is amazing.

Just scratching the surface really. There are so many excellent places to visit. We always go in October/November when France is essentially shut, so really can't comment on restaurants etc. to any great extent.

Some photos from last year when we revisited the beaches to get you in the mood:

http://picasaweb.google.com/selwonk11/France2010#

[Cyder]

We visited here a few years back and it was fascinating. Well worth a look.

http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/sanctuar...

[selwonk]

Interesting museum, but possibly the most chaotic, dusty and dirty displays I've ever seen. The trenches are pretty amazing though:

[Cyder]

Indeed, it's quite breathtaking when you walk out the back of the museum into the trenches for the first time.

The photo's they have on display are as well.

[Dan_1981]

Many thanks for the lengthy reply.

I am indeed ooop north so it would probabaly make sense to either go into or out of Holland on the Hull Ferry and then work either up or down.

[selwonk]

The other advantage of going the Holland route is it is a lovely country, so it will feel a bit more like a holiday for the missus, if she's anything like mine. :-)

I knew there was something else. Have a look at this site:

http://ww2museums.com/

It's a new site and a bit slow, but very useful none the less.

[johnnyreggae]

www.remembrancetrails-northernfrance.com

has some of the best sites in the area linked

[Dan_1981]

Hull ferrys are coming in at around the £150 mark - is this a typical price?

Are offers sometimes put on etc?

[PaulHogan]

Dan_1981 said:

Hull ferrys are coming in at around the £150 mark - is this a typical price?

Are offers sometimes put on etc?

If that's in the summer for a car + 2, cabin, and meals it's a bargain

[Dan_1981]

PaulHogan said:

Dan_1981 said:

Hull ferrys are coming in at around the £150 mark - is this a typical price?

Are offers sometimes put on etc?

If that's in the summer for a car + 2, cabin, and meals it's a bargain

Sepetember (Its my birthday) and yes two people, car, cabin and meals - but this is only a single, not return.

[selwonk]

Where are you starting from? If you are up North knock off the fuel costs to drive down to the South coast.

[Dan_1981]

I'm in Sheffield so Hull is only an hour away.