Description
The highlights of Belgium await on this getaway, from the beautiful city of Bruges to the coastal town of Ostend. We also pay our respects in Ypres, the scene of a series of battles during the First World War where casualties are believed to have surpassed one million. During our visit we witness the city's daily act of remembrance, The Last Post, played in honour of those who fell in the Ypres Salient from 1914-1918. At exactly 8pm every evening, the police stop traffic to let the buglers complete the world-famous fanfare; an incredibly moving experience that should be observed first-hand.
Pick up Supplement Band B - £15 per person
Abergele, Abingdon, Accrington, Acle, Aldershot, Alfreton, Ampthill, Anlaby, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Aylesbury, Bangor, Banstead, Barrow-in-Furness, Barton-le-Clay, Bebington, Beccles, Belper, Beverley, Bexhill, Bexley, Bicester, Biggleswade, Billingham, Bishop Auckland, Bodmin, Bognor Regis, Bourne, Bracknell, Brentwood, Bridgend, Bridgnorth, Bridgwater, Brighouse, Bromsgrove, Buckingham, Burnham-on-Sea, Burnley, Camberley, Camborne, Canterbury, Canvey Island, Cardiff, Chatham, Chatteris, Chelmsford, Chepstow, Cheshunt, Chorley, Christchurch, Clacton-on-Sea, Cleethorpes. Clevedon, Coalville, Cockermouth, Colwyn Bay, Connahs Quay, Cottingham, Dalton-in-Furness, Deal, Dereham, Didcot, Diss, Dover, Downham Market, Driffield, Droitwich, Ellesmere Port, Epsom, Evesham, Farnborough, Farnham, Felixstowe, Filey , Flint, Flitwick, Folkestone, Gravesend, Great Malvern, Hailsham, Harlow, Harrogate, Hatfield (Herts.), Haverhill, Haywards Heath, Hedge End, Hereford, Herne Bay, Hertford, Heswall, Hinckley, Hitchin, Holbeach, Honiton, Horley, Horsham, Hove, Hucknall, Hythe (Kent), Ilkeston, Immingham, Keighley, Kempston, Keynsham, Kidsgrove, Kingswood, Leamington Spa, Leatherhead, Leek, Leighton Buzzard, Lewes, Lewisham, Leyland, Lichfield, Liskeard, Llandudno, Long Eaton, Loughborough, Louth, Mablethorpe, Maidenhead, Malton, Market Deeping, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Mildenhall, Mold, Morecambe, Nailsea, Newark, Newbury, Newhaven, Newport (South Wales), Newport Pagnell, Newton Abbot, Northallerton, Northop, Nuneaton, Oakham, Ormskirk, Oswestry, Paignton, Penzance, Pershore, Polegate, Pontefract, Prestatyn, Princes Risborough, Redruth, Retford, Rhyl, Rickmansworth, Ringwood, Ross-on-Wye, Runcorn, Rushden, Saltash, Sandy, Scunthorpe, Seaford, Sevenoaks, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sittingbourne, Skegness, Skipton, Sleaford, Slough, South Benfleet, Southport, St Neots, Staines, Stanford-le-Hope, Stonehouse, Stourbridge, Stourport, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stretford, Stroud, Sudbury, Sunbury, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Swadlincote, Swaffham, Swansea, Tamworth, Tewkesbury, Thame, Thirsk, Tilbury, Tonbridge, Torquay, Totton, Truro, Tunbridge Wells, Ulverston, Wallasey, Wareham, Warwick, Waterlooville, Wellingborough, Wellington (Shrops.), Welwyn Garden City, Weston-super-Mare, Whitby, Whitehaven, Whitstable, Widnes, Winchester, Woking, Wokingham, Workington, Worksop, Wymondham, Yate, Lindale, Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, Skelmersdale, Daventry & Chippenham.
Pick up Supplement Band C - £30 per person
Barnstaple, Bideford, Bridport, Chapel St Leonards, Cinderford, Coleford, Cromer, Cwmbran, Dursley, East Cowes, Ely, , Fakenham, Falmouth, Frinton-on-Sea, Gainsborough, Glastonbury, Harpenden, Harwich, Hunstanton, Ingoldmells, Launceston, Ledbury, Leominster, Ludlow, Lydney, Lyme Regis, Market Rasen, Maryport, Nantwich, Newport (Isle of Wight), Newquay, Pickering, Ryde, Sandown, Selby, Shanklin, Shepton Mallet, Snettisham, South Molton, Street, Swanage, Thornbury, Wells, Welshpool, Whitchurch (Shrops.), Wigton, Devizes, , Welksham & Trowbridge
Itinerary
Day 1
Ferry to Calais and on to the vibrant city of Lille to enjoy dinner (not included). We continue to our hotel where we stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2 - Ghent & Ostend
For our first excursion we head to pretty Ghent, with its perfect patchwork of medieval cobbled streets, quaint market squares, striking churches, an ancient castle and plenty of museums which sit on a peninsula of peaceful waterways. No other city in Belgium has as many classified buildings, so make sure to admire the stunning architecture here, including St Bavo's Cathedral, which stands on the site of a 10th-century church and a 12th-century Romanesque church. Due to the city's power in the Middle Ages, the churches were converted during the 15th and 16th centuries into the impressive Gothic cathedral we see today. We then make our way to Ostend, Belgium's premier coastal resort. Known as 'the City by the Sea', Ostend is a cosmopolitan gem that boasts miles of sandy beaches, a beachfront promenade, a yachting marina plus a whole host of shops, bars and restaurants.
Day 3 - Bruges & Ypres for the Last Post
This morning we visit Bruges, a beautifully-preserved medieval city of picturesque canals, and narrow cobbled lanes crammed with fine chocolate shops, lace boutiques and souvenir shops. Our next stop is Ypres, the scene of one the biggest battles in the First World War. Having been completely rebuilt after the war, it serves as a place of pilgrimage and memorial; there are plenty of museums and monuments to pay your respects and find out more about the town's historic role. One special highlight is listening to The Last Post, played every evening at 8pm in tribute to those who fell.
Day 4
After checking out of our hotel we make an en-route stop in Dunkirk. The third largest port in France, Dunkirk has a rich maritime heritage and is also famous for the evacuation of Allied troops during the Second World War. The town also has a long seafront and a fine sandy beach, nicknamed the 'queen of the northern beaches'. Later we continue to Calais for our return ferry home.
Coach Bullets
- Return coach travel & ferry crossings- 3 nights at a selected hotel in Belgium or France (JG3 rating) with breakfast- Excursions to Ghent, Ostend, Bruges & Ypres for The Last Post- En-route visits to Lille & Dunkirk
Search Bullets (Evening)
- 3 nights at a selected hotel in Belgium or France (JG3 rating) with breakfast- Excursions to Ghent, Ostend, Bruges & Ypres for The Last Post- En-route visits to Lille & Dunkirk
Venue Information
Hotel
Hotel (JG3 rating)We'll stay at a comfortable hotel (JG3 rating). All rooms are en suite and other facilities include a bar and restaurant.Hotel accessibility informationYour hotel will be confirmed approximately 3 weeks before departure, therefore we cannot guarantee that the hotel will have a lift and/or ground floor rooms and may be unsuitable for those with limited mobility.