NEW ZEALAND BATTLEFIELD TOUR: FRANCE AND BELGIUM WW1 AND WW2 June July 2013 DAY-TO-DAY PROGRAMME (France only)

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1 NEW ZEALAND BATTLEFIELD TOUR: FRANCE AND BELGIUM WW1 AND WW2 June July 2013 DAY-TO-DAY PROGRAMME (France only) DAY 1 Wednesday 19 June Paris (L) Arrival CDG Paris early morning (0720). Meet and transferred to hotel accommodation (2 nights) Briefing on Paris en route in the coach from the airport. Settle in hotel, freshen up, go for a stroll 11h45 Meet in hotel lobby for coach transfer to restaurant. 12h30 Welcome festive lunch. Use lunch as opportunity to go over the tour itinerary broadly. 14h30 Guided introductory coach tour of city (Concentrate on sights evoking the Occupation and Liberation of Paris during WW2 (e.g. Hotel Lutetia, Hotel de Ville, Rue des Saussaies, Rue de la Boétie ) Highlights include : the Pont Alexandre III,the Grand and the Petit Palais, the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier Suggest the tour finishes in Montmartre. Those who are very tired could go back to hotel with coach. Those who so wish, take the funicular up into Montmartre, stroll through Montmartre, have a light dinner and return to the hotel using metro. (Very specific instructions will be supplied. If there is a tour manager with the group, he/she could remain with this group) DAY 2 Thursday 20 June Paris (B, D) 09h00 Leave hotel for a guided visit of the Invalides (National Army Museum) with special emphasis on the two World Wars, as well as visiting Napoleon s tomb. After the visit, time perhaps to visit the Rodin Museum close by, or at least to walk round the gardens where several of his most famous sculptures can be seen. Own arrangements for lunch Afternoon free - own arrangements, perhaps visit the Louvre, la Sainte Chapelle or Orsay or go shopping. (NB To avoid queues we suggest pre-booked entries for all those who want to visit Louvre, Orsay, Sainte Chapelle or other famous museums or sites. Closer to the time people should be invited to make a choice and we will make the bookings accordingly) (NB. For those who would like to visit Orsay we recommend its restaurant, one of the most beautiful in Paris and the meals are of excellent quality. Evening group dinner DAY 3 Friday 21 June (Paris- Epernay Reims (B, L) An early breakfast. After putting the luggage into the coach in time to leave by 8h30, the coach will take group to the Eiffel Tower. 9h00 Early morning visit to Eiffel Tower (before tourists) reserved admission included. 10h30 leave Paris for the champagne region 12h30 Group lunch in Hautvillers, the birthplace of champagne 14h30 Following the Route du Champagne to Epernay for a visit to one of the great cellars in Epernay (eg. Mercier), followed by champagne tasting. Then continue into Reims

2 17h00 After checking into the hotel in Reims, time to visit the World Heritage cathedral and walk through the very special Art Nouveau/Art Deco streets of central Reims. For those interested in Art Nouveau, Art Déco, we suggest the centre of Reims which was heavily bombed during WW1 and which was rebuilt in the early 1920s in this interesting art nouveau style. Free evening. (NB Today and especially tonight is the Fête de la Musique. We will prepare information on all that is offering. As a special meal will be arranged for lunch in Hauvillers, it is unlikely that many people will want another main meal, so will encourage them to take advantage of the many cafés and bars in the centre of the town, rather than the restaurants) DAY 4 Saturday 22 June (Reims Verdun Touring) - (B, D) 8h30 After breakfast, by coach to Verdun for a whole day in the region. Guided tour of battle sites, right and left bank, Ossuary, Fort of Douaumont, Bayonet Trench, the destroyed village of Montfaucon, the Butte and tunnels of Vauquois. Return to Verdun for lunch, suggestions and recommendations will be made! 17h00 return to Reims DAY 5 Sunday 23 June (Reims-Ypres )(B, D) 8h45 Leave by coach for Compiègne 11h00 Visit the Clairière de l Armistice and the (replica) railway coach where the armistice was signed in 1918) After the visit, free for lunch in Compiègne. 14h00 visit the very beautiful and interesting Palace of Compiègne, one of the favourite palaces of Louis XIV, Louis XV, Napoleon I and Napoléon III NB :If some people in the group have no passion for Châteaux but are fascinated with tin soldiers they could visit Le Musée de la figurine historique ( figurines on display). Drive to Ypres after the visit. (Hotel 3 nights) 19h30 group dinner in Ypres. Day 6 Monday 24 June (B, D) (The day s programme organized in close liaison with C & L) Breakfast at hotel Day in and around Ypres/Flanders with a guided visit of the battlefields, and memorials Visit the superb Flanders Fields museum Time at Tyne Cot Cemetery Visit Talbot House and the Passchendaele Museum Free time for lunch. Visit Poperinge & Nine Elms Cemetery to see Dave Gallaher s grave 19h45 assemble at Menin Gate for the Last Post ceremony Dinner in Grotemarkt with local dignitaries (to be arranged by C & L)

3 Day 7 Tuesday 25 June (B D) (Ypres Dunkirk- Eperlecques- Arques Ypres) Breakfast at hotel 9h00 After breakfast, drive to Dunkirk via the coast route 10h00-11h30 Guided tour of Dunkirk - city, port and the history the hell of Dunkirk After the visit, on to Eperlecques 12h15 Own arrangements for lunch 13h30-15h00 Guided tour of the celebrated (infamous)blockhouse built to launch the V2s on London 15h30-16h30 visit of the Cristal d Arques factory close to St Omer. (If time after Eperlecques) 18h00 Return to Ypres 19h00 Group dinner DAY 8 Wednesday 26 June (Ypres-Le Quesnoy Arras Amiens (B, L) 9h00 After breakfast leave by coach for Le Quesnoy (to arrive round 10h45). Le Quesnoy (twinned with Cambridge NZ) was liberated by the New Zealand forces at the end of the WW1. Since then special links have been sustained. Guided tour of this very interesting town fortified by Vauban (17thC.) with a short ceremony at the New Zealand memorial ground. Group lunch in Le Quesnoy 14h30 Afternoon drive to Arras 15h30-16h30 for a guided visit of the Wellington tunnels underneath Arras dating back to the Middle Ages, adapted and used by 20,000 Allied troops to launch a surprise attack See Maori and NZ orientation drawings left by the NZ tunnellers. After visit, into Amiens (3 nights) Free for the evening DAY 9 Thursday 27 June (Amiens Peronne River Somme - Amiens) (B, D) 9h30 Drive through the Somme to Peronne 10h30 Visit the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne. 13h00 After the visit, time for lunch (own arrangements) 14h30 Relaxing boat trip on the river Somme to discover the hortillonnages (intensive cultivation of marshland, typical of the Somme) After the boat excursion, return to Amiens for the evening to arrive by 17h00 Free time to wander around and visit the World Heritage Cathedral before dinner (After dinner, some may like to re-visit the cathedral to see the laser illumination spectacle which shows the cathedral with all its original colours as it was in the medieval 13 th century period.) Day 10 Friday 28 June (Amiens-Somme) (B,D) The whole day devoted to the battles of the Somme with guided visit of the battlefields and memorials. Visit Pozières, Mouquet Farm, Albert,Thiepval, Beaumont Hamel, numerous memorials including the NZ memorial of Longueval etc... 19h00 group dinner in Amiens. Walk to the cathedral for the illuminations if not seen the previous evening.

4 DAY 11 Saturday 29 June Amiens -Rouen (B, D) 9h00 Leave Amiens for Le Crotoy To reach Le Crotoy by 10h45 11h00 The Petit train de la Baie de Somme from Le Crotoy to St Valery sur Somme (arrives 12h00) Own arrangements for lunch 13h30 Coach to pick group in St Valery. Drive on via Etretat (16h00) to discover one of Monet s favourite haunts. He painted 80 pictures here. 18h00 to arrive in Rouen. (Hotel Rouen 3 nights ) Group dinner Free time in Rouen to admire the illuminations on Rouen Cathedral recreating the pictures of the cathedral Monet had spent months painting in all kinds of light. DAY 12 Sunday 30 June Rouen Honfleur (B, L) After breakfast, an optional visit to the Halles du Vieux Marché (the main market of Rouen, situated on the central square where Joan of Arc was burned!) 11h30 Leave Rouen to the delightful harbour town of Honfleur, painted by all the impressionists and still nowadays by all the painters and lovers of art. 13h00 Group lunch on the old port, then time to explore. Return via the magnificent and most impressive Pont de Normandie. 17h00 Return to Rouen Free evening DAY 13 Monday 01 July (Rouen Bayeux - via Camembert) (B, D) Morning guided visit of the superb town of Rouen. People should take an early lunch 13h00 Leave to drive through typical Normandy countryside to the small town of Camembert, the birthplace of perhaps the most famous of all French cheeses. Cheese centre & tasting organized. Then into Bayeux for the evening (3 nights) DAY 14 Tuesday 02 July (Rouen-Caen- Normandy Beaches Bayeux )(B, D) 8h30 After breakfast, drive to Caen to pick up guide and have a full day visit of Normandy D-day sites: Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, Arromanches etc (There will be time for lunch) Into Bayeux for the evening. DAY 15 Wednesday 03 July (Local Touring Mont St Michel) (B, D). 9h00 After breakfast drive to the Mont St Michel 11h00 Guided visit of the Mont St Michel perched on its rocky outcrop. A stunning vision of this World Heritage site. (After the visit, time for lunch.)

5 After lunch return to Bayeux to visit the Musée de la tapisserie to see the 70 metre long Bayeux tapestry dating back to the 11 th century, which depicts the story of the Norman Conquest of England. The tapestry is classified Memory of the world by UNESCO. Free time before group dinner, especially to see the cathedral DAY 16 Thursday 04 July (Bayeux- Paris) (B, D) Return to Paris via the delightful village of Giverny. Entry booked to visit Monet s house, garden and water lily pond. Arrive in Paris early afternoon, free time before dinner. 19h30 Special Farewell dinner. DAY 17 Thursday 05 July Paris Singapore (B) After breakfast, coach transfer to Paris Airport for midday Singapore Airlines flight.