WW1 trip to France next year

[kas]

I fancy doing a trip in the new year to some WW1 sites in france for about 5 days
Any suggestions as to the best bikers B&B and some good sites to visit.

Done the normandy invasion beaches this year and really enjoyed.

Any info will be appreciated

 

[Rasher]

I can highly recommend this place:-

http://www.twowheelmoorings.co.uk/

Depends when you want to go as they tend to close through the winter until late April.

From Calais it is a simple two hours of A26 motorway (150 miles) and then another 70 miles across pleasant enough country roads - and being France there is virtually no traffic.

Once there the Verdun area is very rich in WW1 sites, several forts, two of which you can wander around (Duoamont and Vaux) the Ossuary at Duoamont is worth a visit and has a cinema presentation that runs every half hour or so. Vauqois is well worth a stop off, there are some trenches there pretty much as-left after the war and lots of tunnels, during the summer they open them up for tours occasionally (last Sunday of the Month I think).

On the way out (Just outside Calais on the A26) you can stop at Vimy Ridge where there is a large monument and some "Preserved" trenches, although nice pristine trenches do not interest me as much as grotty old ones. They also do much larger scale tunnel tours. You will also pass a V2 Bunker at La Coupole so plenty to do on the way to Two Wheel Moorings and if you get across the channel early enough you can visit both and be at Verdun in time for tea.

Just before Two Wheel Moorings is a large American Cemetery, this is just South of Bantheville (clearly shown on Google Maps) and easy to build into the journey to / from Moorings. Ian and Carol at Two Wheel Moorings know the sites very well and are happy to give advice on decent roads and war sites. There is also a fair number of trails and unpaved roads in the region, I have not been along many as I have normally been with other folk on sportsbikes, but the ones I have seen / ridden have seemed pretty tame, but makes a change from main roads.

Have a look around this site for various WW1 sites:-

http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/verdun.html

http://www.verdun-douaumont.com/en/index.html

A few pics from my travels there (I have visited a few times and always stop for a night or two when going to / from the Alps or Black Forest)


Two Wheel Moorings:-

 

[MIKE R]

I would certainly visit Vimy Ridge where you can see preserved (sanitised) trenches and go on a free guided underground tour with Canadian students. Vimy is about half way between my favourite WW1 stops.

A must place to visit, IMHO, is the town of Ypres (Leper) which is only about a 2 hour ride from Calais. It looks medieval but was totally destroyed during WW1 and then rebuilt. Many good hotels and restaurants around the market square which are within walking distance of the Menine Gate where they play the last post at 8pm every evening. A lot to see in the town and the local area including Tyne Cot which is the worlds largest Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery. When in Ypres I always stay in the Hotel Sultan which has secure bike parking and within walking distance of the main town sites.

If you are going to the Somme area I recommend 'Ocean Villas' (WW1 soldier slang for Auchonvillers) run by Avril Williams. 'Ocean Villas' was a WW1 dressing station and she has a reconstructed trench system in her back garden. She is also very knowledgeable of the area and will offer guided tours if requested. Very close to here is the 'Newfoundlers National Park' complete with un-restored trench systems and free guided tours (if your are in the area at the correct time of year) by French Canadian students, Ulster Memorial Tower, Thiepval Memorial to the fallen with no known graves, Lochnagar Crater which I believe is the largest remaining 'hole' which has been preserved on the old Western Front etc etc.

There is so much to see in the WW1 areas and I recommend you buy Major and Mrs Holt's Battlefield Tour Guides for the places you intend to visit.

Mike

 

[Monty]

I am a great fan of Ieper as well, and it is a nice place for a weekend jaunt. A great municipal camp site within an easy walk of the centre as well.

Matt

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Rasher]

I forgot to mention the Somme, this is also along the A26 out of Calais, and I think you could easily do weekend run around many of the Somme and Ypres sites and take in Vimy Ridge and La Coupole (OK its WW", but you would drive right past it) and only clock up about 250 - 300 miles in France. Given 3-4 days you could also take in the Verdun area as well.

This is handy for seeing where the front line ran during the war:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/western_front/index_embed.shtml

And where it settled for most of the war with major battles shown

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/places/ww1-western-front.htm

You never see much about the Italian WW1 battles, but next year we are staying in an old WW1 Fort in the Dolomites, the Italians and Austrians had quite a spat during WW1, but history seems to have forgotten it.

http://www.alforte.com/en/welcome/history/

 

[Jerry]

Sounds like it will be a great trip, looks like amazing country side to ride around in.

 

[kas]

Thanks guys some really good info
Just got to pick some dates and get digs soughted out.

Again many thanks ::021::