Staying in a village near Verdun, we explore the French battlefield of 1916 in detail, but also the sectors either side (from which the Americans launched their major attacks in September/October 1918): St Mihiel, and the Argonne Forest. These are amongst the least-visited Western Front sites, and include some of the most spectacular crater fields and preserved trench systems.

Day One - The Argonne:
Vauquois Craters, Kaiser’s Shelter, Seargeant York site
- After a night in Canterbury, or a 40 minute train journey from London to Ashford - 35 minute Tunnel crossing in our car, then 3 hr 30 minute drive from Calais.
- Pickup from Paris - 2 hr 45 min drive*
- Meet at Lille Eurostar station (1 hr 30 from London St Pancras) - 3 hr drive

A tour of the Argonne area (20 miles west of Verdun) taking in Vauquois, site of a hilltop village destroyed by underground mining in 1915-16 (massive overlapping craters remain), Chatel-Chery and the Sgt York monument, and the ‘Kaiser’s Shelter’ in the woods (weather permitting). Drive 30 minutes to our hotel near Verdun (2 nights).

Day Two - Verdun 1916:
Thiaumont, Froidterre, Fleury; Verdun, St Mihiel trenches
The heart of the 1916 Verdun battlefield - a walk across the ruined landscape between Thiaumont (with the famous Ossuary and the main Cemetery) and the fortress of Froidterre, passing personnel shelters, remains of emplacements, and the ruined village of Fleury. Verdun town for lunch, then 40 minutes south to the St Mihiel area to visit preserved trench systems in the woods.

Day Three - Verdun 1916:
Fort Douaumont, Trench of Bayonets, Fleury Museum
A final morning exploring Fort Douaumont, the Trench of Bayonets, and the museum. Leave early afternoon, aiming to get you to your finishing point by 6.00 p.m.

- 3 hr 30 minute drive to Channel Tunnel. Back in the UK we will put you on a high-speed train to London, arriving there around8.15 p.m.
- Drop-off in Paris - 3 hr drive*
- Drive to Lille Eurostar station - 3 hrs

Check out our prices here
Do get in touch to discuss details and possible dates.

* Options from Paris by high-speed train:
If you are staying in Paris, take the high-speed train from Gare de l’Est - we could meet you at the new Meuse TGV station, which is just over an hour from Paris. This station is only a half hour drive from Verdun. A DAY TRIP is also possible this way, giving around 7 hours to see the key Verdun 1916 sites, plus the spectacular Vauquois Craters.

See also:
World War I Tours
A suggested 3-day itinerary: U.S. Troops on the Western Front

Above: Dwarfed by the huge craters at the Butte de Vauquois
Below: Retractable 75 mm guns atop the remains of Froidterre Fort

The reinforced entrance to a deep shelter in a second-line German trench

Ruins of a German field hospital near Verdun

Cratered landscape at the Ouvrage de Thiaumont, in the heart of the Verdun 1916 battlefield

In a German communication trench near St Mihiel