Northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands will be the trip of a lifetime as you enjoy this fully guided tour
BST Vacations | Tour Guide: Bruce McIntosh
FREE INFORMATION SESSION
on Tues, October 29 at 10 am and 2 pm. at the Chamber office
Register Your Seat with Sharon, 519-291-1551
Day 1 --Overnight flight Toronto to Paris
Meet your BST tour manager as our incredible journey begins with our evening overnight flight from Toronto to Paris. Sit back and relax as our magical journey is set to begin.
Day 2 Welcome to France!
After we clear customs and gather our luggage, we will meet our local guide and driver to begin our adventure. A stop for lunch, before we travel through the French countryside enroute to the Novotel Bayeux, our hotel for the next 2 nights, and close to the landing beaches.
Day 3 Bayeux, France
Breakfast this morning before we begin our D-Day beaches excursion. Our first visit will be to Courseulles-sur-Mer where we will visit Centre Juno Beach, the museum, and a guided bunker tour. This afternoon we visit the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery in Reviers.
Day 4 - Arras, France
After breakfast we begin our day in Ranville, the first village liberated in France when the bridge over the Caen Canal was captured intact in the early hours of June 6, 1944. We visit Pegasus Bridge and the Museum. We continue our journey northeast to finish our day in Arras. Our hotel for the next 2 nights is the Holiday Inn Express Arras. (B)
Day 5 Arras, France
Breakfast included as our day begins with a visit to Beaumont Hamel, where the Newfoundland Regiment alone lost 700 souls. We visit the Newfoundland Memorial and view Courcelette Canadian Memorial. Lunch included today prior to our visit of the Thiepval Memorial and Lochnager Crater at Ovillers-la-Boisselle before returning to Arras for overnight.
Day 6 Ypres, Belgium April 27
After breakfast we depart for the Vimy Ridge Memorial. Following our highlight visit, we continue to Ypres. Balance of day free to explore. Ypres was one of the sites that hosted an unofficial Christmas Truce in 1914 between German and British soldiers. During World War Two, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) would fight the Germans in a delaying action at the Ypres-Comines Canal, one of the actions that allowed the Allied retreat to Dunkirk. Our hotel for the next 2 nights is Hotel Ariane Ieper.
Day 7 Ypres, Belgium
We visit Essex Farm, where John McCrae wrote the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” in May 1915. Admission to In Flanders Fields Museum is also included today. Travel to the Battle of Passchendaele sites and see the Brooding Soldier Monument.
Day 8 Bruges, Belgium
Breakfast included as we continue our northward trek with our arrival in Bruges. Our first stop is a Canal Cruise. A visit to Bruges is not complete without a boat trip on the Bruges canals, the arteries of the city. Accompanied by swans floating alongside you on the water, you will discover Bruges from a surprising perspective, because some things you can only see from the water! The country is known as the world's chocolate capital, and in Bruges, you'll find dozens of chocolatiers selling pralines, chocolate truffles and other heavenly treats as we include a chocolate factory tour! Our hotel this evening is Flanders Hotel Bruges, and we enjoy dinner together as a group.
Day 9 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Breakfast included before we head off to our final destination, Amsterdam. As the capital and largest city in the European country of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is famous for its canals and dikes. Enroute, we traverse the Delta Works, which together form the largest flood protection system in the world. This imposing project, also referred to as one of the seven wonders of the world, illustrates how the Dutch deal with water. We also visit the Unesco World Heritage Site – Kinderdijk Windmills, which again showcase how the Dutch have been managing the water for over 1000 years. Upon arrival into Amsterdam, we include a guided tour before checking into our hotel for the next 4 nights. Inntel Hotels .
Day 10 Amsterdam, Netherlands
We continue our exploration with a Canal cruise after breakfast. We next visit the Anne Frank House, a writer's house and biographical museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank.
Day 11 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Up early this morning to discover the Royal FloraHolland in Aalsmeer. Located in the town of Aalsmeer, a picturesque town just a short drive away from Amsterdam, Royal FloraHolland reigns as the world’s most expansive flower auction. Our floral explorations continue as our next stop is Keukenhof, the most beautiful spring garden in the world! Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world's largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of Lisse, in the Netherlands.
Day 12 Amsterdam, Netherlands
After breakfast, we continue our exploration of the Dutch countryside with a stop at Volendam and Zaandam (and Zaanse Schans), best known for its collection of historic windmills and wooden houses. As no visit is complete without a cheese factory stop and wooden shoe factory visit. As we return back to base, we include admission to the Van Gogh Museum to enjoy at your pace, as you explore 1000+ paintings, drawings and letters by Van Gogh. Tonight, a farewell dinner is included.
Day 13 Toronto
Contact:
Bruce McIntosh, 1-800-461-8500 Ext 301 / (519) 271-5710 Ext 301
bmcintosh@bstvacations.ca