Ian Fletcher Battlefield Tours

Ever wanted to do a battlefield tour for just a day or a few hours? Can't see what you want in the current IFBT programme? Well, from March 2011 we're introducing customised, private tours, of half a day's duration upwards. These are in response to the growing number of enquires from customers requesting a guide for a day or two to undertake private tours, usually to northern France and Belgium. From March 2011 customers will be able to take advantage of our resident English guide in northern France who will be on hand to act as guide on tours covering an area stretching from the Normandy Beaches in the west, to Mons in the east, and from the northern outskirts of Paris to the English Channel. Anyone who knows anything about military history will know just how much there is in the area, from the Norman invasion of 1066, the 100 Years War, the Napoleonic Wars, through to two world wars. There is an absolute treasure trove waiting to be explored, not just battlefields but other historic sites and locations.

Of course, we can arrange hotel accommodation and transport to France if neccessary but guests will have the option of arranging their own accommodation, and our guide will meet them at their hotel or a suitable meeting point, and go on tour from there. Otherwise, the guest will be collected at either the Calais ferry terminal, or either of the Eurostar stations at Calais or Lille, and go on from there. The basic cost of a day's guiding will be £50 for 4 hours' guiding or £100 for a full 8 hour day. This price is not per person but is for the daily guiding fee. So, for example, for a family of four the daily cost would work out at just £25 per head. If any hotel accommodation is needed by the guide this will be covered by the guest. However, as our man lives centrally in the region he will only need hotel accommodation if the tour is in Normandy or Mons. Guests will be expected to cover the guide's lunch and/or dinner which will be at the guest's discretion, e.g., a full meal or simply a beer and sandwich. Naturally, each tour will be tailored to the guests' requirements so it's difficult to give much more detail. You will simply need to tell us as much as possible about your requirements and we'll take it from there. Essentially, these private tours will be on offer, subject to notice, for any day of the year, all year round.

So, if you want to see the hospital from which a 'legless' Douglas Bader made his escape, the house where the South America patriot San Martin lived, where Operation Jerico literally brought the walls of Amiens jail down, or the sites from which Hitler launched his rockets against Britain, then let us know. In the meantime, here are just a few more suggestions....