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France Under the Jackboot – SOE, SAS & the French Resistance
We look at the experience of France under Nazi occupation during the Second World War from the Battle of France in 1940 to the terrible events of the Holocaust in France, as well as the use of SOE and SAS, and the role of the French resistance. We see where France was humiliated at Compiegne, see the Holocaust Memorial at Drancy, and go into Limoges to look at SOE Heroine Violette Szabo before seeing Oradour sur Glane where a whole community was wiped out. We end the tour in northern France seeing where members of the French Resistance were executed, now a moving memorial site.
Tour Includes
- 6 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
7 days from £999pp
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Itinerary
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Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service then, to Beauvais or Compiegne, north of Paris for two nights.
We start by looking at the German Blitzkrieg in 1940 and the Fall of France. We see where the Germans humiliated France by forcing them to surrender where the Armistice of 1918 was signed, seeing the museum here. In the Compiegne Forest we see where Paris’ Jews were deported by train to Concentration Camps. In the afternoon we visit the Compiegne Memorial Museum, looking at the Holocaust in this part of France, and end the day by visiting the graves of French soldiers who fell in defence of Paris. Please note: for 2023/4 the Resistance Museum at Tergnier is closed for a major refit and will not reopen for some time. Instead, we will visit the Memorial at Compiegne in its place. Included meals: Breakfast
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Today we focus on the experience of the Jewish community in Paris during WW2 seeing the Holocaust Memorial site at Drancy which served as a Concentration Camp before those held here were sent off to camps in Germany and in the East. We view where the camp was, see the memorials and the Visitors Centre*. In the afternoon we depart for Limoges for two nights.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
In the morning we follow the trail of SOE Agent Violette Szabo close to Limoges, seeing the village where she was sheltered, the area where she was dropped in and the ground where she was captured. In the afternoon we visit the village of Oradour sur Glane which was wiped out by SS troops in 1944. Now preserved as a memorial site, we enter through the visitors centre to learn of this tragic event from WW2 and spend the afternoon among the deserted streets left just as they were in 1944.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
We depart Limoges and examine the role of British Special Air Service troops behind enemy lines in occupied France and visit the SOE Memorial at Valençay. We then depart for Amiens where we stay for two nights.
Includes Breakfast
Today we look at the French resistance in northern France travelling to the Resistance Museum at Bondues near Lille. After lunch in Arras, we visit the ‘Mur des Fusillies’: the moat of an old fort where members of the Resistance were executed during WWII, now a poignant memorial site. We then travel to Amiens seeing where the attack on Amiens Prison took place. Here RAF Mosquitos bombed the prison. We also visit the graves of the RAF crews in the nearby cemetery.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Return home.
Includes Breakfast
Accommodation
You will stay for two nights in Compiegne, near Paris at a 3-star hotel, then two nights at the 3-star ibis Limoges Centre and finally two nights at the 3-star B&B Amiens Centre Cathedrale.
Ibis Limoges Centre
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
General
- 3 Star
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Lift
Room
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Safe Box
- Air Conditioning
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Shower
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
Accessibility
- Fridge Available for Medical Requirements
Service
- 24 Hour Front Desk
- Iron at Reception
- Dogs Allowed on Request
Transport
- Bus Stop Nearby
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Ibis Styles Compiegne
The Ibis Styles Compiegne hotel is located 5 minutes away from the centre of Compiegne, a golf course and the national forest.
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
General
- 3 Star
- English Speaking Staff
- Lift
Room
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Air Conditioning
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Shower or Bath
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
Service
- Safe Box in Reception
- 24 Hour Front Desk
Accessibility
- Fridge Available for Medical Requirements
- Disabled Rooms Available
- Wheelchair Access
- Ground Floor Rooms on Request
Transport
- Bus Stop Nearby
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Lift
- WiFi Available
B&B Amiens Centre Cathédrale
Just an 8-minute stroll from Saint-Roch station is the B&B Amiens Centre Cathédrale, a modern, 3-star hotel. It's perfectly positioned a mere 14-minute walk from the 11th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens and only 2 km away from the Parc Zoologique d'Amiens. Guests can enjoy the convenience of free Wi-Fi and a TV in every room.
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
General
- 3 Star
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
Room
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Air Conditioning
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Shower
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
Service
- Safe Box in Reception
- 24 Hour Front Desk
Accessibility
- Fridge Available for Medical Requirements
- Disabled Rooms Available
Food & Drink
- Vegetarian Meals
Transport
- Bus Stop Nearby
- Train / Tram Nearby
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Luxuria Coach
Stylish and modern, state-of-the-art Luxuria is the business class of coaches. Boasting comfort of the highest standard, sink into the deluxe armchair-style seats, stretch out with much more space around you, and enjoy a vast choice of entertainment on your personal touch-screen TV.
Luxuria Features
- Deluxe armchair-style seats with leather exterior, central arm rests* with cup holders, adjustable headrests and retractable calf rests on most seats to give you a more comfortable journey.
*Face to face seats are forward and rear facing with a table and will not have a calf rest. - Every seat has its own, fully interactive, touch-screen TV offering a wide choice of entertainment so you can control what you want to watch and when.
- There’s a selection of double and single seats, including six face-to-face seats with tables, and five single seats which are ideal for passengers travelling independently.
- Plug sockets and USB points at each seat mean you can keep your devices fully charged throughout your journey.
- Onboard toilet.
Silver Service Coach
More than simply your method of transport, Silver Service offers a coach with added comfort and facilities, such as deluxe reclining seats with leather headrests, an onboard entertainment system, and a spacious rear lounge so you can socialise with your fellow passengers.
Silver Service Features
- Specially designed reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and extra legroom.
- A spacious rear lounge where you can relax, socialise and get to know your fellow passengers.
- Our onboard entertainment and satellite navigation system makes your journey fly by.
- Free personal headphones mean you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs being played by your crew.
- Personal tables so you can enjoy your refreshments in comfort as you take in the passing scenery.
Reviews
4.6 Out of 5 ( 9 Reviews )
Reviews
Quality
4.4 / 5
Value for Money
4.3 / 5
Miss Rhind, 1 year ago
Very informative, and well presented.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
M Woolf, 1 year ago
fascinating trip and a wonderful guide
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Andrew Burnham, 1 year ago
Poor timings for travelling home, one person held up bus for over 3 hours
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
B Eason, 1 year ago
A lot of coach travel. Nor a lot of content.Museams would be good if there was English transcriptions. Having been on 5 previous tours this was by far the most disappointing.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Beverly Swan, 1 year ago
Great trip but spoilt at the end by a 3+ hour wait at Stop 24 on return.
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
ian warrick, 1 year ago
A varied tour of the events in WWII France. A good mix of sites, museums and an excellent analysis of the events by the guide Fred Greenhow
Verified, collected via Trustpilot
Departure Dates
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