Flanders Centennial Tour November 3rd to 14th, 2018 11 nights, 12 days Summary Itinerary

Saturday, November 3rd Day 1 Depart for Depart from your local airport and fly to Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport to meet the rest of the group for your flight to Paris. Dinner and breakfast will be served onboard your flight.

Sunday, November 4th Day 2 Arrive in & Travel to Normandy Upon your arrival at Charles De Gaulle International Airport this morning, you will be welcomed by our tour guide and driver where will begin our journey to the French province of Normandy. We will begin with a visit to Pegasus Bridge, where the 6th British Airborne landed, captured, and liberated the first house in Europe, the Café Gondree. We will then make our way to our hotel for some rest and relaxation before our “Welcome Dinner” with an opportunity to get to know our fellow travelling companions.

Overnight: Bayeux (D)

Monday, November 5th Day 3 Canadian Story at Normandy We will begin our day with a visit to the Battle of Normandy Museum in Bayeux, offering the visitor an illustrative understanding of the decisive actions that were taken in the liberation of Western Europe in 1944. With a refreshed perspective, we head to the Canadian battlefields. Our first stop will be to Verrieres Ridge to view the area where the Watch suffered severe casualties during “Operation Spring”. We continue on to the Juno Beach Center, dedicated to the 3rd Division landings as well as Canada’s full involvement during World War II. We will also visit the Queen’s Own Rifles House, before a sombre visit to the Canadian Military Cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer.

Overnight: Bayeux (B, D)

Tuesday, November 6th Day 4 Normandy Beaches Today we will focus on other aspects of the Normandy invasion. We begin our morning with a visit to Pointe du Hoc where the cratered landscape of the German battery taken by the US Rangers in 1944 can be observed. We will continue to Omaha Beach to the American Military Cemetery to discover the appalling difficulties required for landing on Bloody Omaha. After leaving Omaha, we visit La Chaos, the German offshore battery, which is still relatively intact, even after 70+ years. This afternoon, we will visit the Mulberry Harbors in Arromanches before heading back to our hotel for some time to explore the UNESCO World Heritage of Bayeux.

Overnight: Bayeux (B, D)

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Wednesday, November 7th Day 5 Dieppe This morning, we say our farewells to the Normandy countryside as we travel along the French coast to the seaside resort town of Dieppe. We will first visit the Dieppe Canadian Cemetery before travelling to the Green Beach at Pourville. We will also view the main landing beaches of Red and White on the Dieppe seafront. Later, we will explore the Blue Beach in Puys to view the gun emplacements on the cliff tops, which were responsible for terrible Canadian casualties. After leaving Dieppe, we will travel to for our hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight.

Overnight: Arras (B, D)

Thursday, November 8th Day 6 Exploring the Somme Today, we shift our focus from the Second World War to the First. Our day will be spent exploring the Somme Battlefields - starting with a tour to Albert, where we will visit the Musee de Arbris to gain an illustrative perspective on the Somme. We will then head out to the Somme Battlefields, making visits to the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, as well the preserved battlefield memorial park at Beaumont Hamel - dedicated to the Royal Newfoundland and Labrador Regiment who lost so many men on that first day of battle. After enjoying a large and locally made picnic lunch at the Old Blighty Cafe we will continue on to view the Lochnagar Crater, among one of the largest craters on the battlefields of the Western Front. Upon our return to Arras this evening, take the evening on your own to explore the breathtaking city. With its many shops, cafes and restaurants, take the time to enjoy dinner on your own.

Overnight: Arras (B, L)

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Friday, November 9th Day 7 Vimy to Today we take a tour to the Vimy Ridge Memorial Park. It was on Hill 145, on April 1917, that Canada truly became a nation in the eyes of the world. Its troops combined and stormed Vimy Ridge after all other allied forces had failed to do so. We will tour the tunnels, trenches and memorial, as well as the brand new interpretation centre, which opened in Spring 2017 for the 100th Anniversary. Enjoy a locally prepared picnic lunch en-route. In the afternoon, after viewing the new memorial at Hill 70 - to discuss “Canada’s Forgotten Battle”, we continue to , via Mons. As we prepare for the Centennial Remembrance, we will stop to visit the St. Symphorien Cemetery, where the first and last actions in the First World War took place. Consequently, this is where the first and last Allied casualty is laid to rest. We continue to the / area, where you will have the time to relax and enjoy dinner on your own.

Overnight: Kortrijk/Ypres Area (B, L)

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Saturday, November 10th Day 8 Today, we will orient ourselves with the Ypres Battlefields, beginning with a visit to John McCrae’s Essex Farm, the place where John McCrae wrote the famous poem “In Flanders Fields”. We continue on to Vancouver's Corner, to view the haunting memorial of the Brooding Soldier at Saint Juliaan, before visiting the German Cemetery of Langemark for a different perspective. We continue further still to , to enjoy lunch, before an extensive visit to the Passchendaele Museum. Today, 10 November, marks the day Canadian troops ended the Blood and the Mud that was the - by successfully capturing the ruins of the village. Before our return for dinner this evening, we travel the short distance to - the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any war. After dinner, we head back to the village of , Belgium for the Passchendaele Commemorative Ceremonies. The ceremony will begin with a subdued reflection at the Crest Farm Canadian Memorial, followed by a parade by candlelight through the Canadalaan. The parade will follow the path of the last hundred metres of the attack and will end at Passchendaele [Ceremony details TBD].

Overnight: Kortrijk/Ypres Area (B, D)

Sunday, November 11th Day 9 The 100th Remembrance This morning we join in the Remembrance Parade for 11AM at the in Ypres (also spelt Ieper) Belgium - otherwise known as the 'City of Peace'. After the ceremonies, we will have the time to explore the city of Ypres with our guide, which will include a visit to the “In Flanders Fields” Museum* – a unique exhibition in the Cloth Hall of Ieper's Grote Markt. Enjoy lunch on your own, before we depart to explore Hill 62 and the Hooghe Crater where we will view a small, but well-preserved part of the original Canadian Front Line. Tonight we dine in the heart of Ypres, before witnessing the dedicated Ceremony honouring 100 years at the Menin Gate. [*Today's schedule may change for Centennial Remembrance Activities that are still TBD at this time]

Overnight: Kortrijk/Ypres Area (B, D)

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Monday, November 12th Day 10 Departure to Holland Enjoy a nice and leisurely morning, before we say our farewells to Belgium, and begin our tour to Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, for the opportunity to visit the Canadian Military Cemetery at Groesbeek. We continue to Arnhem, where the Airborne Division suffered heavy casualties during Operation Market Garden. Also known as the “Bridge Too Far”, this area is where the Canadian Second division liberated Holland from stubborn German occupation in 1944/45. Tonight, we will enjoy dinner together before our overnight.

Overnight: Arnhem or Nijmegen (B, D)

Tuesday, November 13th Day 11 The Liberation We begin our tour this morning with a visit to the Hartenstein Hotel, then the command centre for Operation Garden, now the Museum to the Airborne. This afternoon we will explore Apeldoorn, as well as the Holten Canadian Military Cemetery, the second largest WWII military cemetery in the world. Tonight, we will enjoy our farewell dinner at a local favourite restaurant.

Overnight: Arnhem or Nijmegen (B, D)

Wednesday, November 14th Day 12 Depart for Home This morning after breakfast we transfer to Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport for your flight departure home. Lunch and snacks will be served onboard your flight. (B)

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Includes:

• Accommodations in Superior Tourist Class Hotels (3.5 - 4 Star) • Full-Time Experienced Battlefield Tour Manager • All Entrances as per Itinerary • Executive Motor Coach with Washroom/AC/tea/coffee • Breakfast daily, 8 Dinners, and 2 Lunches • All surcharges, fees, and departure taxes

Land Only Price:

$3755 per person with 2 per room $4605 per person with 1 per room

Airfare is not included in the tour price and can be arranged at the time of booking at the current rate of the day.

Deposit & Final Payment:

Prices are per person and include taxes. Deposit of $500 per person due at time of booking. Final payment due August 10th, 2018.

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Important Notes:

Tour Director and Driver Your Tour Director and Driver play an important role in making your vacation as memorable and hassle-free as possible. While optional, gratuities are a great way to show your appreciation. The suggested guideline is 10 Euro per person, per day for your tour staff. This should be extended on a voluntary and individual basis at the completion of the tour.

Travel Insurance Your tour price does not include travel insurance. If you are covered, we advise you to look into coverage details, if there is a deductible, if you need to pay up front, and where to call in case of emergency. We highly recommend medical, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage. If you would like a quote, please call our office at 1-877-214-5367. Proof of out-of-country medical insurance is required for this tour.

Target Tours P.O. Box 2693 Charlottetown, PEI C1A 8C3 1 877 214 5367 [email protected]

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