Below, you’ll find an example of one of our most popular itinerary choices, but we can tailor-make yours from scratch to meet your exact requirements...

Northern France & Belgium in WWII - 3 days from £157pp*

Travelling in November 2012. Price includes executive coach transport from & to school & throughout your stay, 2 nights' full board accommodation, extensive group travel insurance and a generous free place ratio of 1 in 8. 

And then add our most popular itinerary package below for £14pp*

Our most popular visits in Northern France & Belgium for WWII History school trips

Here are some of our most popular visits in Northern France & Belgium for groups studying WWII History. We can tailor-make an itinerary to your exact needs. Call 0845 688 8988 to create your itinerary from scratch today.

Key Visits

Dunkirk

View the beach and the battle damage still evident in the town today and visit the British Memorial and cemetery. Sites also connected to the retreat to Dunkirk are:

Cassel

The fortified town was one of the strong-points of the evacuation corridor. Visit the cemetery and the main square, the scene of fierce fighting.

Esquelbec

The scene of a notorious massacre of British POWs by SS troops. The meadow and reconstructed barn are now preserved as a memorial to those who died.

Furnes/Veurne

The town was the scene of heavy fighting as the British struggled to hold the beach area. A visit to the town cemetery reveals the cost in both military and civilian lives.

Calais

The Calais War Museum is situated in the giant Mako bunker, former headquarters of the German Navy. The museum describes what happened in and around the town, from the battles of May 1940 to the liberation in September 1944. It contains a number of fascinating exhibitions covering the Resistance and life under German occupation.

Mimoyecques

This former V3 site based south west of Calais now houses a fascinating museum. An on-site audio commentary enhances your group’s interpretation of the site. The weapon was meant to attack London and for this reason was called ‘The London Gun’.

Battery Todt

A huge concrete blockhouse complex containing a museum telling the story of The Atlantic Wall and its construction.

The Atlantic Wall and Hitler’s V Weapons

A visit to the French–Belgian border offers a superb opportunity to study the development of military technology during WWII. The area contains some of the best preserved sections of The Atlantic Wall, the huge defensive system, much built by slave labour, which was constructed to defend Nazi Europe from Allied attack. Much evidence also survives to show the scale of the V Weapon threat to England in the form on both V1 and V2 sites.

La Coupole

The massive, bomb damaged remains of this V2 assembly and launching site now house a museum telling the story of the site and the place of the V2 project within the development of Aerospace technology, culminating in the Space Race.

Below, you'll find some of our most popular accommodation options for school groups.

This is just a sample of our full range, so for full details of all properties available, please call 0845 688 8988 to speak to one of our Educational Travel Advisors today.

Maison Familiale Bon Sejour

This modern, purpose-built centre opened in 1986 and belongs to the ‘Cap France’ association.

Maison Familiale Bon Sejour

This is a highly recommended, popular option for school groups. The centre offers a good standard of accommodation and superb facilities. The staff are very experienced in accommodating youth groups and you can be assured of a warm welcome.

Address Rue Jean Mermoz 14810 Merville-Franceville France View map of location	Local Rating Youth centre
	Capacity 230-240 guests or a maximum of 4 groups at any one time.

Location Information

The centre is located in its own grounds which overlooks the beach in the small village of Merville-Franceville, 6 kilometres west of Cabourg.

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Accommodation Facilities

• Reception and 24-hour security guard
• Restaurant
• Lounge area
• 3 classrooms, one with theatre stage
• Indoor  swimming pool and outdoor section with slides
• Games room with table football, video games, two billiard tables and pin ball machines
• All-weather tennis court, mini golf and two outdoor table tennis tables
• Small gym, sauna, steam room and Turkish bath are available for group leaders’ use.
• Private teachers’ area
• Vending machines
• Disco
• Television and video equipment can be provided on request
• Disabled facilities: The main entrance has a ramp for wheelchair access.  The lift is large enough to accommodate a wheelchair and one extra person. There are two specially adapted rooms each with a shower, toilet and sink. The two rooms allow wheelchair access but there is a step up to the shower stall.  If required, medication can be stored in a refrigerator.

 Student Rooms

• 4-7 bedded rooms
• En-suite facilities
• Hairdryer
• TV
• Safe

Staff Rooms

• Twins/singles
• En-suite facilities
• Hairdryer
• TV
• Safe
• Tea & coffee making facilities

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Hotel Poppies d'Albert

The ‘Poppies d’Albert’ is a purpose-built school hotel, which opened in February 2009. The owners have developed the centre based on the success of three school hotels they already manage in the Belgian town of Ypres. The hotel has 3 floors, NST groups may have exclusive use of a floor (provided the group consists of a minimum of 45 persons including staff and driver). If your group is smaller than 45 and you would like exclusive use of your floor a supplement will apply.

Hotel Poppies d'Albert

This hotel has been specifically designed with school groups in mind. It is managed by a friendly, professional team of staff with good experience of the needs of youth groups. Its location is ideal for groups wanting to explore the Somme battlefields.

Address 1 bis, rue du 8 mai 1945 80300 Albert France View map of location	Local Rating School hotel
	Capacity 186 guests, 48 rooms

Location Information

The hotel is situated in the centre of the town of Albert. One hour’s drive from Paris. Albert is a charming French town of approximately 10,500 inhabitants, situated in the Somme, some 160 kms (2 hrs) north of Paris. The town was completely reconstructed after the war, including widening and re-orienting the town’s main streets. The main sights of the Somme Battlefields and Memorials of the First World War are all within short travelling distance - Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel, Pozières, Villers-Bretonneux, Longueval, Rancourt, Arras, La Boisselle as well as some beautiful cathedrals - Amiens, Beauvais, Reims and the Champagne area.

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Accommodation Facilities

• Reception
• Dining room
• Games room/lounge
• Pool table, pinball
• Free internet
• Teachers’ lounge
• Garden
• Coach parking
• Disabled facilities: The hotel is fully adapted to accommodate guests using wheelchairs, including 3 rooms (one per floor) with a fully adapted bathroom.

Student Rooms

• Up to 5-bedded rooms
• En-suite facilities

Staff Rooms

• Twins/singles
• En-suite facilities

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King Hotel

A modern, purpose-built motel style hotel with external corridors.

King Hotel

A family-run hotel, located in a very attractive small resort. The hotel offers comfortable accommodation and a good base for excursions in the region.

Address 20 rue du Nord 14520 Port en Bessin France View map of location	Local Rating Family run hotel, 2 star equivalent.
	Capacity 140 guests, 2 groups maximum at any one time.

Location Information

Port en Bessin is a small, attractive fishing village, situated on the coast just 10 kilometres west of Arromanches and 9 kilometres from Bayeux. The hotel is located in the centre of the village and within 100 metres of the port.

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Accommodation Facilities

• Reception
• 2 dining rooms
• 2 meeting rooms
• Outdoor terrace
• Safe room for musical instruments
• Disabled facilities: There is one room on the ground floor for disabled guests, which has a bath, toilet and sink.  The room allows access for an electric wheelchair. The communal rooms in the hotel all allow for wheelchair access.

 Student Rooms

• 2-6 bedded rooms allocated between the main building and the annexe
• En-suite facilities
• TV

 Staff Rooms

• Twins/singles
• En-suite facilities
• TV

 Safety Guidance

The hotel conforms to all local standards, which does not require windows to have restricted opening.  Group leaders are advised to consider this in their risk assessments/group management plan and ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.

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MFV Les Tourelles

Les Tourelles is a 19th century manor house which now forms part of a small complex along with three other chalet style buildings. This property offers good quality accommodation and superb study and recreational facilities for school groups. Les Tourelles is set in its own grounds - an obvious advantage for supervision purposes. The centre directly overlooks the beach too.

MFV Les Tourelles

This centre comes highly recommended for school groups based on the quality of accommodation it offers. The facilities, the food and the hospitality are excellent, as is the overall value for money. Early booking is essential.

Address Avenue de la Libération 14960 Asnelles sur Mer France View map of location	Local Rating Youth centre
	Capacity 150 guests

Location Information

The centre is located in the small coastal village of Asnelles which is 2 kilometres east of Arromanches. Principally an agricultural and fishing village, Asnelles attracts a small number of tourists due to its pleasant seaside location and its excellent beach.

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Download PDF datasheet

Accommodation Facilities

• Reception
• Meeting rooms
• Dining room
• Recreation room
• Bar with terrace (staff use only)
• Volleyball/Basketball/Football area
• Large grassy area
• Disabled facilities: This property has 4 bedrooms which are adapted for disabled guests.

 Student Rooms

• 4 bedded rooms
• En-suite facilities

 Staff Rooms

• Twins/singles
• En-suite facilities

 Safety Guidance

The hotel conforms to all local standards, which does not require windows to have restricted opening.  Group leaders are advised to consider this in their risk assessments/group management plan and ensure appropriate control measures are put in place.

Security Deposit

Damage deposit of 5€ per student to be paid in cash to the General Manager on arrival.

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NST Guide Lecturers - From only £10pp per day

An increasing number of schools book a Guided Study Tour each year due to the recommendation of NST’s customers. Why not add an NST Guide Lecturer to your tour package.

Your Guide Lecturer will:

• Be selected from a specialist team to meet your exact visit requirements
• Be a highly experienced and knowledgeable educationalist
• Have a long and proven track record of delivering excellent results
• Have an understanding of the needs of students and information delivery
• Understand the pressures and requirements of Group Leaders

Benefits of NST Guide Lecturers:

• A Strong Teaching Background - All of our guides are ex-teachers with specific History expertise. Their educational background and detailed knowledge of the current curriculum will help them meet your specific needs. As former teachers they also understand the demands and requirements of organising educational visits.
• Helping You to Prepare Your Ideal Itinerary - Our guides will contact you before your tour to discuss your learning objectives. They will then advise on the appropriate visits to build an itinerary that matches your specified objectives and enables your group to get the most out of every day.
• More Time for One-to-One Teaching - With an NST Guide Lecturer leading the group, you gain the opportunity to provide individual tuition and enjoy the visits with your students.
• First Evening Talk - Your Guide Lecturer will provide an informal discussion on your first evening, setting the scene for the next few days. Helping students focus on the days to come and covering many general questions up front, this talk will allow more time for specific questions at each site.

Our team of guides include:

Jeff Garner - Programme Co-ordinator - A Cambridge graduate, Jeff has extensive experience in both museum work and secondary education. In this 24th season as Programme Co-ordinator, Jeff works with your Tour Consultant to allocate the ideal guide for each group and oversees tour arrangements. Jeff is responsible for guide training and involved in product development and this year has developed two new areas for History tours: Berlin: The Cold War and the Fall of Communism, and London History.
Alan Reed - Growing up near Arras, Alan’s interest in World War Battlefields started at an early age as the son of a War Graves Commission family. Alan combines a huge knowledge of the Battlefi eld area with a detailed understanding of both the history and culture of the region. He is a published author of ‘Meet at Dawn, Unarmed’, a book on the Christmas Truce of 1914.
Robert Watson - An experienced retired secondary school teacher, Robert combines his extensive guiding experience and excellent knowledge with a keen understanding of how to relate this to all groups
Tom Morgan - Former teacher Tom is an experienced Battlefields guide, with his own well respected WWI website. As well as being a published author, Tom has also made a television documentary on the Battle of the Somme.
Greg Davey - An experienced History and English teacher with over 13 years of teaching experience, Greg has also tutored for the Open University. Greg has written E-Learning courses covering the origins of WWI and runs a business which provides Living History materials to schools.
Peter Crook - With a career as Head of History and Associate Advisor for History with a Local Education Authority, Peter has been guiding tours to the WWI Battlefields for his own and other schools since 1982 and is a published author.