Northern France & Belgium History School Trips & Tours - WWII
Covering the period from the outbreak of war until liberation, your tour will concentrate on the events of 1940 and 1944, giving your pupils a fascinating insight into the impact of the war in both France and Belgium.
By visiting sites significant to the conflict, your history school trip can provide interpretation of events and the tactics employed in events such as Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk and study Hitler’s Atlantic Wall at the French-Belgian Border. This is also a key area for V weapon sites.
Prices start from£369pp
Price Shown includes
- 2 night’s full-board accommodation staying at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem
- Executive coach transportation from and to school and throughout your stay
- Services of your own Group Co-ordinator (Groupie)
- Organised evening activities
- Extensive group travel insurance
- Free place ratio of 1 in 8
Price shown is based on 40 paying passengers departing from selected departure points and is subject to availability.
On-tour support
Get even more from your trip with an NST History Subject Expert from only £10pp per day.
On-tour support includes...
- Your dedicated Group Co-ordinator, if staying at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem, will ensure the smooth-running of your school tour, acting as all-round support for your group
Accommodation
Popular options in Northern France & Belgium
Northern France
Top 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.
Esquelbecq: 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’.
The Atlantic Wall and Hitler’s V Weapons
A visit to the French–Belgian border o.ers 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 Britain in the form of V1 and V2 weapons.
Battery Todt
A huge concrete blockhouse complex containing a museum telling the story of The Atlantic Wall and its construction.
Bois Des Huits Rues VI Launch Site
Site used to launch the flying bomb Hitler hoped would destroy London - the V1.
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.
Eperlecques
Home of the biggest bunker in the north of France.
La Coupole
This fascinating museum was once the Nazi’s planned V2 rocket base. It now showcases the story of Hitler’s secret weapon and also of French life during WWII.
The bomb damaged remains of this V2 assembly and launching site house a museum covering the themes of the 1940s occupation of Northern France, the German secret weapons, the Cold War and the conquest of space.
Evening activites
- Organised evening activities at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem
- Excellent recreational facilities at the château (including two football pitches, volleyball area and four hectacres of private grounds)
Study themes
Edexcel GCSE
"Warfare in British society, c1250 - present"
OCR GCSE History A
"War and British Society, c790 - 2010"
EDUCAS (WJEC)
"The Development of Warfare in Britain, c500 - present"
Study levels
A-level
AS Level
GCSE
Transport
Available from any location in the UK, our executive coaches are fitted with seatbelts, toilet facilities, air conditioning, DVD and reclining seats.
Coach
Giving you full support throughout
Before your tour
- Your own dedicated NST contact
- Bespoke tour itineraries
- Unrivalled local knowledge & expertise
- Curriculum linked visit programmes
- Great value for money - no hidden costs
- Free group leader inspection visits
- Risk assessment guidance
- Safety assured, transport, accommodation and visits
Whilst you're away
- Free educational resources
- Group-friendly accommodation
- Exceptional standards of coaching
- On-tour support from our reps on the ground
- Support & assistance from our specialists throughout your tour
- 24/7 support just a call away
- Extensive group travel insurance
On your return
- Priority rebooking services
- Rewarding your loyalty with our reward scheme
- You say, we listen - we're committed to continuously improving our tours
- School travel company of choice since 1967
Expert's comment
This extensive conflict involved many of the world’s nations and cost tens of millions of lives. A tour can provide interpretation of events and the tactics employed in events such as Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk and study Hitler’s Atlantic Wall at the French-Belgian Border. This is also a key area for V weapon sites.
Jeff Garner, NST's Guided History Tours Programme Co-ordinator