WW1 Battlefield Tour Companies for Students & School Groups

There are a number of battlefield tour organizations which provide tours for school groups and teachers. School battlefield tours are aimed at specific Key Stage learning. A list of these specialist school tour companies is given below.

Guild of Battlefield Guides (GBG)

greatwar.co.uk is proud to be a Supporter of the Guild of Battlefield Guides

greatwar.co.uk is proud to be a Supporter of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides. The aim of the Guild is to raise the understanding and promote best practice for guiding on the battlefields.

Lt. Col. Graham Parker, OBE, Retd. and his daughter Joanna Legg organized battlefield tours for military, private and public groups from 1980 and 2000. They founded and operated the tours as Flanders Tours for 12 of those years. Graham Parker is honoured to have been made an Honorary Badged Guide of the Guild of Battlefield Guides. He and Joanna are keen to promote the Guild of Battlefield Guides and its Badged Guides, Members and Supporters are highlighted in our list of guides and tour companies below.

List of Battlefield Tours for Students & School Groups

A school group at the Thiepval Memorial.

The following list gives an overview of organizations offering tours for students and school groups to the First World War battlefields. This list is offered to assist teachers and group leaders to find a tour company to suit your specific requirements.

Anglia Tours Ltd.

ABTA No. Y3463; ATOL Protected; School Travel Forum Assured Member; Quality Badge from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

Address: First Floor, Charles House, Kelvedon Road, Inworth, Essex CO5 9SH

Telephone: +44 (0)1376 574 130

Email: info@angliatours.co.uk

Website: www.angliatours.co.uk

Anglia Tours has an established reputation for organizing high quality tours to the First World War battlefields amongst other historical tours. Experienced and expert guides offer a range if guided tours suitable for schools. Each school battlefield tour is individually designed to meet the needs of the group. A visit to the school will be made to discuss the proposed tour and a pre-tour presentation made as appropriate. A Tour Organizer will be allocated to ensure that all the requirements of processing and and arranging the tour are met.

Clevelode Battlefield Tours

Member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides (GBG)

Address: Clevelode Ltd., The Old Barn, Clevelode, Malvern, Worcs WR13 6PD

Telephone: +44 (0)1684 311 257

Email: info@clevelode-battletours.com

Website: clevelode-battletours.com Schools

Retired Army Officer Major David Craig offers his instructional and schools advisor experience as a guide for school and student groups wishing to make tours to the battlefields of the Western Front. Students will learn about the life of a soldier and his experience in war.

Club Europe Group Travel

Founding Member of the School Travel Forum; Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Accreditation; ATOL, IATA and ABTA Protection

Address: Club Europe Group Travel, 22-24 Jaggard Way, London SW12 8SG

Telephone (Freephone UK only): 0800 496 4996

Telephone: +44 (0)208 772 6446

Email: travel@club-europe.co.uk

Website: www.club-europe.co.uk History Tours

One of the UK’s leading school travel companies, Club Europe has been organising educational school trips for over 30 years. The battlefields trips to Belgium and Northern France support the National Curriculum Key Stage 3, GCSE and AS/A level courses. With careful attention to detail and the specific requirements of each school group, Club Europe tours never fail to inspire and move students to gain a better appreciation of the events of the two great wars.

The Cultural Experience

School Travel Forum Assured Member; ATOL T10153; TTA U6964

Address: The Cultural Experience, 8 Barnack Business Park, Blakey Road, Salisbury SP1 2LP

Telephone (UK only): 0345 475 1815

Telephone (international): +44 1722 340 699

Email: info@tceschooltrips.co.uk

Website: www.tceschooltrips.co.uk

The Cultural Experience is an established and highly recommended battlefield tour company, which also provides a wide-ranging programme of school tours. The themes of the First World War school trips offer insights into aspects of the First World War not usually covered on standard battlefield tours for schools. They include:

Behind the Front Lines
Poetry & Literature
They Also Served
Western Front Discovery

For more information and to discuss your particular requirements for your tour or specific WW1 topics contact The Cultural Experience by email or phone.

Ecosse Battlefield Tours Ltd.

Travel Trust Association member

Telephone: 07584 859737

Fax: 013552 33555

Website: www.ecossetours.co.uk

Ecosse Battlefield Tours is a Scottish based company who organise tailor made WW1 & WW2 tours for groups (20+) to the battlefields of France, Belgium, Normandy and Arnhem in the Netherlands. All coach tours start and finish in Scotland.

Equity School Travel

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Accreditation; School Travel Forum Assured Member; ATOL, IATA and ABTA Protection

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 648 248

Email: tours@equity.co.uk

Website: www.equityschooltravel.co.uk

Equity School Travel arranges tours to the WW1 battlefields in France and Belgium for Key Stage 2 and 3 to Arras, the Somme and Ypres.

For further information about the battlefield tours visit the page at:

Website: www.equityschooltravel.co.uk Battlefield Tours WW1

Galina International Study Tours Ltd.

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Accreditation; School Travel Forum Assured Member; ABTA No. Y4466

Address: Galina International Study Tours Ltd., 16 Bridge Street Row, Chester, CH1 1NQ

Telephone (Freephone UK only): 0800 801 560

Email: info@schooltours.co.uk

Website: www.schooltours.co.uk

Galina International Study Tours Ltd. is a very well established, family-owned tour company. Galina has been arranging tours for young people since 1989. Galina's tours to the battlefields of the First World War are one area of expertise in a wide-ranging programme of student study visits. All battlefield tours can be designed to meet the requirements of each group. A study pack and teachers' notes are included in the price of a tour. Knowledgeable guides with a specialism in the history of the Western Front battlefields and with considerable teaching experience will conduct each tour. Dedicated tour administrators will establish personal contact with the group leaders during the planning of a tour and will ensure smooth-running arrangements during the tour.

Visit the website for full details of school study tours.

Galloway Tours for Schools and Colleges

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Accreditation; School Travel Forum Assured Member; ATOL 6268; Coach Holiday Scheme Licence 207; CoachMarque and Guild of British Coach Operators' Accreditation

Telephone: +44 (0)1449 767 778

Email: schools@gallowayeuropean.co.uk

Website: www.gallowayschools.com

Galloway was founded in 1965 as a company providing school group travel. The company has many years of experience organising tours to the WW1 battlefields. For information about the tour packages to the Ypres Salient, the Somme and Verdun battlefields visit the battlefields section of the website at:

Get-a-Guide Battlefield Tours for Young People

Somme Battlefields' Partnership; Siret number: 8345084000010

Address: Brigitte De Cuyper, Get-a-Guide, 29 rue des Cordeliers, 80560 Mailly-Maillet, France

Telephone: +33 3 646 005 994 (French Mobile)

Email: br.decuyper@yahoo.com

Website: www.get-a-guide.co.uk

"Get-a-Guide" provides guides to school groups wishing to take a Battlefield Tour in the North of France. We offer our services to tour operators and also to schools coming from across the world. Our guides are all accredited with the Somme Battlefield Partnership and have many years experience working with children and young adults. Our goal is to pass on our passion and make history exciting!

Halsbury Travel

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Accreditation; School Travel Forum Assured Member; ABTA V2645; ATOL 5079

Telephone: +44 (0)115 9404 303

Email: enquiries@halsbury.com

Website: www.halsbury.com

Halsbury is a family-run company, founded by former language teacher Keith Sharkey and his wife Sue. Halsbury tours cover a wide range of subjects. For day and overnight visits to the WW1 battlefields see the School Battlefield Trips section of the website:

Holts Tours: Battlefields & Education Tours

ABTA No. V3582; ATOL No. 3880

Telephone: +44 (0)1306 873 571

Website: www.school-history-tours.co.uk

With almost 40 years’ experience in operating Battlefield and History tours and more than 25 years in running School Travel, Holts Tours prides itself in being the specialist in educational travel and the leading history and battlefields tours company. Our school battlefields, history and education tours are carefully designed to fit in with the school curriculum and are tailor-made to suit your group needs and budget. Call or visit the website to request a brochure.

The IBT Travel Group Ltd.

ABTA No. V0847; ATOL No. 5916; Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Accreditation; School Travel Forum Assured Member

Address: The IBT Travel Group Ltd, Cairn House, Skye Road, Prestwick, KA9 2TA

Telephone: +44 (0)1292 477771

Email: jimc@ibt-travel.com

Website: www.ibt-travel.com

IBT Travel Group is an independent tour company who have been arranging tailor made educational tours for all age groups since 1986. Experienced staff can provide a full range of services from bare-bones to fully inclusive guided tours to the battlefield areas of Belgium and France.

Students on a battlefield tour with Mercat Tours International.

Key Stage Tours

ABTA and ATOL protected (ABTA No. V6504), Founding member of the School Travel Forum; Quality Badge from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

Address: 259 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich, SE10 8NB

Telephone: 0845 026 4661

Email: enquiries@key-stage.co.uk

Website: www.key-stage.co.uk

Key Stage Tours has been working with school groups for over 20 years, providing bespoke history tours to the UK, Europe and further afield. A tour manager will work with you throughout the process to develop your ideal itinerary. Visit the website or contact Key Stage Tours by email if you would like to discuss your requirements for a tour.

Mercat Tours International Ltd. School Tours

Complies with EC Directive on Package Holidays; Member of the Travel Trust Association

Address: Mercat Tours International Ltd., 28 Blair Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QR

Telephone: +44 (0)131 225 5445

Email: info@mercattoursinternational.com

Website: www.mercattoursinternational.com School Tours

Mercat Tours International has been leading school tours and independent adult group tours to the battlefields of the Great War since 1996. Accredited guides bring the stories of WWI to life focusing on the experience of soldiers on the Front Line and the Pals battalions. Established by an ex-principal history teacher, Mercat Tours International operates tours to D-Day Landings in Normandy, Berlin and Poland in addition to the battlefields of WW1. Visit the website for more information, dates, prices and availability.

NST Group

ABTA; IATA; School Travel Forum Assured Member

Telephone: +44 (0)1253 833 833

Email: info@nstgroup.co.uk

Website: www.nstgroup.co.uk

NST offers First World War battlefield tours:

Ypres & the Somme History School Trip: WW1 Battlefields
Northern France & Belgium History School Trips: WW1 Literature

For more information about the battlefield tours visit the specific section of the NST website:

Website: www.nstgroup.co.uk Battlefield Tours

Rayburn Tours

Supporter and Member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides (GBG); ABTA and ATOL Protected; School Travel Forum Assured Member; Holder of the LOtC Quality Badge.

Address: Rayburn House, 37 Brunel Parkway, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8HR

Telephone: +44 (0)1332 347 828

Email: info@rayburntours.com

Website: www.rayburntours.com

Rayburn Tours has over 45 years’ experience of providing tailor-made History Tours to the World War I Battlefields, amongst other destinations. All trips are tailored to your curriculum and our experienced consultants take the time to understand your aims, using specialist knowledge to create a trip which fulfils your particular learning objectives.

Accompanying your WWI Battlefields, Berlin or Holocaust History Tour, we offer complimentary iWitness resources, comprising teacher resources and student fieldbook to help maximise the learning experience before, during and after your trip. These fantastic resources are also flexible enough to incorporate into any style of teaching. In addition, our exclusive WWI Battlefield Specialist will provide you with fascinating facts and anecdotes relating to your local regiment and, if applicable, will endeavour to uncover any students’ WWI family history — in many cases tailoring your itinerary to visit these locations. This is a free and truly unique service available upon request and compliments our iWitness programme, helping to personalise your students’ experience and ensuring that their Battlefield Tour is a memorable and worthwhile learning outside the classroom experience.

Remembrance Travel for Schools and Young People

Supporter of the Guild of Battlefield Guides (GBG); ABTA & Atol Protected; Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge; School Travel Forum Assured Member

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8335 9768

Email: team@remembrancetravelschools.org.uk

Website: www.remembrancetravel.org.uk

Remembrance Travel (formerly Poppy Travel) is a subsidy of The Royal British Legion. Tours are available to many destinations in Europe from one to four or five days. Tours are designed to link in with the school curriculum for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 or can be modified to suit particular requirements. A free pack is available to teachers. Visit the website for more information about tour destinations, guides and travel arrangements.

Schools into Europe

ABTA No. Y4767; School Travel Forum Assured Member; Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Member; Confederation of Passenger Transport Member

Telephone: +44 (0)29 2052 2236

Email: info@schoolsintoeurope.com

Website: www.schoolsintoeurope.com

For information about the programme of tours and day trips visit the section of the Schools into Europe website:

Website: www.schoolsintoeurope.com First World War Battlefields

Select School Tours

ABTA, ATOL, School Travel Forum Assured Member, CLOtC quality badge

Telephone: +44 (0)1444 870100

Email: enquiries@selectschooltravel.com

Website: www.selectschooltravel.com

Select offers First World War battlefield tours to Ypres & Somme History School Trip: WW1 Battlefields. For more information about the battlefield tours, visit the specific section of the Select School Tours website:

Website: www.selectschooltours.com WWI Battlefields

Skylark Battlefield Tours for Schools and Colleges

Telephone: +44 (0)1354 696 779

Email: info@skylarkbattlefieldtours.co.uk

Website: www.skylarkbattlefieldtours.co.uk

Tours for school and college students (Key Stage 3/4) by Andrew Spooner, an experienced guide to the battlefields for over 25 years.

Travel Places

ATOL no. 0151; IATA & ABTA Protected; School Travel Forum Assured Member

Telephone (Schools Department): +44 (0)1903 832 861

Email: clubsandschools@travelplaces.co.uk

Website: www.travelplaces.co.uk School Tours

The company offers a programme of history tours for schools, including a two day tour to the battlefields of the Ypres Salient.

Travelbound

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 244 572

Website: www.travelbound.co.uk

Travelbound offers a wide-ranging programme of history tours for schools. To see the First World War tours offered to Ypres and the Somme visit the website:

Website: www.travelbound.co.uk School History Trips