Question about the Somme

[DonPolo]

Hi,

I posted this in the France forum but so far haven't received any replies so I thought I'd try posting here and see what happens.

I'm looking for ideas for visiting the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux from Paris in July after the Olympics and will probably be travelling alone.

I've been told I could stay in Paris and get the TGV to Arras then join a day tour of the Somme and the memorial before returning to Paris.

As much as I love Paris, I was thinking I should really spend some time in the area since I speak French (passably well) and maybe it would be good to mix with the locals and see a bit of the countryside.

At one point I was considering taking a river cruise down the Seine to Normandy and the D-Day landing beaches but I was advised that Villers-Bretonneaux is a better place for Australians battlefield-wise. Not sure about tourist-wise though.

Any ideas would be gratefully accepted.

 

[Pauline]

I’ve stayed in Arras and surrounding towns several times when driving from the UK to Switzerland. Arras is a nice town and has some WWI trenches you can visit. I have not visited them. Other nice towns in this area where you could stay while exploring WWI sites are Amiens and Abbeville. Of the 3, Amiens is my favourite.

 

[Pauline]

I have visited the D-Day sites in Normandy. Bayeux would be a good base there, or Caen. Bayeux has the magnificent medieval tapestry also.

The Seine River between Paris and Normandy passes by some lovely places.

 

[DonPolo]

Thanks very much for your replies Pauline.

 

[phirhon]

I did reply to your post on the France forum.

 

[truddy191]

Hey there,

If you're keen on visiting the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux from Paris in July, staying in Amiens could be a good idea. It's close by and offers easy access to the memorial and other Somme sites. Plus, it's a great way to experience the French countryside and mingle with locals. Hope this helps!

 

[Travelling Weaver]

We did a self guided tour of the WWI battlefields and memorials. We did a farm stay near Amiens and we had a car. It was a really emotional and moving trip.