Privétour van een hele dag door de slagvelden van de Somme

Although today the world wars may seem far removed, I believe there is value in remembering what came before even if only as a cautionary tale. To that end, as part of a larger survey of Europe, I took my teenage daughter to Arras for the Somme all-day tour. Our guide Jon picked us up at our hotel and drove us to see several cemeteries, memorials, museums, and the physical remains of the trench system and exploded mines. He described various battles and how hills, valleys, woods, weapons, and defenses affected the movements of the soldiers. Jon also explained how the cemeteries were constructed and how they are maintained. Knowledgeable and sensitive, he guided us through the Battle of the Somme and its aftermath. Joining a larger bus tour would probably give one a good overview of the period and place, at far less cost per person, but this small private tour was able to customize the experience and take us to sites inaccessible to large vehicles. Plus we got Jon (his wife Alison sounds like an excellent guide as well, but I cannot speak from personal experience).

Very knowledgeable and well thought out tour. Made sure we got to see all the sites we wanted to see

Fantastic day. Saw so much. Would not have been able to get to see as many places on our own. Very well organised.

Jon is a wealth of knowledge & bonus he is a history major! He made the Somme come alive with an overview of the allied & German lines with sites we visited- a fantastic map. The sites really told the story of the July 1, 1916 battle. We could imagine & visualize movement & the massive losses. Standing near trenches, craters, fields where the battle was fought & cemeteries was profoundly moving! Do yourself a huge favor & book the personal tour it is worth every moment! Thank you Jon

Our experience with Jon and Alison began weeks before the date itself. They were incredibly attentive to catering the itinerary to our wishes and delivered a perfect tour. On the day from collection to drop off Jon’s knowledge was nothing short of encyclopaedic. Every question, site, monument, and even several graves were covered in immense detail. The tour itself had a well balanced itinerary of battlefields, cemeteries, monuments, and other sites and that kept the tour exciting. We never once felt rushed and had ample time to explore and ask questions. We came to the region specifically to see these battlefields and Jon truly brought them to life. Thank you and best of luck with your book!

Alison was so knowledgable she really made our day with her an experience to remember. Having booked the tour, Alison contacted us beforehand to arrange the pick up point and also asking us if we had any particular sites that we wished to see or soldier(s) that we wanted to find/know more about. She brought the first day of the Somme battle to life (pun not intended!). There is no way we would have learned as much if we had self conducted our tour - she basically joined up the dots for us. Thank you Alison - we hope we can have another day with you sometime.

An intimate and in-depth experience of the Somme Battlefield, we about about the main actions of the battle from 1st July through to November 1916. The familiar and the more obscure aspects of the battle were explained in an accessible way with all sides represented. Particular highlights were Y Ravine and the Windmill, and gettingto grips with a genuine Lee Enfield rifle at the Ulster Tower during our lunch stop. We also had a lively discussion about many aspects of the battle and the war in general, including opinions on Haig, Rollinson, Falkenhayn and the other commanders and the critical role the battle played in terms of tactical learning later in the war. Alison was a patient, knowledgeable and flexible guide. She tailored our tour to our specific requests and was willing to make on the spot changes to the schedule (Visiting Y Ravine because I had just read about it for example). Absolutely fantastic experience and well worth the price. I am even recommending Alison to my son's school for possible future trips. Thank you so much for our day. I'm glad we found you as our guide.

Allison was extremely warm and welcoming. Her knowledge and passion was evident throughout the entire tour. It was an amazing experience, one I highly recommend.

The main purpose of this trip was to visit my great grandfathers grave in Vaulx Hill. Alison and Jon offered a personalised and well researched tour, focusing first on my great grandfather, then describing the battles from that point on. We visited many significant sites between Bapaume and Amiens. Jon’s knowledge and passion exceeded our expectations. The visit to the John Monash Centre complimented everything Jon had shared with us. Our train was delayed, and Alison and Jon were totally flexible and accommodating. We highly recommend this tour.

Alison was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable, passionate about the subject and a mine of useful tidbits. We really enjoyed the day, thoroughly worthwhile.