Camalou Battlefield Tours
Camalou Battlefield Tours
Camalou Battlefield Tours
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As a local and experienced guide of the Ypres and Somme Battlefields, I can offer you a personalized tour adapted to your own expectations. In my Mercedes Viano, Audio all surround, you can enjoy the comments and visit the sites where "your soldier" fought almost a century ago.
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Camalou Battlefield Tours
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5.0
92 reviews
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Michael G
2 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Family
Myself and my wife did a 3 day personal guided tour with Camalou in early October. We spent the first day with Christian and the next two days with Annette on the Western Front. It really was a very special 3 days. I had a number of great uncles that were involved in the First World War across the Western Front. Annette and Christian went above and beyond to ensure we knew everything about the involvement of these great uncles in the war. Annette had done hours of research on them before we got there (we had given unit and service numbers before we went) so she was well prepared and had a full schedule of activities across the Front that concentrated on where they had been and what they had done. We saw all the usual towns and cities, battlefields and museums and cemeteries that you see when going through the area. They were all fantastic and we also saw things off the beaten track, due to their intimate knowledge of the area and the war itself. They even showed us loads of artillery and bombs from the war that local farmers are still finding in their fields to this day.
What made the trip most memorable though was how they tailored it to my family’s involvement. It really was very special being able to see exactly where and what my great uncles had done.
The 3 great uncles who passed away on the Western Front all have no known graves. Annette made it her mission to help us try to find where they might be buried. With her research and the visits to the various cemeteries, both military and civil, I am confident that we have found where two of them are buried. Very special news for my family.
The whole trip was memorable and has had a major effect on myself and my family.
In relation to practicalities everything went smoothly with the tour. The hotel in Ypres organised by Camalou was great. They provided good food for lunch at local restaurants. All included in the price. The tours were well organised and went from 9.00am each day and were full days with stop offs at interesting places right through till almost dark. Christian and Annette certainly ensure we enjoyed our experience.
All in all I would highly recommend the tour to anyone - it was everything we expected and more.
What made the trip most memorable though was how they tailored it to my family’s involvement. It really was very special being able to see exactly where and what my great uncles had done.
The 3 great uncles who passed away on the Western Front all have no known graves. Annette made it her mission to help us try to find where they might be buried. With her research and the visits to the various cemeteries, both military and civil, I am confident that we have found where two of them are buried. Very special news for my family.
The whole trip was memorable and has had a major effect on myself and my family.
In relation to practicalities everything went smoothly with the tour. The hotel in Ypres organised by Camalou was great. They provided good food for lunch at local restaurants. All included in the price. The tours were well organised and went from 9.00am each day and were full days with stop offs at interesting places right through till almost dark. Christian and Annette certainly ensure we enjoyed our experience.
All in all I would highly recommend the tour to anyone - it was everything we expected and more.
Written 31 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John G
Brisbane, Australia76 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Friends
Christian and Annette were wonderful hosts and guides. They researched our forefathers service and tailored the tour to the areas they served. The hotel in Ypres was right on the square opposite the cathedral and a short walk to the Menin Gate. The tour covered the major Anzac monuments, Flanders and the Somme.
Written 13 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Indium49
Cape Elizabeth, ME66 contributions
Apr. 2023 • Couples
My husband and I had a fantastic tour of the battlefields around Ypres/Ieper in mid-April Annette of Camalou Battlefield Tours. All I can say is WOW! I cannot imagine a more comprehensive tour. We were staying in Bruges and arranged our tour in advance with Annette via email. We had a rental car, so we were able to drive to meet her to begin our tour. We met at 9 sharp and toured for the next ten hours straight. With Annette driving, we toured the entire area, including restored German trenches. The trenches are incredibly powerful and really bring home the horror of the war. Also, Annette tells you exactly what troops were where and at what times and thoroughly explains everything you see. Having her tour the museum with us made everything so much more meaningful. We also went to both Commonwealth and German cemeteries. Everything was very moving, and as a native of the area who had a grandfather in WWI, Annette’s perspective was very insightful. We would absolutely take another tour with Annette if in the area and highly recommend her as a guide.
Written 10 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Happy girl
Murphysboro3 contributions
Mar. 2023 • Couples
Our tour with Annette was so fascinating. She drove us around the battlefield and shared so many interesting stories with us, including the experiences of her grandfather who was involved in the battles around Ypres. We learned so many details about the battles and the surrounding towns, things that aren't in the history books. She took us through the Passchendaele Museum, and we felt very lucky to have her there to help explain the exhibits to us. All in all, it was a very full day!
Just wear clothes for all types of weather, with sturdy walking shoes.
Just wear clothes for all types of weather, with sturdy walking shoes.
Written 7 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mary c
winmalee nsw9 contributions
Apr. 2022
Attending the Villers-Bretonneux ANZAC service was a lifelong wish for us and in April 2019 we did just that with Annette & Christian and Camalou Battlefields Tour. It was just one part of an amazing 4 day experience in France and Belgium where the ANZACs fought and died in WW1. We followed the paths of the ANZACs, visited the cemeteries, r & r villages, interesting sights and memorials to this terrible war. i learned so much and came away with a feeling of pride and reverence for the young men who died so tragically. Annette and Christian have such a vast knowledge and everything was wonderfully shared. Christan took people seeking specific relatives to their resting sites--what a thrill that would have been!
we were so lucky to have gone the year before covid hit. it really was the highpoint of our time in Europe.
we did the 2 day ANZAC day tour with an add on 2 more days--i fully recommend it. Immerse yourself in the full experience. you wont regret it, i promise. thanks so much to Annette and christian!
(dropdown bar doesnt go back to 2019!)
we were so lucky to have gone the year before covid hit. it really was the highpoint of our time in Europe.
we did the 2 day ANZAC day tour with an add on 2 more days--i fully recommend it. Immerse yourself in the full experience. you wont regret it, i promise. thanks so much to Annette and christian!
(dropdown bar doesnt go back to 2019!)
Written 27 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A2448FPsusans
Barnstaple6 contributions
Oct. 2022
We had a 4 day tour with Annette and Christian and we could not have chosen a finer couple to show us around the World War I battlefield sites and Cemeteries of France and Belgium.
Their vast knowledge is unparalleled and they made the whole four days exceptionally interesting, sharing information and details which could never have been passed on by a larger tour operator. Over the many years they have been operating the tours, they have completely immersed themselves in gaining more information which is why their tours are so comprehensive.
I had a particular interest in the battles in which my Grandfather was involved and they happily changed the style of the tour to ensure that we were taken to the places where he would have fought. In fact, even after our 4 day tour had ended, and as a result of them putting us in touch with a person at the Documentation Centre in Flanders Museum where more information about my Grandfather had been researched, they took us to the nearest known spot he would have been as the Third Battle of Ypres commenced.
They were so interested in our details and it was like we were the only clients they had ever shown around, and the tour was completely personalised for us. They even took us to a Cemetery to see the grave thought to be of the solider in which my Grandfather was involved in a firing squad and went to enormous trouble to research this, and also the grave of the Lieut Colonel of my Grandfather’s Regiment who was killed.
They were aware of my severe lactose intolerance and made specific arrangements for lunch to be eaten at a restaurant where I would be catered for, or alternatively, a lunch provided by them and eaten in a restaurant with full facilities. Additionally, my breathing difficulties meant I was not able to walk any great distance which they recognised, and brought the car from the car park to the exit of bunkers and Museums so that it was less effort for me.
The tour days lasted nearly 10 hours and we can honestly say that we were shown everything that we had wanted to see and so much more besides.
We would highly recommend Camalou Battlefield Tours, anyone could not put themselves in better hands or in such kind and caring company. Annette and Christian really want everyone to get the most of their visit to this incredible area in which they have such a connection: Vimy Ridge, Fromelles Cemetery, Tyne Cot, the British Military Cemetery, the British and German front lines, the 1914 Christmas Truce Field, the Somme, Passchendaele, Polygon Wood, Railway Wood, countless Museums, the list goes on and on and it is something we will never ever forget and feel such a debt of gratitude to them for all they did to make our holiday so special and memorable.
Their vast knowledge is unparalleled and they made the whole four days exceptionally interesting, sharing information and details which could never have been passed on by a larger tour operator. Over the many years they have been operating the tours, they have completely immersed themselves in gaining more information which is why their tours are so comprehensive.
I had a particular interest in the battles in which my Grandfather was involved and they happily changed the style of the tour to ensure that we were taken to the places where he would have fought. In fact, even after our 4 day tour had ended, and as a result of them putting us in touch with a person at the Documentation Centre in Flanders Museum where more information about my Grandfather had been researched, they took us to the nearest known spot he would have been as the Third Battle of Ypres commenced.
They were so interested in our details and it was like we were the only clients they had ever shown around, and the tour was completely personalised for us. They even took us to a Cemetery to see the grave thought to be of the solider in which my Grandfather was involved in a firing squad and went to enormous trouble to research this, and also the grave of the Lieut Colonel of my Grandfather’s Regiment who was killed.
They were aware of my severe lactose intolerance and made specific arrangements for lunch to be eaten at a restaurant where I would be catered for, or alternatively, a lunch provided by them and eaten in a restaurant with full facilities. Additionally, my breathing difficulties meant I was not able to walk any great distance which they recognised, and brought the car from the car park to the exit of bunkers and Museums so that it was less effort for me.
The tour days lasted nearly 10 hours and we can honestly say that we were shown everything that we had wanted to see and so much more besides.
We would highly recommend Camalou Battlefield Tours, anyone could not put themselves in better hands or in such kind and caring company. Annette and Christian really want everyone to get the most of their visit to this incredible area in which they have such a connection: Vimy Ridge, Fromelles Cemetery, Tyne Cot, the British Military Cemetery, the British and German front lines, the 1914 Christmas Truce Field, the Somme, Passchendaele, Polygon Wood, Railway Wood, countless Museums, the list goes on and on and it is something we will never ever forget and feel such a debt of gratitude to them for all they did to make our holiday so special and memorable.
Written 5 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rita C
Dromana, Australia8 contributions
Jul. 2022
Many thanks to Annette and Christian for their amazing knowledge and excellent tour that was so comprehensive and factual. As guides, they are second to none and their impressive research is obvious as they unfold the official and personal stories of many ANZACs on the Battlefields of France and Belgium. We thought we knew a lot about the battles, but listening to Annette and Christian filled in so many gaps and informed us of anecdotes etc that they have gathered over many years researching families, war correspondence and printed material. Their passion and commitment to honouring the diggers, nurses, stretcher bearers etc are a wonderful gift to any Australian or New Zealander taking the tour. Highly recommend this tour that will deliver an amazing, humbling and honourable trek through France and Belgium battlefields.
Written 3 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M Matthews
1 contribution
Jun. 2022
My husband and I are so delighted with our WW1 Battlefield Tour with Annette and Christian. Their knowledge of WW1 history and the area is just superior. Between the two of them, they escorted, instructed and guided us to more and about more places than we could have imagined. The advantages and benefits of the private tour they provide were obvious to us right away. They tailored their tour to exactly what we wanted to see and do. By riding in a private vehicle we were treated to so much “enriched” content. Interesting facts and stories that may not have been possible in a larger group situation. If there was something interesting we spotted, we just pulled over and they always easily made adjustments to the day while still including all the stops they had planned. It felt like travelling with new friends and they made us feel so comfortable. As a result of a collision a few years ago, my mobility is compromised at times. Both Annette and Christian kept my needs uppermost in their minds and they were so kind to provide places to sit, entrances with easier access and even arranging for people in museums to aid when necessary. I felt very cared for. We have no reservations whatsoever in recommending them to anyone who wants a comprehensive, excellently conducted, tour by a couple who have made it their life’s work to educate and entertain others.
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael L
2 contributions
May 2022
Annette and Christian are local people with vast knowledge of this area in WWI. They are attuned to what you would like to see and do and will take you to Cemetaries, Battlefields, bunkers, trenches, museums, craters, churches, houses, and anywhere else you would like to go.
We spent 4 days with them and the time flew by. They know excellent places to stay and to eat, too.
I highly recommend Camalou.
We spent 4 days with them and the time flew by. They know excellent places to stay and to eat, too.
I highly recommend Camalou.
Written 31 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kym G
1 contribution
Apr. 2022
Annette from Camalou Battlefield Tours gave me a wonderful, full 1-day tour of the Ypres salient including the Battle of Fromelles in Northern France, and focusing on the main Australian Battles which was my request. There was a lot to take in, but I found it was a lovely balance of visits to Museums, Cemeteries, Bunkers, Craters, Memorials, Trenches and Monuments sewn together with a vast array of stories and local knowledge from 30 years of guiding tours here. We easily managed to locate a relative's headstone I was interested to find, and the tour culminated with me witnessing the Last Post at the Menin Gate which was very moving. I would have no hesitation in recommending Annette, and her husband Christian (who joined the tour at the end) for anybody, but in particular any Aussies and Kiwis making the trip over to learn about where our ancestors fought on the Western Front. A truly fantastic day.
Written 7 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lost-in-australia
Albion Park, Australia14 contributions
Could you please give me an idea of the length of time of a tour and availability for 26th May. Including the battle fields and Lijssenthoek cemetry, where my husbands Great grand fatheris buried and cost for three adults, am happy to be included in with others'
thank you Anne Irwin