Visiting Verdun

[ypresman]

Hi

I was thinking of doing a trip down to Verdun in the middle of September. As this is all new ground to me, can anyone please tell me of any accomadation down there, how long it takes from calais or Ypres in Belgium. I presume you can't make the drive down there in one day, so I was maybe thinking about a stop in Albert, or has anyone any other suggestions?

Many thanks in advance..

[Chris_Baker]

On the recent Forum Pals trip to Verdun, we stayed at the Hostellerie Saint-Vincent, on the outskirts of Laon. I'd recommend it as an easy to find (just off the motorway), reasonably priced, friendly and comfortable place for an overnight. Laon itself is a very interesting hilltop town.

[Paul Reed]

I presume you can't make the drive down there in one day, so I was maybe thinking about a stop in Albert, or has anyone any other suggestions?

In a coach, we used to arrive at Calais around 17.30 and reach Verdun between 23.30 and 0.00 with a stop at motorway services near Reims along the way.

You might find the Verdun part of my website of some use:

http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/verdun_battlefields.htm

[CROONAERT]

I presume you can't make the drive down there in one day,

Easy! In a car you can make it in a day no problem.

On my most recent visit, I managed a quick look around the Chemin des Dames, got lost (again!!!) in city centre Reims, detoured to the Russian cemetery, visited the battlesite of Valmy, pitched tent in Verdun Municiple campsite, managed to do a "whistlestop tour" of my favourite "destroyed villages", then hit the beer all before sundown. All this took approx.7- 8 hours.

Dave.

[ypresman]

Chris, Paul & Dave

Thank you very much for that.

Paul, I found your website very interesting, so I will be going on that.

I don't think I would like to travel down and back in one day though, too much like hard work..

Thanks guys....

[derwisj]

Hello,

maybe the following link to the "office de tourisme de verdun" can help you with the planning of your trip :

http://www.verdun-tourisme.com/index.htm

pascal bastiaens

[Christina Holstein]

Just remember that parking in Verdun is a pain these days. If you want/need to be able to park by the hotel, go for the Formula 1, Prunellia, Privilège or Les Orchidées, which are all out of town. In town, you can park outside La Cloche d'Or and close to the St. Paul but you will have to pay for them. To stay at any of the city centre hotels means paying for parking between 9am and 7pm.

You can easily do Calais-Verdun in a few hours. It's an easy road. There's rarely much traffic on it, especially once you are as far east as Reims.

Christina

[RichardH]

I went to Verdun with my dad (whos 65) a few weeks ago for a long weekend. We didn't book anything beforehand, but just took pot luck around the villages and towns nearby. We left Calais around 1 and ambled all the way down the totally empty toll road towards Verdun. The first night we stumbled across and booked ourselves in at the Grand Monarque Hotel in Varennes-en-Argonne, a stones throw from the Butte de Vauquois. The hoteliers spoke no English, and the place was spartan, and cheap. But the food was great and the beer flowed, and our collective schoolboy french made us popular with the locals by the end of our first evening. Next day we drove slowly down to Verdun (about another 20 miles or so further on), and visited many of the American memorials en route. We followed this pattern all weekend- walked, toured and paid our respects by day, and come 6 o clock, drove off to find another small town hotel somewhere. A really great trip that I am planning to repeat again in Sept/ Oct simply because the people were so nice, and the accomodation so easy to find in so many varied and quiet and beautiful places- except next time instead of my father I'm going to drag my wife and 7 month old son

[paul guthrie]

Glad you had a good time Richard, the area is real pretty. One of the big US memorials is right there in Varennes, monument to 28th Pennsylvania Division.

There is a lot more evidence of the war here than Somme or Wipers. Unfortunately there is no good guidebook ot those places I know of, in English at least.

On a clear day if you climb the 230 or so stairs at the US monument you can see most of the Meuse Argonne & Verdun battlefields, have done it twice, neither a clear day.

Get The Test of Battle by late friend Paul Braim who's Dad was there for best picture of US operations there, not a pretty picture, he tells it warts & all and some US folks really don't like that.

You can get American Armies & Battlefields in Europe 1938, ABMC, fairly cheap and the maps are superb, including 3 large foldouts. If you are going to spend real time there looking at US opereations it's a must. This is available on CD too & some rave about it but I want the maps in my hand.

[MartinWills]

You can get American Armies & Battlefields in Europe 1938, ABMC, fairly cheap and the maps are superb, including 3 large foldouts. If you are going to spend real time there looking at US opereations it's a must. This is available on CD too & some rave about it but I want the maps in my hand.

Paul rightly commends this volume, which need not be too difficult to find. The CD comes as a set of three with lots of other documentation on the USA in the Great War. It's a bargain at $20 (unless it has recently gone up). It makes selective print outs easy to make and they are. of course, disposable. The advantage of the real volume and real maps is that they are better quality and are nicer to handle. The CD is easy to order, the book takes a little more searching.

Either are excellent resources.

[RichardH]

Glad you had a good time Richard, the area is real pretty. One of the big US memorials is right there in Varennes, monument to 28th Pennsylvania Division.

There is a lot more evidence of the war here than Somme or Wipers. Unfortunately there is no good guidebook ot those places I know of, in English at least.

On a clear day if you climb the 230 or so stairs at the US monument you can see most of the Meuse Argonne & Verdun battlefields, have done it twice, neither a clear day.

Get The Test of Battle by late friend Paul Braim who's Dad was there for best picture of US operations there, not a pretty picture, he tells it warts & all and some US folks really don't like that.

You can get American Armies & Battlefields in Europe 1938, ABMC, fairly cheap and the maps are superb, including 3 large foldouts. If you are going to spend real time there looking at US opereations it's a must. This is available on CD too & some rave about it but I want the maps in my hand.

I'm going to track the Paul Braim down, Paul, thanks for the recommendation. I have to say that our main aim of the trip was to see Verdun and environs, simply because we had little idea about the scope of the American Offensive in the Argonne! But whole area is so earily fascinating, we both felt we needed to do some more homework before we go back and discover more about the AEF. Since then however I have managed to pick up an original 'Americans in the Great War vol2' but this covers operations further south around St Mihiel (its a Michelin Guide). Just need to find the companion Vol 3 which covers Montfaucon and Romagne, now... And an in depth modern English published guide is needed now- anybody want to write one with me???!

For any pals interested by the way, heres a link to a great aerial photo of the American Meuse Argonne cemetery in Argonne- an absolutely jaw dropping place.

http://www.abmc.gov/ma2w.jpg

[CROONAERT]

I have managed to pick up an original 'Americans in the Great War vol2' but this covers operations further south around St Mihiel (its a Michelin Guide). Just need to find the companion Vol 3 which covers Montfaucon and Romagne, now...

If you don't mind a re-print, you can get it from the N&MP, along with most of the other Michelin guides.

I'm sure there are other outlets for the re-print also (G.H.Smith and Son?).I got mine from the Historial at Peronne (been in once, won't be going in again - though the bookshop makes the detour worthwhile!)

Dave.

[RichardH]

I have managed to pick up an original 'Americans in the Great War vol2' but this covers operations further south around St Mihiel (its a Michelin Guide). Just need to find the companion Vol 3 which covers Montfaucon and Romagne, now...

If you don't mind a re-print, you can get it from the N&MP, along with most of the other Michelin guides.

I'm sure there are other outlets for the re-print also (G.H.Smith and Son?).I got mine from the Historial at Peronne (been in once, won't be going in again - though the bookshop makes the detour worthwhile!)

Dave.

A-haaa.... Found it-

http://www.ghsmith.com/worldwar1/michelin.html

Thanks for the tip! £6 pp- I will order straightaway!

[firestep]

ypresman

As has already been stated, the drive from Calais to Verdun can be comfortably acheived within 1 day, however if you are contemplating a late sailing it might be worthwhile breaking your journey with an overnight stop.

I usually stay overnight at the Ibis in Riems which is quite easy to find and not out of the way for your onward journey.

As for accommodation in Verdun, you will go a long way to beat the Formula 1 both for price and location. It is only about a 15 minute walk from the centre of Verdun, 20 minutes to the Citadel, and very convenient for the battlefied area - only about 15 minutes drive away.

You must obtain a copy of the IGN 1:25 000 Tourist Map "Carte De Randonnee - Forets De Verdun Et Du Mort-Homme - Champ De Bataille De Verdun". This is the French version of our OS map, and shows all the sites of interest you are likely to want to visit. It is obtainable from the tourist office in Verdun or the large book shop located on the main shopping street.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance.

I hope to be there again in September carrying out some research in the area, so perhaps we could meet up and share a glass or six!!