World War 1 Verdun battlefield private tours from Paris by a car with guide directly or through Champagne best WW1 museums and famous forts.
Despite the fact that Verdun is a name known throughout the world, the city is small and located in a region far from Paris. It is difficult to get there by public transport due to the transfer from train to bus. Travel time on highways is more than three hours, which in France is considered very far, at the other end of the country. The travel schedule is complex and infrequent, as tourists prefer to travel by car or minivan. The road from Paris also passes through the sites of famous battles of the First World War in Champagne. For this reason, we offer 2-3 options for a tour from Paris by car to Verdun, Itinerary, which we post below with our description and comments.
Private one day tour from Paris to Verdun Citadel & WW1 battlefields by car.
6.30 Start from your hotel in Paris by car. There may be traffic jams and a desire to sleep on the road. A day before departure, the driver calls the Citadel Museum and agrees on a time for your visit. Reservations are expected at 11.00-12.00. The Itinerary is adjusted depending on the appointed time and traffic.
10.00-10.30 Arrival at Verdun Citadel. While waiting in line for the museum, take a walk around the fortress.
12.00-13.00 Tour by cart through the underground fortress with an audio guide in English. After the museum, visit the souvenir kiosk.
13.00-14.30 Sightseeing express tour of the city center by car with visits to the main attractions. The Victory Monument and Marshals’ Crossing require a walk. And for a while. Lunch is subject to agreement with the driver, as most cafes are open on schedule.
- Victory Monument – a memorial to the battle for Verdun
- Gate and highway tower, the beautiful fortification
- Monument “Children of Verdun”
- St. Paul’s Gate – “triumphal arch” of Verdun
- Cathedral of Our Lady (Notre Dame)
- Port Châtel – another entrance gate to Verdun
- “Crossroads of the Marshals” – a memorial complex of the WW1 heroes
15.00-18.00 Trip visiting the following places:
- “Crypt of Douaumont” (Ossaire de Douaumont) and national military cemetery.
- Memorial “Trenches of bayonets of the 137th Infantry Regiment of the French Army”
- Fort Douaumont, a museum with a visit inside.
You can change the entire program, route, and time of stay at each site in agreement with the driver (guide).
18.00 Departure from Verdun to Paris.
21.30-22.00 Arrival in Paris at the hotel or restaurant for dinner.
Practical advice based on our experience. We have already written that all trips take place in a friendly, free atmosphere. We do tours only for our friends, colleagues, military history buffs, collectors, WW1-WW2 reenactors, just like us. This is not a way to earn money, but to help our friends and colleagues have a good rest in France, to experience its culture, history, and traditions. Visit WWI battle sites on the Western Front and military museums. To preserve our traditions, we can refuse tour reservations without explanation, especially to tourists from countries with a dubious reputation. Unfortunately, prices in France for all services are high and after the Covid epidemic they have risen even more. Toll roads, high taxes, and union solidarity among service workers make private tours expensive. To reduce the cost of your trip, we offer several options. Firstly, we recommend traveling as a couple or three. Such a mini group of friends allows you to create a program that is suitable for everyone (which is impossible for 4-8 people). But traveling with two (three) reduces expenses by two to three times and makes them moderate. An excellent compromise between comfort and cost.
As we wrote above, we offer trips for our friends and colleagues who have read a lot and know about the First World War and the Battle of Verdun. Wikipedia describes the history of this battle in some detail and with maps. Add to this the excellent stories of the audio guide and video in the Citadel Museum. As a result, we can offer you savings of more than 600 euros. Instead of a separate guide, we use an experienced driver plus provide a virtual guide. The virtual guide develops a program together with you and remotely supervises the driver. Our cars are equipped with special communication devices that allow you to monitor the implementation of the program, adjust the route and program and give brief comments about the objects visited. You only pay for renting a car with a driver, gas and these toll roads, and we provide a virtual guide for free. But if you like the implementation of the tour program, the virtual guide never refuses a small real tip. Just when you return to Paris, leave some money for the virtual guide and say “pour boire” (for a drink) in French.
Private Verdun battlefield tours from Paris by a car prices as request and your program.