Why book/travel with Spirit of Remembrance? Firstly we are NOT a budget tour operator that promotes/sells our services via 'budget price leaders' (and make you pay extra for a host of extras along the way!) Premium inclusions and experiences are our tradecraft!
Family History: We are expert Family Historians/Heritage Travel specialists and have mapped out thousands of our customer's WW1/WW2 family histories - which we love to do - AS PART OF OUR SERVICE - for everyone who requires/asks us for their family history - on all OF our tours.
We are a small - but highly specialised business - that cares DEEPLY about REMEMBRANCE for ALL our Canadian and other countries family heroes. Our tours are NOT 'cookie cutter' mass produced price-driven tours, 'banged out' for a mass market. And of course - we are WORLD LEADERS - with our 'new concept' Canal Boat Battlefield/Cruise/Tours in France and Belgium - unique to Spirit of Remembrance! Of course, we spend immense time and effort researching and developing ALL our tours and this exciting NEW canal boat cruise concept is the direct result of MANY hours of research and talking to our clients, our suppliers, tourist boards, CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) and a myriad of tourism suppliers that are unique to our specialist WW1/WW2 battlefield markets in France and Belgium.
Our Managing Director is Canadian - and is passionate about remembrance of the enormous Canadian sacrifice made in all conflicts, in particular WW1 and WW2 in Europe and the deep significance of remembrance of these sacrifices for all Canadians
Our tours and journeys of remembrance are 'handmade' - and it shows. We also specialise in *BESPOKE (*tailor made) tours. And of course - we live here - at your destination - next door to the WW1/WW2 battlefields of UK and Europe. We're here 24/7 for you - NO TIME DIFFERENCES!
We at Spirit are PASSIONATE about our ethos and our core identity: Remembrance. Our philosophy and goal is to "Perpetuate Remembrance" to living & future generations through education, knowledge and inspiration. Spirit pays tribute to those whose sacrifices, extraordinary courage & immense bravery gives us ALL the freedoms and BENEFITS that we enjoy today. Spirit was born of a fierce determination to provide affordable, high quality special REMEMBRANCE & FAMILY HISTORY global travel experiences with the best specialist battlefield guides in the world, providing the highest standards of customer service, ethics and travel experience possible. Got a HERO in your family? - of course you do! - Contact Us! We'll do the rest!
In essence - we firmly believe that our customers should be treated as we like to be treated when we travel: with great care, EXPERT product and historical background knowledge, total professionalism and high quality product(s) & services included throughout your travel experience with us. Our founders hail from a proud military history background, with our company owners and directors both having extensive interests and historical knowledge in Armed Forces remembrance events, with our co-founder also a Vietnam veteran.
Of great importance is that we are based here at your destination - in the same time zone to handle any urgent changes or issues that occur (it happens - it's France/Europe.. :-) ) & we are only 90 minutes away from the actual Canadian WW1 battlefields in France and Belgium, and a few hours further to the Australian WW2 battlegrounds of Italy, Greece, Crete, & North Africa. We live here. We know here!
We are (of course!) fully licenced with all appropriate government and trade bodies in the UK (Travel Operators Licence No. Q1234). Many other battlefield tour operators are not. Your money is TOTALLY SAFE with us and is kept in a TRUST ACCOUNT until you travel We particularly specialise in France and Belgium (WW1 Canadian Sectors on the Western front) operating tours from both the UK (London) and also from Paris/Lille/Arras/Amiens in France. The performance of the Canadian military in France and Belgium in 1917/18 is the stuff of legends.
Our Historian/Battlefield Guides: Our highly experienced EXPERT historian guides (many ex-military - and whom most are members of the elite Guild of Battlefield Guides, and are individual experts for specific CANADIAN campaigns, battles and battlegrounds. Our guides 'walk the ground' specifically where Canadians fought, such as:
WW1: Somme: Neuve Chapelle, Artois, Vimy, Ancre, Beaumont Hamel, Arras, Cambrai, Amiens, Hamel, Albert, Menin Road, Broodseinde, Pozieres, Polygon Wood, St Quentin, Ypres, Passchendaele and many more on the Western Front.
WW2: RCAF, Battle of Britain, Bomber Command, Dieppe, Normandy, D-Day, Juno, Battle of Normandy, Normandy and D-Day, the Battle of the Scheldt & liberation of Holland: Flushing, Walcheren Causeway, Leopold Canal & Woensdrecht, Cap Griz Nez, Dunkirk & Calais and the Battle of the Rhine, Sicily, Advance to the Rhine and many more.. We also place great emphasis on visiting our tour participants family/relatives graves and assist with EXTENSIVE Family history research (as part of our service for all our clients.
We also offer PREMIUM "TAILOR MADE TOURS" to the WW1 Canadian Sector on the Western Front - tailored to your exact requirements. Our ability to create 'one off'' travel itineraries or 'tailor make' a special itinerary for you from 1 person to 500 people makes us unique. We can mix and match by accommodation, transport and specific itinerary to suit your requirements - using wherever possible premium accommodation and transport options along with a dedicated expert battlefield historian/guide.
Our client testimonials say it all: (client excerpts:) "The trip was one of the most moving and powerful experiences of my life. You brought everything to life, so much so that I could almost see the battles unfolding".. "I will be sharing my experience and this history with family & friends forever"... "I will hold your name in high regard and will recommend you to any would be visitors"... "The whole tour was expertly put together and meticulously researched... Thank you!" .... (*Tripadvisor testimonials:)
By booking your tour or itinerary direct through us you also avoid all the expensive middleman mark-ups so often applied to your tour cost(s) when purchasing overseas travel itineraries in Canada. Our prices are excellent and provide great value for money with no hidden charges.
Of great importance is that our Battlefield and Remembrance tours are NOT a 10 minute 'bus stop' in a car park near a battlefield. They are designed with great care and great research - all tailored to our clients individual needs.
Our expert battlefield historian guides and our expert research division provide extensive FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH for your family research- both in Canada and here in the UK/Europe with a variety of *top level UK and Canadian research resources (*some actually closed to the public) such as the National Archives, Regimental HQ's, Army/Air Force records etc plus Red Cross archives, Trench Maps, Artillery Maps etc.
We can also arrange "self drive" tours" and small driver/guide tours of the WW1 Canadian Battlefields in Flanders, Belgium and France. These tours are designed as 'tailor made' tours - expressly created for your personal requirements and needs. This great holiday concept allows you to travel and discover the WW1 Canadian battlefields and surrounds at you own pace and with your own itinerary!
So! That's us. Come on in and lets get started!
|