Visit the World War One battlefields of Northern France and Belgium where the Anzacs saw action from 1916 to the end of the war on 11 November 1918. Australia and New Zealand forces suffered far greater losses on the Western Front than at Gallipoli.

Watch Beneath Hill 60, a major motion picture based on a true story of diggers on the Western Front to premiere on Anzac Day. 

Key New Zealand Sites

Tyne Cot Cemetary near Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium.

New Zealand 's military activity was predominantly in Belgian region of Flanders around Passchendaele and Messine Ridge.

More on NZ Division Messine Ridge  

New Zealand is well remembered in the French town of Arras where the NZ Tunnelling Company built a network of tunnels under the town.  

A museum called the Wellington Quarry has been created below Arras using sections of the tunnels.Arras can be reached by TGV from Paris  

Key Australian Sites

Villers-Bretonneux is a small village in Northern France where the main Australian War Memorial is located.

Between 23 July and 7 August three divisions of the Australian Imperial Force suffered 23,000 casualties capturing the village from the Germans then defending against ferocious counter attacks.

Multi media presentation of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux created by The Australian newspaper.

More about Villers-Bretonneux

The Australian National Memorial is 2km from Viller-Bretonneux in the direction of Corbie.

Pozières was Australia's first military operation on the Western Front and was part of the Battle of the Somme. Pozières is a site of Australian significance because it is estimated that 5,285 men or 68 percent of the First Division were killed or wounded in just four days: 23–26 July 1916.

Visit Le Tommy Cafe and Museum in Pozieres to view faithful recreation of trench life in the Somme.

Fromelles was the First Australian Imperial Force’s introduction to the Western Front. The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19 July 1916.

Australian Memorial in Fromelles  

Getting there

Self drive itineraries of the Australian and New Zealand sites of importance.

Amiens-Villers-Bretonneux: Amiens is approximately 1 hour from Paris by train.

TER (regional express) trains run several times a day from Paris Gare du Nord to Amiens.

Villers-Bretonneux is 15km east of Amien and is the first stop on the Amiens-Laon-Reims commuter line.

From London take the Eurostar from St Pancras Station to Lille and regional train to Amiens or fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and take the TGV to Lille or Arras. Car hire is available at either station.

Arras is on the Paris-Lille TGV line and the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport-Lille TGV line.

Arras is also on the Eurostar line from London to Paris.

Pozières is approximately 37km from Amiens between the towns of Albert and Baupaume.

Ieper (Ypres) and nearby Tyne Cot cemetary are in Belgium.

From Paris take the TGV to Lille and rent a car at the station .

From London take the Eurostar to Brussels and then Belgian Railways to Ieper.  

Other World War One sites of interest:

Somme Trench Museum in Albert (between Amiens and Arras)

The Canadian National Vimy Memorialbetween Arras and Lens is dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. The monument is the centrepiece of a 250-acre (100 ha) preserved battlefield park that encompasses a portion of the grounds over which the Canadian Corps made their assault during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a military engagement fought as part of the Battle of Arras.

Ossuary of Douaumontand Fort Douaumont near Verdun are sobering reminders of the battle that almost bled France white. The battle of Verdun was the longest battle and one of the most devastating in World War I.

Musée vivant 1914-1918 in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire between Arras and Lens has excellent trench recreations 

Do it yourself Anzac Day on the Western Front ex London

23 April

Take the Eurostar out of St Pancras Station for the large French city of Lille. Collect your hire car from Lille Station and make your way to Fromelles

Fromelles was the First Australian Imperial Force’s introduction to the Western Front. The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19 July 1916.

From Fromelles, drive to the city of Arras and overnight.

24 April

Visit the Wellington Quarry in the centre of Arras where the NZ Tunnelling Company built a network of tunnels under the town which have recently been made into a museum to commemorate their efforts.  

Pozières was one of Australia's earliest military operations on the Western Front and was part of the Battle of the Somme. Pozières is a site of Australian significance because it is estimated that 5,285 men or 68 percent of the First Division were killed or wounded in just four days: 23–26 July 1916.

Visit the sobering Thiepval Memorial to the Missing and the memorial for the Wind Mill site and Mouquet Farm.

Le Tommy Cafe and Museum in the town of Pozieres features faithful recreations of trench life in the Somme.

Drive to Amiens which is the principle city of the Somme Departement of France and overnight.

25 April

Get an early start and drive 15km due east from Amiens to the village of Villers-Bretonneux

The Anzac Day service is at the Australian National Memorial 2km from Viller-Bretonneux in the direction of Corbie.

Villers-Bretonneux is a small village in Northern France where the main Australian War Memorial is located.

Between 23 July and 7 August three divisions of the Australian Imperial Force suffered 23,000 casualties capturing the village from the Germans then defending against ferocious counter attacks.  

More about Villers-Bretonneux

Stay another night in Amiens then return to London or carry on to Paris.