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THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
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TRAVEL INFORMATION

About our Tours

Anyone can join us on a tour – you don’t need to be a Legion member. You should find everything you need to know about planning, booking and enjoying your tour here.

PILGRIMAGES TO WAR GRAVES AND MEMORIALS

Our Remembrance Tours (formerly called Pilgrimages) are designed for those whose priority is to visit a special war grave or memorial overseas. If your booking is accepted, we will take you to your requested Cemetery/memorial and will provide a Poppy spray for you.

We provide the historical background that will help you understand the circumstances in which your relatives or friends lost their lives. The Royal British Legion has been organising Remembrance Tours since the 1920s and we seek to make each one both special and relaxing. Often we will include visits to museums as well as interesting historic or cultural sites. Each Tour includes a Service or Act of Remembrance and wreath laying.

A senior representative of The Royal British Legion and a Standard Bearer support many Remembrance Tours. A doctor or nurse will normally travel with you. You will be accompanied on your Remembrance Tour by an experienced tour manager.

BATTLEFIELD TOURS – BRINGING THE PAST TO LIFE

Battlefield Tours cater for people who want to know more about the experiences of our Armed Forces Servicemen and women who fought overseas.

You can see the ground and hear the stories, poems and songs of Britain's fighting men and women. An expert battlefield guide will lead each tour and some personal grave or memorial visits may be possible as part of the itinerary.

Our Battlefield Tour programme is only nine years old, yet many of our travellers are planning to return for their ninth tour – so we recommend you book early.

GOVERNMENT WAR WIDOWS GRANT-IN-AID SCHEME

This Government sponsored scheme enables war widows (and widowers), who have not done so before at public expense, to make one visit to their husband's (or wife's) grave or memorial overseas.

The scheme covers those who lost a spouse during overseas military service between 1914 and 1967. Widows/widowers who have since remarried are equally eligible.

The Government will pay the full travel and accommodation cost for eligible widows/widowers and will also pay a carer's travel and accommodation costs within the UK.

Poppy Travel administers the scheme on behalf of the Government and has already helped more than 4.000 widows and widowers to visit nearly 40 countries in Europe, Africa and the Far East.

Widows/widowers who have already travelled under this scheme are very welcome to travel with us again, but at the full price.

WHAT THE PRICE INCLUDES

The accommodation, travel and meal arrangements included under the tour price are shown on the itinerary for your tour.

Medical support is provided on most Remembrance Tours, but not Battlefield Tours. Please read the booking conditions as well as the itinerary for each tour so that you know what the price includes. With a few exceptions, you will only have to pay extra for optional excursions where these are available, some meals and items such as bar drinks, telephone calls, souvenirs and other personal expenses.

MEDICAL PRECAUTIONS

For your own protection please bear in mind the following advice: Tours, especially to more distant countries, can be quite tiring, both mentally and physically. If you have any disabilities that make it difficult for you to get on or off coaches or sit still for long periods, you should consider whether it is wise to travel.

We regret that in some cases we may be unable to accept bookings from travellers who require wheelchairs – please ask if this is likely to affect you. For all tours to EEA Countries and Switzerland you should ask at your local post office for a European Health Insurance Card application. It entitles you to emergency medical treatment but does not replace comprehensive travel insurance cover.

You are responsible for any inoculation or vaccination requirements for your chosen tour, so please consult your doctor well in advance.

For Remembrance Tours only:
You will receive a medical form with your joining instructions for your doctor to complete. These forms are confidential and will only be given to the medical officer on your tour. It is particularly important that you tell us of any specific disability so that we can take it into account in our planning. Please check the date we need to receive the completed form from you. You will need to pay any charges that arise from this consultation with your doctor.

PERSONAL CEMETERY VISITS

If you do not know the location of your friend or relative's grave or memorial, you can find out from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7DX. To help you quickly they will need to know the name, initials and last unit of the deceased. It will also help if you can supply the date of death and service number.

Alternatively you can visit the CWGC web site at www.cwgc.org

OVERSEAS WREATH LAYING SERVICE

If you know someone who is unable to join a tour but who would like a wreath to be laid or photographs taken at a special grave or memorial, please tell us and we will gladly advise you how this can be done.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION IN LONDON

Accommodation can be booked at the Union Jack Club.

If your tour departs early in the morning, you may wish to stay in London the night before. If so, you can take advantage of a special arrangement that we have with the Union Jack Club. The Union Jack Club is a comfortable Service club rather than an hotel, and all rooms have hot and cold washbasins. Most have full en suite facilities and we will always try and book one of these for you but there are no guarantees. If you would like us to reserve a room for you, please include the relevant payment with your booking. Overnight rates for B&B accommodation are £55 per person except for Sponsored Widows who pay nothing.

MORE INFORMATION

If you need further advice or assistance, please call us on 01622 716729 and we will be happy to help you.

DEPARTURE INFORMATION

Unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, all tours involving coach and ferry leave from and return to the Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, London – close to Waterloo Railway Station, just off Waterloo Road. Some tours leave direct from the departure ferry port/airport – please check the relevant tour details.