So I am taking my 8 year old lad on a driving holiday/educational holiday at the end of May to teach him about WW2 as he will be learning about it soon in school.

The trip will start at Bolton to London, down to Dover into north France,Belgium,Germany,over the Holland and then a ferry to Newcastle with a final drive back to Bolton, With the trip taking about 5 to 7 days.

The 2 main questions I have are:
1: If any of you have done anything like this where would you recommend going?
2: What equipment would I need to have in the car. Government requirements IE, Bulb kit, and general car items IE, Oil.

Thanks Jason I6 WITH GAS CONVERSION
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Go to the Todt batterys, just down the road from Calais, follow the motorway towards Boulogne and then turn off at 2cap Griz nez" fascinating WWII gun emplacements.

I know this is WWI but try and be in Ypres for 8-00pm for the last post being sounded at the menin gate- a very emotional experience, this is the memorial to all the men who have no known grave.

As you probably know, the area's mentioned are littered with relics of both world wars. another amazing visit would be Vimy ridge, near Arra, go into the tunnels and see where thousands of soldiers were minutes prior to going over the top.

check out the AA website for full info re what is required for each country- latest thing in France is to take your oen breathalyser.

Great trip- Enjoy.

Where abouts in Bolton are you, grew up there.
 Hit it he said, Hit it!--So I hit it, then he hit me---Doh!

Done a few trips for a few months by car, France, Italy, Germany etc. No GPS, no mobile, no computer. Paper maps only! We just ask locals & have no interruptions from the rat race. Love it!

The car did break done in Alassio, Italy. Got the auto transmission fixed, it was stuck in drive. No problems, just had to wait a few days, but we found an old Roman road which we walked. We would not have found it otherwise. Tabletop tow truck drivers in Italy don't tie down the car & drive way too fast!

Click image to enlarge

I suppose you are aware that in France you need to carry a hi viz waistcoat (gilet de secour) which must be accessible within the car so that you can put it on before you get out if you have an accident/breakdown. Also two disposable breathalysers although I am not sure if they actually enforce that one. I can't be sure but seem to remember that you have to be 12 yrs old to sit in the front passenger seat even with a booster cushion.

Problem I found with northern France ie Normandy beaches and WW1 sites is too many foreigners (ie US , Oz, Kiwi etc) 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

The car had a whole pile of bits as it has German registration. Unlike Australia where we don't have to have any safety equipment, although I do have 2 fluro vests in my car. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

I don't think your trip is long enough, if I was you I would pick an area for the week to do it justice , as maffy said the tidy battery is great , the whole coast of Normandy is littered with museums and are cheap to enter. The graves at Omaha are a site to see , Pegasus bridge and the battles that took place around there are a must . France is big country and to do each site & its museum would take more than a week . Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

+1 for Pegasus Bridge. Worth a visit - good Museum/Visitor Centre too.  10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

Purplemadboy wrote:

if I was you I would pick an area for the week to do it justice
France is big country and to do each site & its museum would take more than a week.

Agree with this. Have done west, east & southern France on separate trips, still only seen a tiny fraction. You want to actually see things & not be driving too much. Especially for an 8 year old. I was in England & did a very short trip to France with my 6 year old Australian nephew & 10 year old niece. It's hard work for them at that age. They need plenty of fuel stops (food) & toilet breaks & rest.

What older people see as extremely interesting can get extremely tedious for a youngster. For example in the Louvre Museum I saw how quickly their interest wanes even though they said it was interesting when asked.

A lot of driving around & looking at museums, look at the situation from an 8 year old perspective. Less driving, shorter museum visits, less of them, more breaks for food & rest, & they will enjoy the holiday.

Also, I have noticed with my nephew over the years, & my sister has said, that too much on war subjects is not ideal for them as they get a bit of the feeling life is about war & what is ahead of them! Look at a few war related items on your holiday but don't over do it, & do more positive things so your son gets the message there is more to life than war.

Too much in Paris!

Click image to enlarge

 Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Thanks all for the info and tip on my trip.
I would love to do more than a week but my lad only has 1 week half term.
Nothing is set in stone yet about where to go apart from the first 2 nights stay at a holiday park just inside Belgium and the ferry back home via Amsterdam.

To Maffy, I am in Astley Bridge/Sharples. I6 WITH GAS CONVERSION
HST BODY KIT
OSRAM LED DRIVING FOGS
CARS LOOKING GOOOOD!

There are many place to visit very near to Calais, go to La Coupole where it was planned to launch V2s - carved out out of the chalk quarry, now a fascinating view of WW2 and the space race, also www.leblockhaus where V2s were going to be launched from a concrete bunker - roof was built and jacked up to construct the walls against bombing. Has V1 flying bombs as well.
Also V3 gun at Mimoyecques but access is limited as the bunker has become a restricted area as bats live there.
The gun emplacement along the coast is very interesting as is the museum at Ambleteuse, not very big but lots of uniforms. Have a look at the websites and plan your trip, all very close to Calais and Bologune. Enjoy,

You need one hi vis jacket accessible in the cabin, and one for each travelling member in the car even if they are in the boot.
You need a warning triangle in the cabin.
You do not need a breathalyser kit but it may be worth carrying one to show you have thought about it.
The usual stuff about a second triangle, first aid kit blah blah.
The main thing is to have a great time in a lovely place.

If you find yourself in the area when in Belgium this is well worth a sobering visit.
This will show another side of the war that should not be forgotten.
It made an impression on us a couple of years ago.

http://www.breendonk.be/EN/

From Calais to Normandy is further than you'd imagine but well worth it - make sure you get at least one overnight stop there (Benouville has 3 camp-sites) all within walking distance of Pegasus bridge. From there, a 15 min drive to the Merville Battery and a 5 min drive to sword beach! Make sure you say hello to the Gondree Cafe, the 1st liberated house in occupied Europe.

Into Belgium, there is a camp Hitler set up to plan the invasion of France - I can't remember the name but google it as it has all the original underground bunkers and barracks etc. Make sure to wash your feet in Adolfs outdoor bath in the forest!

In Belgium, Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge) is always good and has a brand new visitor center just opened in the last year or so. In Brussles there's a concentration camp [Breendonk] which is pretty good/eery.

On your way into Holland, follow the route of Operation Market Garden out of Belgium as there are loads of Para museums on the "Hell's Highway"

Arnhem bridge is also worth a visit as with the surrounding area.

I've been to all of those as I love the WW2 history so pls feel free to PM any q's - My main advice as others have said is to make sure you have lots of stops - plan the route well so your never doing too much of a driving slog between venues!

Oh, Enjoy - I'm very jealous!!!

If you haven't driven much on the continent be aware of one or two little tricks -
In France in particular one sign to know about is the yellow diamond. It means you have right of way. Increasingly on minor roads in towns and villages off the beaten track they are going back to "priorité à droit" as a traffic calming measure. If you see the diamond crossed out , or just no diamond, it means traffic entering from the right has priority. I have driven a lot in France and it still confuses me! If you don't give way they will hit you. If you give way when you shouldn't, they will gesticulate and hoot.
Town signs mean start/end of town speed limit. No separate signs unless a different limit applies. In France it's illegal to stop on the carriageway on country roads. If you have to stop, get out the triangle fast.
In Germany bear in mind that pedestrians and cyclists have right of way when you turn right or left. Even at green traffic lights. If lights are switched off, (normal at night) obey the road sign (give way or yellow diamond) attached to the lights.
French motorway police are hot on speeding. German motorway drivers EXPECT you to get out of the fast lane if they are coming up behind you at 200mph. Speed cameras are generally camouflaged or dull grey. Motorway speed limits are lower in France when it's raining. It's illegal to have speed camera warnings on your satnav or any anti-radar device.
This time of year you may get extreme weather - have fun in the snow! Winter tyres are generally a legal requirement BUT standard fit M+S tyres are acceptable.
Have a good trip! Ex AA Series III LWB Safari - Gone
300TDi Disco (bought new - terrible car) sent back after 18 months
Freelander 1 Estate - leased, given back at end of lease
200TDi Disco (bought from a mate with 100,000 on the clock) - Gone
Disco 2 TD5 - sold and exported to France
FR2 TD4 GS - Gone
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New model ex-demo Evoque S 180 in white
Unable to order a new DS, so gave up. Now have a Volvo S90 Recharge.

I've not done any driving in Europe before but I have done in florida just before Christmas, so I've had a bit of experience on driving on the wrong side of the road but my dad did say it's even more difficult driving on the wrong side and the steering wheel on the wrong side as well.
Thanks for all the tips guys
Jason I6 WITH GAS CONVERSION
HST BODY KIT
OSRAM LED DRIVING FOGS
CARS LOOKING GOOOOD!