Customer Testimonials

We would highly recommend this walking tour and would like to say a massive thank you to Andrew our guide for such an awesome week. Very emotional, but so very interesting. Andrew’s knowledge was outstanding and he was an absolute ace guide, making us all feel included, answered our questions and took time to show us places connected to family history. We cannot thank you enough for making our week so special.

What a brilliant trip that brought home the planning, horrors, sacrifices and successes of The Battle for Normandy and D – Day. I cannot begin to thank Andrew Date of Battlefield Journey, with whom I worked closely to bring the trip together, for all that he did. His knowledge was immense and had a wonderful way of engaging the group as well as being flexible with the itinerary to suit circumstances. A huge thank you from me and all Association members.

Extraordinarily excellent group cycling tour of Somme battlefield sites. Well organised, well delivered, well researched. Andrew was a knowledgeable guide and a good leader. Very enjoyable and stimulating.

We visited the Somme battlefield, touring the sites by bike and located in one hotel. Andrew organised the whole trip really well, the hotel was pleasant and the evening meals very enjoyable. Visiting the sites is saddening and Andrew’s knowledge of the subject and his understanding of the people involved brought home the true tragedy of war. Even though at times the mood was sombre, the cycling was a pleasure, with quiet country roads and paths. The whole experience was enriching and enjoyable.

It’s the most amazing experience! And not just the cycling but the evenings bonding over food and the odd G&T.

Thank you again to the battlefield team – Meg, Malcolm and yourself. We enjoyed the experience. It was a fantastic trip with a great bunch of like-minded travellers. We really missed everyone the next day!

What a fantastic ride. Andrew and Malcolm … THANK YOU so very much. It was a trip of a lifetime.

A huge thank you to Andrew, Malcom and Megan for a well-organized, informative and insightful tour of the Normandy Beaches and D-Day landing sites. While I had done several guided tours of the sites over the years, Battlefield Journey’s approach provided just the right amount of detail for a good understanding of the momentous and significant events of the Battle of Normandy. As I had never been to Utah Beach, I especially enjoyed the afternoon we spent there and will definitely return to Utah to learn more.

Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed cycling the quiet country roads as well as the comradery of the multi-national group and would cycle with Battlefield Journey again in a heartbeat.

We spent a long weekend cycling around the WW1 battlefields around Ypres. Everything worked so well whether it was the hotel, bikes, meals and the cycling trips. Andrew did a fantastic job and made the tour incredibly interesting and we learnt so much. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who cycles a lot or a little and who has interest in WW1. It has always been on my to do list and I have to say it lived up to all of my expectations. It was also a very respectful way of visiting sites that have such a sad and sometimes unfathomable history. Great job Andrew and thank you.

Excellent trip.. Just returned from a 5 day Somme Cycling Tour. We met Andrew and our fellow cyclists Richard and Jeff at the hotel in Albert. Each day we travelled to a number of first WW sites. Andrew has excellent knowledge and really brought to life the history of WW1 especially the human tragedy. Great mix of cycling, stops and cafe stops. We had a feeling of appreciation for the human sacrifice but also our own achievement and fulfilment at the end of each day as we headed off to a gorgeous French cafe or restaurant for our evening meal where we reflected upon our day’s experiences. We couldn’t recommend it highly enough and will be joining Andrew next year for another cycling tour.

Great battlefield tour of the Somme with Andrew over the last few days. Andrew has an in-depth knowledge of the area and the battles which took place. This, coupled with his personable nature make for a very enjoyable and informative experience.

This was our 2nd cycling trip with Andrew, the first in Ypres, this one The Somme. Both were superb, extremely enjoyable and informative, the balance of cycling, stops, etc just right. We are looking forward to our walking tour of London! Highly recommend this company for it‘s personal touch, friendliness and professionalism.

I have just returned from the Ypres cycle tour. A truly memorable trip. Educational, thought provoking and fun too. Andrew respectfully relayed to us stories of those who fought and interesting battle facts and figures. Highly recommended.

I had high expectations of this trip, knowing it would be both exciting and at times very emotional. All I can say is WOW, it far exceeded even my wildest dreams. It did turn out to be the trip of a lifetime. For that we have to say a huge thank-you to Andrew.

This was a personalized trip, three of us, along with Andrew and his wife Megan. We were able to visit most of the sites listed in the group tours, along with visits to where my grandfather fought, was wounded, and subsequently invalided home. Andrew had an itinerary to suit our needs, but he was also very flexible. We did get to visit many of the important landmarks and there was never a ‘hurry up, we have to make a move’. Andrew was very sensitive to all that we wished to see and how long we wanted to stay. This, along with Andrew’s extensive knowledge of the area, and the military conflict, was invaluable.

Accommodation at ‘The Albion’ was also excellent. Just a super trip, lots of pics, video clips, and memories to last a lifetime. So once again, thank-you Andrew and Battlefield Journey

Had the most fantastic four days Walking the Somme battlefield. I had read lots of material but this walk brought it all to life. That, in no small part, was due to Andrew and his skill as a guide. Brilliantly organised Andrew made it so all we had to do was take in the incredible stories. Can’t recommend this highly enough. We were a group that had not previously met, but it felt like walking with friends.

Had the most fantastic four days Walking the Somme battlefield. I had read lots of material but this walk brought it all to life. That, in no small part, was due to Andrew and his skill as a guide. Brilliantly organised Andrew made it so all we had to do was take in the incredible stories. Can’t recommend this highly enough. We were a group that had not previously met, but it felt like walking with friends.

A sincere “Thank You” for another excellent battlefield journey! I think we all really enjoyed our trip to La Somme, and your guidance and organisation were splendid. Malcolm, thank you for the comprehensive photos! I’ll look forward to another trip with you next year.

Thank you very much for a great cycle tour in the Ypres Salient  - I quite agree it is the only way to see it. My knowledge of this aspect of our history was greatly enhanced and I certainly intend to read more now. The depth of your knowledge and wonderful anecdotes added hugely to the trip and anything I read will have so much more meaning now that I can picture everything. Can’t believe we didn’t have any punctures either! Many thanks also to Dave – brilliant support driver and you were both great company in the evenings. Wishing you less windy trips for the rest of the year!

Thank you so much from all of us for making the trip such a success. We all agreed that we could not have done it without you . You managed to bring everything to life and we really felt we understood what it must have been like there. Everyone felt a real sense of achievement to have cycled round the sights. I’m not sure we will get many wanting to take it up long term but I loved it and will definitely be peddling up those Devon hills again. But it was definitely the right thing to do and the bikes were great.

Thank you for our wonderful Somme trip, it was a mixture of laughter and sorrow, fun and sadness, but most of all appreciation for what we are able to enjoy and for what we have.

I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for another brilliant walking tour. Your passion and knowledge seem boundless and really help make the whole experience so enjoyable. Your walking energy is pretty impressive, too! I’m really keen to do another tour with you, so please keep me informed of your plans next year and beyond.

Phil and I thoroughly enjoyed the four days we spent with you re-tracing the steps of our grandfathers around the Somme and Ypres area.  Your research and knowledge of military history, coupled with the ability to cycle to sites rarely visited by coach parties made for an exceptional experience. We would not hesitate to recommend your services to friends and family.

Sincere thanks for hosting us on another great trip. Everything seemed to go to plan and I really enjoyed the experience. The cycles, your informative commentary, the banter, the food, the booze etc etc, as always your attention to detail was second to none. So let’s look forward to another - The Western Front in 2017? Once again thank you for all your efforts. You are both great company and always ensure we make the most out of the experience. E bikes forever!!!

Thank you for a wonderful week of cycling while discovering so much that I just didn’t know before. I enjoyed it all, and your extensive knowledge and anecdotes brought this amazing piece of our recent history to life. I’m looking forward to the next tour which, fingers crossed, I hope we’ll do with you next year.

Would highly recommend this tour for those that are interested in the history of the Great War, it is a fabulous live history lesson and just being there it is easy to imagine the conditions and hardship soldiers endured. Thanks to Andrew his knowledge of the area and its history it made an extremely enjoyable tour.

Having searched for a battlefield tour we were extremely fortunate to happen upon Battlefield Journey and Andrew Date. From our meeting at the beginning of our experience to the end it is fair to say it was one of the easiest vacations we have ever undertaken. Andrew took care of everything, transport, hotel check in and the tremendous information we received whilst walking the battlefield; which today is a beautiful area to explore. Whilst walking, Andrew explained the complexities of what happened on day one and subsequently the Battle of the Somme, the aftermath, the fallout and he also knew about the many regiments involved and has a breadth of knowledge of individuals and their plight. For anyone who is considering a trip to the Somme we wholeheartedly recommend Andrew and Battlefield Journey.

Thank you for a wonderful tour - the highlight of our trip.

The Three Sisters Ride Again!

Who would believe that after 40+ years of living, three sisters from Ireland would cycle the Somme battlefields of the dead, led by the most friendly, patient and knowledgeable guide imaginable. A rich and varied history education did not really convey the horror of WW1 or indeed any of the wars we studied at school all those years ago. Driving a car through parts of France as an adult did not really have the impact either. So getting back on our bikes after many years proved to be the most amazing experience ever. Having Andrew as tour guide though, was central to ensuring a an informative and stress free trip. Everything was planned and considered though Andrew’s flexibility enabled us to be drawn appropriately into decision making. I cannot rate his contribution highly enough. There is no way we could have managed this trip without his wisdom, knowledge and expertise.

This is a trip everyone should make at some point in their lives and Andrew is the walking encyclopaedia they need!

I organised a group of mates to cycle the Ypres Salient - 8 in all - and it turned out to be most memorable in so many respects. Andrew and Malcolm were great guides - very knowledgeable on all aspects of the places we visited. Two of us have relatives killed in WW1 and Andrew went out of his way to find them and take us to their memorial. The accommodation in Ypres was very well appointed with many restaurants available to choose from. We were fortunate with the weather and the travel arrangements were very straight forward.

Each of us were truly moved by the scale of the many graveyards and memorials we visited and have returned with many moving memories.

We are already planning another visit next year with Battlefield Journey - to the D Day beaches.
Thank you Andrew and Malcolm for your friendship and guidance.

The Ypres 4 day cycling tour was absolutely the highlight of 3 weeks on the continent as part of a mate and my 50th birthday celebrations. Andrew could not have been a friendlier, more informed and accommodating guide and had the gall to say that we were not obliged to enjoy a beer with him after the unrivalled cycling amongst the Belgian countryside!! I have walked the WW2 Kokoda track in New Guinea, almost a rite of passage for Australians, and respectfully submit that the Battlefield Journey Ypres cycle experience to be more profound and moving given the great cost to the Commonwealth forces. Superb. I will be back for the Normandy cycle in a year or so!

May I thank you for your wonderful, comprehensive guide around the Beaches of Normandy. It was ‘par excellence’. It is somewhat daunting to understand that without the extreme organisation and precision and the total gallantry of those soldiers, most of us may not have been here today.

An amazing 4 days cycling, learning about the First World War. Thank you for organising a brilliant trip and sharing with us such interesting stories which brought to life the fight that our men endured for us all.

Brilliant tour, Great people, Andrew and Malcolm were superb!

Thank you for an unforgettable trip. So much sadness and yet so much beauty. Only by Walking the Somme can you fully take in the full scale horror. Your amazing knowledge brought every place we visited to life and Malcolm's photographic diary will be so helpful.

An excellent trip again, new stories every time, Andrew is a fountain of knowledge and a thoroughly nice chap. He goes out of his way to locate and explain sites of personal significance to the group and nothing is too much trouble. My sixth school visit to Ypres with Andrew and will certainly not be the last, already planning next year! Thoroughly recommend to both school groups and individuals looking to get an expert and friendly visit to the battlefields.

I was lucky enough to be given the task of being the second in command for Exercise Chequered Ypres, a tailor-made cycling battlefield study put together and executed by Andrew and Malcolm of Battlefield Journey Ltd.

As a Sergeant in the Royal Horse Artillery I understand the need for a dynamic and insightful battlefield tour that can both engage the young men and women of our Regiment whilst maintaining sensitivity and encouraging personal engagement. Andrew and Malcolm delivered these requirements and more during our trip and I will not hesitate to either call upon their services again or indeed further their details on to my colleagues in the British Armed Forces.

A big thank you to Malcolm and Andrew from Battlefield Journey Ltd for successfully organising such a fantastic week. A great depth of knowledge and a passion for history coupled with some strong cycling legs made it an unforgettable and challenging trip for all the ranks of B Battery, 1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery. Some very memorable moments, in particular the boys laying a wreath at the Menin Gate during the last post ceremony.

I would have no hesitation in recommending the trip, or more particularly, both of you to others. I also feel we have made good friends, thank you for putting up with us. All the best for now and all successes to the future of Battlefield Journey Ltd.

As OIC of Exercise Chequered Ypres 5-11 of May 2015 I would like to thank Andrew and Malcolm of Battlefield Journey for putting together a perfect bespoke battlefield study package which challenged 24 soldiers from B Battery 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery both mentally and physically. We cycled over 300 miles to mark 300 years of Royal Artillery History. At every opportunity Andrew and Malcolm were teaching the soldiers all about the first and second world war. The added elements of cycling really help in increasing the soldiers knowledge of the scale of war and the loss of life.  One of my soldiers said that: "the cycling made the trip, I had been on many battlefield tours and it’s on the bus and off the bus but when you cycle you really take in the country and get great awareness of what happened.

One of the many highlights was the days cycling around the Ypres salient where B Battery had served in the Great War and so many actions that have shaped the British Army took place. I can honestly say that every member of the exercise greatly enjoyed themselves and I overheard one group of soldiers back at work saying "I wish I was still in Belgium".

I would definitely recommend booking a trip with Battlefield Journey, they will make it a truly memorable experience. If they can tailor a trip for 24 soldiers, they can tailor the perfect trip for you too! And definitely don't be put off if you think you're not fit enough, being soldiers we made them add an extra 200 miles on to their usual distance for us.

Andrew and Malcolm from all your friends in B Battery 1RHA thank you.

We really enjoyed our trip to the Somme finding it informative and fun…Andrew was a mine of information and we just kept digging! Walking along the communication trenches and behind the front line was unforgettable, moving and peaceful with hardly any other visitors around. We both hope to come walking with you again!

It’s been one of the best trips I have ever done. I feel really lucky also that we had a great group of interesting people.

This was a brilliant trip, my first to these places, and so worthwhile for so many reasons. It was perfectly organised and arranged by Andrew, who was very sensitive and caring.

I cannot believe how lucky I was to be able to chat along so much with such interesting and interested people as I stumbled around those incredibly important (and moving) fields of the Somme. Andrew - you bring it so alive with your passion and knowledge.

To walk the battlefields gives such a great opportunity to appreciate the lay of the land, in the same way as those who were there in the Great War must have seen it, but we did not witness the terrible carnage, rather seeing a countryside that has recovered from it's terrible scars.

Your passion for these sites has enthused us all. Many thanks for a great trip and some lasting memories.

Thank you for such a wonderful time in Ypres. We really enjoyed ourselves and look forward to joining you on another trip.

The cycling was brilliant. What a great way to see these places. Fresh air, good company and hardly any cars! I’ll be back for more.

Thank you for such an excellent trip to Ypres. It felt so personalised and the balance of going back in time against cycling off the beaten track was perfect

Our walk will go down as one of my all-time London favourites! Thanks. I love your passion for history and for justice. I hope that someday I can accompany you again on another tour