The towns of Aisne and Marne in northern France’s Picardy region were important locations along the western front during World War I and the site of several crucial Allied victories, including the First and Second Battles of the Marne. Your full-day history tour begins with morning pickup at your Paris hotel and an approximately 1.5-hour drive north in a comfortable mini-coach.
Visit the sprawling Aisne-Marne American Cemetery to pay respects to fallen troops, many of them American. Reflect on the human cost of the war as you walk along row upon row of white grave markers and read the names of missing American soldiers at the Memorial Chapel, built atop historic battle trenches.
At nearby Belleau Wood, your historian guide will share stories from one of the deadliest American battles of the war, when US troops fought to prevent the advance of German soldiers toward Paris. Take a walk through the now-serene woods that still bear evidence of the war such as trenches, shell markings and destroyed structures.
Stop in Château-Thierry to visit the Cote 204 Monument commemorating friendship between the United States and France and the contribution of US forces during the war. Take a break for lunch at a local restaurant of your choosing (own expense).
Continue on to the town of Meaux, where you’ll delve deeper into WWI history at the Museum of the Great War. Learn more about the causes, costs and outcomes of the conflict and browse more than 50,000 wartime artifacts.
Relax and reflect on the return drive to Paris, where you will be dropped off at the Opéra Garnier in the early evening.