Flanders Fields from Bruges

The best day

Stay Date: 08/2018, biking_betty wrote this review.

Would fully recommend Nathan and his tour. Nathan picked us up from our hotel, and we were out for 13 hours. We learned so much, he certainly knows his stuff and passionate in everything he says. There’s lots of hopping in and out the van which tak… See more

Would fully recommend Nathan and his tour. Nathan picked us up from our hotel, and we were out for 13 hours. We learned so much, he certainly knows his stuff and passionate in everything he says. There’s lots of hopping in and out the van which takes 8 people and beautifully air conditioned! Stopping at roadsides to look at the landscape reflecting on how it was and as it is now. We went to numerous sites, stopping between 15 minutes for smaller memorials and to walk through some sites and longer for the major sites and museums. Lunch was plentiful, ham or cheese salads with fries and bread, beer, water and a coffee. We couldn’t finish it and we eat a lot! We stayed on for the Last Post at Menin Gate which I wholly recommend - after the thought provoking day it seems an appropriate way to pay your respects. This meant we had a couple of hours in Ypres whilst Nathan dropped the other group back to Bruges - which gave us more time to explore. There’s lots to pack in but we always got back to the bus on time and saw so much. Nathan isn’t conventional, if you want a staid, tie-wearing coach tour guide this probably isn’t it. He is a conversationist, knows the local gossip, one of life’s characters with lots of stories to tell, interested in you and your family and is great company. Fully recommended. Collapse

TripAdvisor score - 5 out of 5

Great tour, poor attitude

Stay Date: 07/2018, Kristen P wrote this review.

I took Nathan's tour with my two sisters, thus we were a party of three women in their 20s. My sisters are both History majors and had been counting the days to the tour. We all agree that Nathan's knowledge of WWI is outstanding. He is a true wea… See more

I took Nathan's tour with my two sisters, thus we were a party of three women in their 20s. My sisters are both History majors and had been counting the days to the tour. We all agree that Nathan's knowledge of WWI is outstanding. He is a true wealth of knowledge and can answer even the most obscure questions. We also appreciated that he tailored the tour to visit Canadian landmarks given that we and the couple on the tour were all Canadian. The sites are truly sobering, and you get to see quite a lot in one day. The value of the tour is excellent considering how many stops you make (though some of the stops were a little rushed). With that being said, we had some less than desirable experiences with Nathan that tarnished an otherwise excellent day. To name a few: - You are forced to sign some sort of lengthy contract at the outset of the tour which is in Dutch. When I asked if he had a copy in French that I could read, he mocked me and insisted I sign or "we'd have no insurance". He "needed the contract for the tax man". It's not okay to make someone sign something they cannot read or understand. A professional would have walked me through what it said, not scoffed at me. - We were abruptly asked to pay midway through the tour. We said we would gather our money and pay him together once we saw the cemetery where we had stopped. He stood in front of us and said "open wallet time" like we were children. - I confirmed at lunch that my meal would be vegetarian. He mocked me and said "WELL CHEESE IS CHEESE". The other couple on the tour gave me a look and were clearly shocked by his tone. - Nathan spent a considerable part of the tour bragging about his family, his travels and his side coffee business. He spent the entire lunch trying to sell the couple a fancy espresso machine - they clearly were not interested, but he persisted. My sisters and I sat in awkward silence. - When the other couple got out of the van, he talked at length about how wealthy the husband must be. So inappropriate and awkward. It's a shame that an otherwise super informative tour was marred by such a lack of professionalism and abrasiveness. My sense was that Nathan thought we were three silly girls not worth conversing with, and instead focused his attentions on the elderly "wealthy" couple we were with. It left a really bad taste in my mouth, and I would not recommend his services because of this. Collapse

TripAdvisor score - 2 out of 5

Amazing thought provoking tour, not to be missed

Stay Date: 07/2018, charlieLancs wrote this review.

"Amazing" day trip not to be missed when visiting Bruges. A full days tour of Flanders, battle sites, Ypres, Paschendale to name only a few, enhanced by Nathan's passion and knowledge of WW1. Cannot fault one aspect, from personal pick up service … See more

"Amazing" day trip not to be missed when visiting Bruges. A full days tour of Flanders, battle sites, Ypres, Paschendale to name only a few, enhanced by Nathan's passion and knowledge of WW1. Cannot fault one aspect, from personal pick up service at hotel door to delicious lunch and being able to have experiences that we would never have had achieved doing the area on our own without our guide Nathan. Highly recommended. Excellent value for money. 10/10. Pam and Simon, Lancashire. UK Collapse

TripAdvisor score - 5 out of 5

Personalized and fascinating tour

Stay Date: 07/2018, Barbara L wrote this review.

Nathan is a personable and highly knowledgeable guide who works hard to make sure his small group sees the WWI sites that most interest them, as well as some special sites you would never think of on your own. Museum admissions and an excellent resta… See more

Nathan is a personable and highly knowledgeable guide who works hard to make sure his small group sees the WWI sites that most interest them, as well as some special sites you would never think of on your own. Museum admissions and an excellent restaurant lunch with a small beer are included within his very reasonable price. We highly recommend this tour. Collapse

TripAdvisor score - 5 out of 5

Private Battlefield Tour - Somme and Ypres

Stay Date: 06/2018, daneian wrote this review.

A fantastic day spent tracing all the places mentioned in my grandfathers WW1 diary and visiting the grave of my Great Uncle who died near the Somme. Nathan was very knowledgeable and also showed great determination and flexibility as we traced lots … See more

A fantastic day spent tracing all the places mentioned in my grandfathers WW1 diary and visiting the grave of my Great Uncle who died near the Somme. Nathan was very knowledgeable and also showed great determination and flexibility as we traced lots of places mentioned by my grandfather. A very moving day spent largely away from crowds. Worth every Euro cent!! Collapse

TripAdvisor score - 5 out of 5

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

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