Verdun/WWI monuments day trip advice

There is so much to see at the Verdun Battlefield. It is a fairly remote area, so it would be helpful to know where you will be day tripping from. If it is Paris, it is a long ride. You can take the TGV to Reims, but Verdun is still a nearly two hour drive from there.

The city of Verdun is lovely and there is a nice TI to gather information. In the Battlefield area, I had some favorites:
Trench of the Bayonets
The cemetery
The Ossiary
Fort Duamont
The museum is fantastic
Driving down the side roads and seeing the trenches

I always recommend Major and Mrs. Holt's Battelfield Guide when questions like this are asked. These books are great, and provide background, as well as directions to get to the places you want to see.

We spent two weeks in the Verdun area, but you can see the major battlefield sites in a day. The ones listed above are quite near to each other, but you will need a car or take a tour.

That area is just chock full of WWI things to see and the book I suggested will give you an idea--monuments and museums everywhere.

Sue pretty well nailed it. An additional book which I personally prefer is "Walking Verdun" by Christina Holstein. If you are going to tour the area on your own, you must get a copy of the IGN map #3112ET which you can order from IGN's web site. Don't forget to read Alister Horne's magnificent book, "The Price of Glory" before you go. My top five sites are:
Fort Douaumont,
Camp Marguerre,
The Ossuary/Cemetery,
The Memorial Museum @ Fleury,
Fort Vaux,
The Long Max cannon site near Pillon.

OK, I cheated. I gave you six sites. One final word of advice...wear good sturdy shoes that are liable to get pretty muddy. You'll love hiking around this area!

Fort Douaumont and its nearby museum, the Verdun Citadel, and Fort de Fermont. The latter is maintained by volunteers and you ride underground in an ammunition train to an outlying gun battery. All three in one day is quite a stretch.

Thanks to you all for the great suggestions! We are staying in Reims, with a car, so it sounds like we'll be able to hit a good sampling of these important sites.

Thanks for information that you are staying in Reims. Makes it easier.

I checked Michelin and it shows the quickest trip from Reims to Verdun taking 2 hours. So, be aware that you will spend 4 hours and about 23 E in tolls for the trip.

Couple of suggestions: Chateu Thierry and the Somme battlefields are closer to Reims. Bella Woods, the famous Marine battle is pretty close and the town near there and the cemetary are historic. The Church was used as the target for mortar rounds during the battle and was destroyed. The Marines later built the church in memory of the battle for the town. The cemetary there is lovely, and if you contact them ahead of time, you may be able to make arrangements to see the inside of the church and the famous bulldog fountain. The Chemin de Dames, a famous road during the war is about an hour away, and contains many sites, museums, etc.

We have a favorite place: Romaine 14-18 at 2 Rue de l'Andon, 55110, Romaigne sous Mt Faulcon, France. The owner, John Paul, leads tours through battlefields and has a collection of really interesting things he has picked up. It is really worth the trip and near Verdun.

Again, I recommend the Holt's book. That will show a trove of places to visit in the area.