Brussels to Ypres, advice and info please

[All uphill]

I'm planning to meet my son in Ypres at the end of March to tour the WW1 sites. He will be driving down from his home in the Netherlands.

My first thought was to get from SW England to Harwich by train and then cycle to Ypres, my second is to fly to Brussels, hire a bike and cycle to Ypres.

Do you have any comments or ideas on these plans?

I am an ok Dutch speaker, but my French is appalling, if that makes a difference.

I'll be very grateful for any useful thoughts

 

[Julia9054]

Dunkirque to Ypres is a nice ride. We left the car in Dover and cycled from the ferry port. If we were to do it again, I think we would take the car with the bikes on and leave the car in Dunkirque as from the ferry port to Dunkirque was confusing to navigate and on the way back driving off the ferry to get to the long stay car park 3 miles away was a bit terrifying!
I bet riding down from Hook of Holland would be lovely but for me I'd want to break the journey.
I'd do that rather than fly because I'd always prefer to be on my own bike

 

[kapelmuur]

You don’t need to speak French in Ypres, you can encounter hostility in Flanders when speaking French.

Everyone in Ypres speaks English anyway.

 

[mjr]

A few people will grumble at French but that bit is close to France so it's almost as likely to be needed as English. Still best try English before French in Belgian Flanders.

Dunkerque port to Ypres is a nicer 40ish mile ride without going through the town of Dunkerque unless you want to visit something in it like the Operation Dynamo memorial. The route from the port to Loon-Plage is described in a post here somewhere (I'll find it if asked), then Craywick, Zegerscappel, Wormhout, Poperinge and Ypres. Again, if you'd like GPX, ask, but we did that heading west.

Hotel Palace in Poperinge did us a good breakfast in 2018. Tyne Cot cemetary is to the east of Ypres and had a fairly recent-looking little exhibition by it. Cafe Petrus on the square in Ypres did a good pre-ceremony dinner.

 

[All uphill]

Thank you, that's really helpful.

I hadn't considered Dover to Dunkirk, but I think I'll stick with Harwich to the Hoek. I quite fancy crossing the big rivers by bike.

I'll post photos!

John

 

[andrew_s]

Hoek to Ieper is 180 km. An overnight stop may well be required unless your ferry gets in pretty early.
Brussels to Ieper is 130 km. Brussels is French speaking
Dunkerque ferryport to Ieper is 65 km cycle.travel route, showing recommended way out of ferryport

 

[mjr]

Dunkerque ferryport to Ieper is 65 km cycle.travel route, showing recommended way out of ferryport

Bergues vs Wormhout is debatable (I preferred the simplicity of following D17 all the way between Craywick and Belgium) but why the big detour between Houtkerque and Poperinge? Is there something interesting to see there?

 

[andrew_s]

The lunchtime target was the bar at via point 6.
The trip was as much about BEER as it was about WW1 etc.

 

[BalkanExpress]

I am not sure there is a lot of choice when it comes to renting a bike in Brussels.

There is cyclo http://www.cyclo.org/en/services/bike-rental mainly town bikes or electric bikes

Pro velo also rent but again town bikes or electric, or even cargo.

IMP cycles Might rent sportier stuff (if that is what you are looking for) but their website is under repair at the moment.

There may be a couple of places out closer to the airport . I will have a look

 

[HobbesOnTour]

If bike rental options are few, an alternative is to arrange a "buy & return" from a bike shop with a decent range.

A Warmshowers guest of mine did that in NL. Flew into Maastricht, "bought" a bike from a local shop (used), did a weekend tour and dropped the bike back getting some of her money back.

Personally, if I had the time I'd be taking my own bike and making a proper tour of it, but the idea of "popping over" to a foreign land and winging it does have a bit of excitement going for it!