Calais

[Domestique]

If we just rolled off the ferry at Calais, how easy is it to pick up a decent cyclepath/route heading into Belguim?
Havent really got anywhere planned to head to specifically, although Ieper would be good, but as traffic free as possible.
We have toured in Holland before, and from the Hook it was very easy to pick up a cycle path, is Calais similar?
Many thanks in advance

 

[John Ponting]

Interesting project. prompted me to google and this was an early hit http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/background/bikes.htm

Doesn't directly answer your question but it got me ready to browse a bit further - I have started to think of taking grandson #1 over to France for a few days cycling (next spring).

 

[rich p]

If we just rolled off the ferry at Calais, how easy is it to pick up a decent cyclepath/route heading into Belguim?
Havent really got anywhere planned to head to specifically, although Ieper would be good, but as traffic free as possible.
We have toured in Holland before, and from the Hook it was very easy to pick up a cycle path, is Calais similar?
Many thanks in advance

You might be better getting the ferry to Ostend if you're heading for Belgium anyway

 

[John Ponting]

I would echo rich_p but I've been using Dunkerque for about 4 years now. Much better boats and overall experience than Calais. NorfolkLines still seem to care a bit and the surrounding roads have lower traffic densities. No idea what it's like cycling.

 

[Domestique]

You might be better getting the ferry to Ostend if you're heading for Belgium anyway

That is a good idea

 

[Tim Bennet.]

There's a canal that leaves Calais. The towpath might be a handy way of heading out of town traffic free.

 

[Tony]

Right, come off ferry. Take right hand lane after Customs where there is a big sign saying "Centre Ville" and a slip road to a roundabout. Go straight across the roundabout and ride up parallel to a set of factories to your left and a canal to your right. Take the second left (not the first into the factories) and this takes you over a hump-backed bridge over the motorway to access a network of back roads and lanes signposted to Fort Vert and Waldam. That takes you to Gravelines Loon Plage and Dunkerque.

 

[Domestique]

Cheers Tony
Is that road called 'Route de Gravelines'?

 

[Tony]

There are a lot of really quiet parallel roads, through Oie Plage et al, and a choice of arriving at the mouth of the channel in Gravelines, through the old fortified centre or round it to the South. There then follows an awful two-mile straight past the aluminium works, and a bimble through Grande Synthe. Try and get out to the coast by Zuydcoote for a better route after Dunkerque.

 

[JackE]

In May three of us cycled from Calais to Bruges in a day (just over 80 miles). We followed this route:
D119: Calais to Gravelines.
D11: Gravelines to Bourbourg.
D2: Bourbourg to Brouckerque.
D17: Brouckerque to Bergues.
We did this to avoid going through Dunkirk and it was a very pleasant ride. The IGN 1:100 000 map of Abbeville/Calais was very helpful.
From Bergues it's a lovely ride along a canal path to Veurne and then on to the junction with the Ostend/Bruges canal.
The junction for the D119 in Calais is poorly sign-posted so take your time as you follow signs for "Centre Ville". From memory, it's the next left after a factory entrance.
We cycled back from Ypres to Calais via St Omer on our last day. The canal path from St Omer to Calais is pleasant except for the last 6/7 miles. It's one of the roughest canal paths I've ever been on and had we not been riding tough touring bikes I don't think we'd have made it.

 

[Fietslogies]

French and Belgian towpaths

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Calais-Ardres-Watten-Canal-de-Calais-Aa and http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-pat...wpoort-Oostende-Brugge-Damme-Maldegem-Eeklo-G are 2 humble suggestions.

Fietslogies
http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/by/fietslogies

 

[Domestique]

Thanks Fietslogies, I had been looking at your Bikely routes.

 

[bof]

The following URL which expands to a Google map is the route I took from Calais to Ypres a few years ago. At least best I can remember. Minor roads all the way, almost.

http://tinyurl.com/9gr327

A few points. Cassel is scenic but is a steep climb to reach, I went into Calais to get euros from an ATM and I got a bit lost east of Steenvoorde (the main road to Poperinghe is quite busy). The stretch before Wattem along a canal is pretty too. While I did not go on that ride, the creepy V2 launch station at Eperlecques, just off my route, is well worth a visit.

 

[Gotte]

You might be better getting the ferry to Ostend if you're heading for Belgium anyway

Is there a ferry to Ostend?

I'm planning a trip to Belgium later in the year, and I'd be interested in that route if there was one.

 

[Tony]

Not as far as I know. Norfolk Line to Dunkirk is closest.