Planning Dunkirk to Antwerp - Any route suggestions, also not sure if can get back on train? Thanks

[RobCyclist]

In three weeks time, I plan to cycle from Dunkirk to Antwerp just for a little ride in Europe. Have booked some time of work and really looking forward to it.

This is my current route if anyone had suggestions on what route to take instead, or things to see that would be cool.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/95477

But main concern is getting home... Returning from Antwerp on a Friday I would be getting a "IC" train to Lille, then a "TER" train to Calais as its nearer to the port than dunkirk station. I read online its ok to take bicycles on TER trains, but i want to be sure and and I cant find anything about IC trains... not had a lot of experience with bicycles on trains in Belgium. If anyone has any help that would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

edit: trying to decided if i should go via middelburg at same time also

 

[mjr]

Belgian IC trains are mostly fine, especially for a lone rider - I used some with a group of six and that was fine. You have to buy a ticket for the bike as well as one for you. Many trains can take a dozen or more cycles, there are clear bike symbols by the door you use and the double-deck trains have level access to the multifunction space (bicycles and large luggage) as long as you make the guard and/or platform staff aware. The main exception is Liege-Luxembourg I think, far from you, which I understand only takes a few bikes and the bike symbol is stuck on a window. Some of the single-deck trains at some of the stations (De Panne for Dunkirk, for example) can involve lifting your bike up/down a long way.

 

[mjr]

Official NMBS/SNCB information video which isn't ever so informative except for showing a bike ticket and saying to find the guard, plus youtube has decided it's Italian so the autotranslate subtitles doesn't work:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnA7WafhAz8


Guide from a user:
https://cheeseweb.eu/2015/06/bike-belgian-trains-stepbystep-guide/

And I suspect from beluxtrains.net that the Antwerp-Lille train is a single-deck AM96 which will split at Kortrijk, so you have to look for the luggage area like shown in that guide and get in the right bit of the train.

 

[mjr]

This is my current route if anyone had suggestions on what route to take instead, or things to see that would be cool.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/95477

Looks fine to me. Depends what you want. The only thing I'd definitely change is the port exit route because I don't like lorry-infested dual-carriageway motorway feeder roads. https://www.cyclechat.net/posts/5454206 is a plan someone else cooked up and I criticised, based on what we found last year. One day they will probably extend the cycleway out of the port to Loon-Plage.

 

[Ivo]

Returning to Dunkirk all the way by train is a waste of time. It's better to take the Belgian train to De Panne and cycle the last bit. It's only 19km cycling and the roads areok.

 

[mjr]

How did it go? Any tips? I'm looking at Antwerp for a possible trip next year.