South London/Kent to the Pas de Calais

[Dec66]

Please excuse any ignorance on my part...

My great grandfather was killed in action in 1917 and is buried in the Goree British and Indian Cemetery near Beuvry in the Pas de Calais. I've never visited his grave, and I think that given that I live on the SE London/Kent borders, it's be nice to plan a pilgrimage via bike.

I don't know whether to take the Shuttle, or ferry, and I have no notion of what the ride from Calais to Beuvry or Bethune would be like. Can anyone suggest:

(1) the most cycle-friendly way of crossing the Channel; and
(2) the most leg-friendly routes at either end (I don't mind a good long cycle, love it in fact)?

I'm planning to take three days out; day 1, ride to Bethune from home, day 2 visit the cemetery and do a bit of sightseeing, day 3 ride back. Is this feasible?

 

[Dec66]

I'm honestly not daunted by 130 miles, I'd be travelling light and am thinking of averaging about 15mph. I'd allow 6 hours for the journey to Dover/wherever, and 5 the other end.

 

[steveindenmark]

Ive never ridden it on a bike but when I collect motorbikes from the UK I always take the ferry and treat it as a mini cruise. Its such a relaxing way to travel. I find if you rush a trip at the start it is hard to get out of that groove.

The graves commission do an excellent job of looking after the cemeteries.

Try and plot a route with Plotaroute. You can download the routes from Plotaroute directly onto Garmin devices and it works well.

http://www.plotaroute.com/routeplanner

 

[Dec66]

Ive never ridden it on a bike but when I collect motorbikes from the UK I always take the ferry and treat it as a mini cruise. Its such a relaxing way to travel. I find if you rush a trip at the start it is hard to get out of that groove.

The graves commission do an excellent job of looking after the cemeteries.

Try and plot a route with Plotaroute. You can download the routes from Plotaroute directly onto Garmin devices and it works well.

http://www.plotaroute.com/routeplanner

What ferry do you take?

 

[ianrauk]

Get a P&O ferry. Can get tickets online for about £20-£40

 

[sight-pin]

Get a P&O ferry. Can get tickets online for about £20-£40

And they do a mean steak pie and chips lol

 

[Dec66]

Update on this old thread; I'm going to ride down to Dover, then take the DFDS ferry to Dunkerque as it's a shorter ride at the other end. The D916 looks pretty much a straight run but I suspect it's a bit "trafficky", looking at Google Maps, so I think I'll try for something quieter.

Going to set off on Sunday 18 June, about 4am... What's the chance of me getting to Dover by 11:15? If the answer's "unlikely", I'll book the 2pm crossing rather than the noon one.

Edit: going to do three nights over there, not two. Might as well see a bit...

 

[psmiffy]

With a bike why bother to book at all - is it cheaper?

 

[Dec66]

With a bike why bother to book at all - is it cheaper?

Well, there's a discount code I can use online, but it's a vehicle ferry which doesn't allow foot passengers (but, perhaps strangely, does allow cyclists).

If I just turn up, am I deffo going to get on?

The one "must" is that the ferry goes to Dunkerque, I really don't fancy a ride from Calais.

 

[psmiffy]

I did it last year - I just turned up

 

[Dec66]

I did it last year - I just turned up

Which company were you with, and how much did you pay just turning up, if you don't mind my asking?

 

[psmiffy]

Sorry - have not a clue - my note taking that day was pretty rubbish - misguided attempt to go digital - as i recall there wasn't that many options to Dunkirk - maybe even just one - Looking at the photographs i took i suspect it was P & O - £25.00 to "Dover Port" according to my records

Edit - my ticket was one way - but i have a feeling that it wouldnt have been much different if i had bought a return

 

[StuAff]

Dunkirk is DFDS, no-one else on that route.

 

[psmiffy]

yup - that confirms my memories of very few options - and i suspect that when i took photos of the boat i was too close to get the logo in

 

[mmmmartin]

The chances of something going wrong, as you waste half a day riding through south-east London then the densely-inhabited part of Kent, are high. A couple of punctures might lose you the best part of an hour. Some parts of Kent are lovely cycling: not all though. It's DFDS ferries from Dover to Dunkirk, takes two hours, every two hours, costs £25 I think with the bike. The food isn't very good. P&O goes to Calais every 20 minutes or so. Remember you need to check in at least 45 minutes before sailing. When you arrive in Dunkirk it's best to be last off the boat so you are behind all the lorries. (Forget Eurotunnel - they take bikes only twice a day and it takes ages to get you on the minibus, then do through the tunnel, then drop you at the roundabout outside the terminal.)

When you reach the roundabout outside the Dunkirk terminal take the second exit that sends you along the Route des Dunes. If you take the first exit you'll be on the narrow road with every lorry from the ferry, then into the busy roads inland. Best to go on the empty roads alongside the coast into Dunkirk. The F1 hotel is cheapest but the Ibis is a much nicer hotel and in the centre of town.

It's 10k further from Calais than from Dunkirk, so nothing. But Dover ferries are far more frequent.

Me, I'd take the train out of London, go via Calais, spend as much time riding in France instead of wasting time in the UK which you can do any time.