South London/Kent to the Pas de Calais

[mmmmartin]

just turning up

Be careful here - you don't "just turn up". You arrive without a ticket then have to find the reception and lock the bike somewhere outside, queue, hand over passport, pay etc etc. Then ride bike out of reception area and get in the queue to check in. Far better even to have the app on your phone and buy a ticket that morning, and arrive with the barcode showing on the phone, and go straight to the queue to get on the boat.
I did this "just turn up without a ticket" at Dunkirk and a £22 fare became €40 plus it took ages to do.

 

[psmiffy]

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

takes two hours, every two hours

And remember to add on the extra hour for the time change

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.

Seconded

 

[jonny jeez]

Ferry will add almost 2 hours to an already long days ride.

Plus, securing your bike on a ferry is a mucky business (take baby wipes!)

I've never taken a bike on the shuttle though so cant advise on that.

130 miles at 15mph with stops will take 10 hours. Plus 2 more for the ferry and faff.

All very doable but not what I would call relaxing. Relaxing may not be your goal but id be sure to be realistic about times.

 

[mmmmartin]

Ferry will add almost 2 hours to an already long days ride.

Good point that I had forgotten - actually it's more like four hours - because you'll want to be there 60 minutes before sailing (cos you/re supposed to be there 45 minutes before and if you're late you've missed the boat) then it's two hours on the boat plus you lose an hiur in the time change - so to arrive in Dunkirk at 5pm you need to be on the 2pm ferry out of Dover, which means checking at at 1pm, so that means getting off the train at Dover station at 12.40pm, so getting on in London about 10am.

Train times suggest you might find it tricky to get to Dover early enough to get across the Channel then ride to the cemetery in the same day: without paying £45 to use the high-speed link, or changing trains three times.

 

[jonny jeez]

I'd vo

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.

I'd Vote for the all suites hotel in dunkers Cheap, simple and a good secure bike room

 

[jonny jeez]

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?

I cant help but think that at 15mph, day one and three sound like a bit of a battle against the clock. Doesn't sound like much fun, too stressy and a bit like a 24hour l2p attempt.

Id split it to lon to Dunkirk. Then Dunkirk to the memorial and back (maybe slip another stop in there for the night) Then dunk to london. Personally I hate retracing my steps so would be tempted to ride to Paris or Brussels and train it home...sorry dont know where the destination you mention is in relation to Paris or brussells

 

[Dec66]

Ta for the advice, all very useful (I hadn't forgotten the time change).

Three reasons I want to ride through Kent;
(1) I've never done it, apart from a corner of the North Downs
(2) I do like getting some miles in my legs
(3) it feels like more of a pilgrimage that way. As my great-great-grandfather took machine gun bullets at Passchendale, I think a bit of pain on my part is the least I can do in return.

(I'll probably train it back though).

Is it really only another 10k from Calais compared to Dunkerque, because it seems longer on a map? Also, would it not be rather unpleasant from Calais, due to the unfortunate human misery around there?

Edit: I should add I'm virtually in Kent already, if you've ever ridden through West Wickham you've almost certainly passed my house to avoid the lights at The Swan.

 

[Dec66]

I cant help but think that at 15mph, day one and three sound like a bit of a battle against the clock. Doesn't sound like much fun, too stressy and a bit like a 24hour l2p attempt.

Id split it to lon to Dunkirk. Then Dunkirk to the memorial and back (maybe slip another stop in there for the night) Then dunk to london. Personally I hate retracing my steps so would be tempted to ride to Paris or Brussels and train it home...sorry dont know where the destination you mention is in relation to Paris or brussells

You're right, which is why I'm taking an extra day and cutting the road speed to Dover to 12mph. Over Christmas I was chatting to an ex-colleague of mine, a mud-plugger, who advised me that "if you're touring, you'll always average 10mph, regardless of how fast you pedal". Which I thought was probably about right.

 

[ianrauk]

house to avoid the lights at The Swan.

Which is now black... did a double take when I went past last weekend

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ferries do have a limit on bike spaces. It's incredibly unlikely that they'll all be taken but it did happen to me once: when trying booking online I was told bike all places were taken. Now, that may have just been a case of "computer says no" and maybe if I'd turned up up in person I'd have been OK.

Very unlikely, but worth bearing in mind. (Can't remember what route/company that was as it was a few years ago).

 

[Dec66]

Which is now black... did a double take when I went past last weekend

Opens again next Thursday. The landlord was made an offer he couldn't refuse by the brewery and snapped their hand off. They've been doing it up for the last three weeks.

I suspect the character may change somewhat, which will be disappointing in some respects.

 

[Trickedem]

The route down to Dover is nice and scenic, but very hilly towards the end. Essentially you drop down over the North Downs and follow the Pilgrims Way. Id struggle to maintain a average of 15mph on it though.
An alternative is to keep to the flat lands via Yalding, Smarden then across Romney Marsh and pick up the coast road/path to Folkestone. It's a beast of a climb up to Chapel Le Ferne, but then downhill all the way to Dover

 

[mmmmartin]

Is it really only another 10k from Calais compared to Dunkerque, because it seems longer on a map?

Spend some time with Google Maps. Streetview is brilliant for showing you the type of road you'll be riding.
There's no more human misery in Calais than anywhere else - the French authorities have removed The Jungle, through which you wouldn't have ridden anyway.

Here's a route from your place to Dover - take a look at the ascent, 1,100 metres over 80 miles. Have a think about how long that will take you, including mechanicals, lunch stops, etc. Then add four hours, and that's when you'll arrive in Dunkirk.

Here's a route from Calais to the cemetery
and here's a route from Dunkirk to the the cemetery
Not much in it and the final bit's the same anyway.

 

[ianrauk]

Spend some time with Google Maps. Streetview is brilliant for showing you the type of road you'll be riding.
There's no more human misery in Calais than anywhere else - the French authorities have removed The Jungle, through which you wouldn't have ridden anyway.

Here's a route from your place to Dover - take a look at the ascent, 1,100 metres over 80 miles. Have a think about how long that will take you, including mechanicals, lunch stops, etc. Then add four hours, and that's when you'll arrive in Dunkirk.

Here's a route from Calais to the cemetery
and here's a route from Dunkirk to the the cemetery
Not much in it and the final bit's the same anyway.

I would avoid the B2016 Seven Mile Lane like the plague. It's a very fast narrow road with drivers usually speeding. Not a nice road to cycle on.

 

[jonny jeez]

You're right, which is why I'm taking an extra day and cutting the road speed to Dover to 12mph. Over Christmas I was chatting to an ex-colleague of mine, a mud-plugger, who advised me that "if you're touring, you'll always average 10mph, regardless of how fast you pedal". Which I thought was probably about right.

I use the same calculation on my rides. Regardless of speed, condition or elevation. I use 10mph as a calculation for eta, its always safe and allows for stops, snacks, photos and plenty of opportunity to stop and smell the roses.

Anything quicker is a bonus!