FNRttC The Tour 2017

[StuAff]

I think a 'struggling pensioner' swearbox may be required.......

 

[wanda2010]

Hotels reserved. Will stay in Breda overnight Saturday.

 

[velovoice]

Hotels reserved. Will stay in Breda overnight Saturday.

I think that's what we'll be doing, as well.

 

[mmmmartin]

Some of the unemployable old codgers might even stay on for an extra night after the wage slaves head back to The Smoke. No decisions made as yet.

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

I was about to go for the 2pm Dover-Dunkirk ferry, but saw above mention of a Group Booking. Can Our Great Leader or Someone Who Knows say if this is happening?

 

[mmmmartin]

No group bookings, either in the way over to Dunkirk or the way back from the hook, because many will travel at different times.

 

[StuAff]

No group bookings, either in the way over to Dunkirk or the way back from the hook, because many will travel at different times.

Aye Aye!

 

[wanda2010]

Outbound ferry now booked. 12pm.

 

[StuAff]

Noon ferry from Dover booked as well.

 

[StuAff]

And Saturday night ferry from the Hook booked.

 

[wanda2010]

I don't think there's any chance of me being in Dover in time for the noon ferry, so I will be travelling a bit later I expect.

I'd actually meant to book the 2pm ferry but didn't realise I'd made a mistake until after I'd sent the payment . Still, I'll have time for a glass of wine til you and any others arrive

 

[mmmmartin]

The 12 noon ferry from Dover docks at Dunkirk port about 3pm French time, and you'll be in the centre of town about 4.30pm. The next ferry is 2pm from Dover and you'll be in the centre of Dunkirk about 6.30pm French time.

It might be that some of the unemployable elderly could have gone over a day early and thus have enjoyed a ride that included swinging past the ferry terminal to meet you and assist with the route into Dunkirk. This, as with all things, is dead easy on quiet roads when you know it, but if you don't it can be dreadful with loads of huge lorries all over the place and nav made tricky by an autoroute getting in the way.

This nav problem is unlikely to be faced by the people on the 3pm and 5pm arrivals because there'll probably be someone in that group with a GPX track and/or map and instructions from Google, but is a distinct possibility for a few who arrive later than that.

You've four months to forget this but here goes anyway:
Here is a link to the route from Google Maps: two things shall ye remember:

1. As you leave the boat you'll inevitably be on the righthand side of the road inside the port. If you remain on that side you'll be on the righthand side as you go through the gates where you might show your passport and inevitably find yourself on a cycle path with a metre-high concrete barrier between you and the lorries streaming off the ferry. This is good because you're not going to be squashed but BAD! because you need to get on the road called La Route de la Maison Blanche then the Route Des Dunes and to do that you need to approach those gates on the left side of the road. Hence you need to cross without being squashed. At the roundabout all the lorries take the first exit, you take the second exit. Given all this palaver of noise and pollution and danger you might want to linger in the bar for another drink and leave the ferry after everyone else. You won't do this, of course, because you're all fired up and off on a grand trip with your mates and every second counts. But I'm putting this down here, for the record. (Also note that since the Streetview car went round the port has seen has seen a lot of fence-building, and not in a nice way.)
2. If you look at the Google map you'll see a funny little squiggle where the route turns back on itself and does a small circle. This is important. It takes you underneath the dual carriageway and back on to a cycle track alongside the D601. This keeps you on the north side of water. If you ignore this and follow the D601 on the south side of the water you get into all sorts of complications involving bridges, heavy traffic and a cycle route that isn't. (DAHIKT.)

But we don't go for four months so there's plenty of time to print this out today, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest it all, then put it in a safe place where it can safely be lost, forgotten about and cursed before you ring me up and ask for directions as you ride off the boat.

 

[Snail Bait]

I am booked in here. Not that big (14 rooms total...) but a few rooms left on our dates at the moment. Nice easy route to Maastricht too..In the event I'm on my tod in there it won't exactly be an arduous ride. And there's a short train ride as an alternative.

Thank you @StuAff. I'm also booked there now.

 

[velovoice]

Thank you @StuAff. I'm also booked there now.

Oh, good. We're there too. Glad to hear you're coming.

 

[ianmac62]

... if there's a cluster of people staying out of town in the same sort of location, have Fridays Central in the town centre but get them to convoy in together ...

Gunthorpe Bridge anyone?

... I'd have been quite happy if they'd served me scabby horse ...

If you are channeling your inner Glaswegian, the expression is "Ah c'd eat a scabby dug, so ah could." (I really am very and indiscriminately hungry.) Often said on entering a fine restaurant.