Me and a friend are thinking of hoping on the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk and riding a mini tour. Thinking of doing 4-5 days. Getting to Dunkirk seems to be our cheapest option but trying to find routes on the net is providing rather difficult. I was wondering if we could do a big loop taking us back to Dunkirk for the return ferry.

We will probably be camping but I’m less keen on the idea as imagine it will just be rain, rain and rain when we go. Looking to leave 27th October.

Can any one recommend any good routes or destinations to take in on our journey. My friend doesn’t want to venture into Belgium as he said (please don’t take offense if your from there) that he had been there and it was dull and he couldn’t see the point. I’ve never been but heading into France seems the best option.

Would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

My advice, get out of Dunkirk as fast as is humanly possible. It’s an absolute ‘hole…

I’ve heard that, just finding some info about historical war towns we could cycle too, trying to plan a route on google maps

I think you should end your tour in Gent, in Belgium. Try to phone up this place; http://www.vjh.be/gent.htm It’s the youth hostel, and it’s a great place to stay. Then go for a wander around a lovely city and drink lots and eat even more, then ride back up for the ferry.

Belgium is like England, it’s got shit bits and great bits, you just have to look for them.

Gent would be my ideal place to ride too. any other suggestions for towns to visit which are nice on route?

Thanks

Gent and Bruges are both meant to be nice, although are in Belgium. Lille is a nice city, worth a visit. If you cycles towards Arras/Cambrai you will be pretty close to the Vimy Ridge all the way so there are a lot of war graves and memorials, the Canadian memorial outside Arras is meant to be especially impressive.

I cycled Calais to Cambrai two weeks ago, and it was quite a nice route for most of the way, apart from a bit of a drag outside Cambrai. Also didn’t really see much of Cambrai itself as we were off early to Reims the next day, but it seemed a nice enough town.

You could do ferry to Dunkirk/Calais-Arras/Vimy-Lille-Gent-Bruges/Ostende ferry back?

If you go to the Flanders Field Museum in Ypres, a fantastic, poignant, educative place about the First World War, there is a Flanders Field Cycle Route. I’m sure there is more about it on the web, but it includes the Tyne Cot Cemetery. It also passes under the Menin Gate, where they play the last post.
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/memorial-menin-gate.htm

Be careful, the places you see will have an effect on you…it’s not really a fun thing to do, but it does remind you of how you got the life you have.