GETTING THERE

The easiest route from the port at Calais or the Channel Tunnel, is to follow the A16 motorway for DUNKERQUE (Dunkirk). At Dunkerque, take the A25 motorway, following signs for ARMENTIERES and LILLE. Leave the motorway at Exit 13 STEENVOORDE and then follow the D948 for POPERINGE and YPRES (IEPER). From here it is about fifteen minutes to Poperinge and half an hour to Ypres. There are no tolls on either of these motorways.

By train you can go from Lille Europelandres station in France to Ypres, changing at Courtrai. From Brussels you can travel to Ypres direct.

France SNCF Train website:  http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Nord_Pas_De_Calais/fr/Default.aspx
Belgium SNCB Train website:  http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/

FLEMISH NAMES

Ypres is in the Flemish (Dutch) speaking area of Belgium, and if you compare a map from 1914-18 with a modern one, you will notice a lot of differences in the spelling: e.g. Ypres is now IEPER. This can cause some confusion, and you should remember that all road signs once you are in the Ypres area will be in Flemish, not French.

WEATHER

You can check local weather forecasts here:

http://www.meteo.be

LOCAL TOURIST OFFICES

The main Ypres Tourist Office is located at:

Ieper Tourist Office
Lankenhallen
Grote Markt
8900 Ieper, Belgium

Web: http://www.ieper.be/
EMAIL: Toerisme@ieper.be

Other local Tourist Offices:

Heuveland Tourist Office: http://www.heuvelland.be/
Poperinge Tourist Office: http://www.poperinge.be/
Zonnebeke Tourist Office: http://www.zonnebeke.be/

WHERE TO STAY

A full list can be obtained from the Tourist Offices above but the following hotels and B&Bs are known to the website:

HOTEL SULTAN: Run by Henk Fiey and family, the hotel is in the main square and has 17 rooms on three floors with a lift. Also has an excellent restaurant and bar area. Good parking close by.

Hotel Sultan
Grote markt 33
B-8900 Ieper
Belgium

Tel - 0032 57 21 90 30
Fax - 0032 57 21 95 37
Email: sultanyp@skynet.be

Web: http://www.sultan.be/

VARLET FARM: Run by the charming and highly informative Charlotte Cardoen-Descamps and her family, this B&B is located in their farm on the Passchendaele battlefield. Varlet Farm was part of the German defences in October 1917 and attacked and captured by the Royal Naval Division. Seven en-suite rooms are available - from 45 € per night including breakfast. English spoken - very well! For further details contact:

Charlotte & Dirk Cardoen-Descamps
Varlet Farm
Wallemolenstraat 43
8920 POELKAPELLE
BELGIUM

TEL/FAX: 0032 51 77 78 59

Web Site: http://www.varletfarm.com/en/index.htm
Email: info@varletfarm.com

THE RUM JAR BED AND BREAKFAST: Bed and Breakfast run by ex-pat Peter Morris. The Rum Jar offers two double en-suite rooms and one twin en-suite room. Prices include either continental or English breakfast. The Rum Jar is located about 350 meters from the town square and is directly opposite the Common Wealth War Graves Commission Ypres Office.

The Rum Jar
Elverdingestraat 69
8900 Ieper
Belgium.

Tel: 0032 (0) 473 77 88 06
Email: peter.morris@telenet.be

CHERRY BLOSSOM B&B:  Jon and Liz Millward offer a warm British welcome at their family run Bed & Breakfast situated at Brandhoek, Vlamertinge - just off the N8/N38 towards Poperinge.  Close to where Noel Chavasse VC & Bar is buried.

Cherry Blossom B&B
Grote Branderstraat 30,
8908 Vlamertinge,
Ieper
Belgium

Telephone: 0032 (0)57 301555
Mobile: 0032 (0)472 347694

Web: www.cherryblossom.be
Email: cherryblossom@telenet.be

Some other B&Bs known to the site are:

B&B Hortensia - http://www.guesthouse-ypres.be/
Lille Gate Guesthouse: http://www.lillegateguesthouse.com/
Le Chat Noir, Ypres: http://www.lechatnoir.be/

CAMPING IN THE YPRES AREA

Large camp site with excellent facilities, close to the town and only five minutes walk from the Menin Gate. For further details and bookings contact:

VZW Jeugdstadion
Leopold III Laan 16
8900 Ieper
Belgium

Tel - 0032 57 21 72 82
Fax - 0032 57 21 61 21
Email: Info@Jeugdstadion.be
Web: http://www.jeugdstadion.be/

Large camp site close to Kemmel village. It has its own shop and bar, and a children's swimming pool open in the summer months. The main site is open all year round, and is ideally situated for touring the Ypres Salient battlefields. For prices and further information contact:

Camping Ypra
Dingelaerestraat 2
8956 Kemmel - Heuvelland
Belgium

Tel: 0032 57 44 46 31- Fax: 0032 57 44 48 81
Email: camping.ypra@skynet.be
Web: http://www.camping-ypra.be/

BATTLEFIELD CAFES AROUND YPRES

HOOGE CRATER: Excellent museum and cafe, serving drinks and lunches. Open every day (except Mondays) from 10.00-18.00. There is a small entrance fee for the museum. Groups must book in advance, especially for lunches. Good toilets. Also here on this site.
Web: http://www.hoogecrater.com/

HILL 60 TEAROOM: New venture opened directly opposite the famous Hill 60 site. Clean and friendly; does food and drink, with good, clean toilets. Open every day, with the Tearoom area open 14.00 - 18.00 every day.
Web: http://www.hill-60.be/

TALBOT HOUSE - POPERINGE

It is not often realised that this magical place, founded by Rev. P.B. 'Tubby' Clayton in 1915 and a veritable oasis out of the front line for British troops during the Great War, actually has its own accommodation for the use of battlefield visitors. In total there are 21 rooms, 15 in the main building and 6 in the Garden House. All beds are single beds, and bedding is provided. No rooms are en-suite, however there are showers on all the main floors of the house and in the Garden House. Talbot House is totally self-catering - including breakfast. It has a large and well equipped kitchen - and you are expected to do your own washing up! Nearby are several bakers, and some excellent restaurants. For full details of accommodation contact:

Talbot House - Poperinge
Gasthuisstraat 43
8970 POPERINGE
BELGIUM

TEL: 0032 57 33 32 28    FAX: 0032 57 33 21 83

Web: http://www.talbothouse.be
EMAIL: talbot.house@syknet.be

LOCAL TOUR COMPANIES

These companies are known to this website and offer tours to the battlefields.

Trench Map Tours by Iain McHenry: http://www.trenchmaptours.com/
Salient Tours: http://www.salienttours.be/

USEFUL BOOKS

Some useful books about the Ypres Salient include:

Walking The Salient - Paul Reed (Pen & Sword 1999)
The Ypres Salient Then & Now - John Giles (After The Battle)
Before Endeavours Fade - Rose Coombes (After The Battle)
They Called It Passchendaele - Lyn MacDonald (Various editions)

Mr & Mrs Holt also published battlefield guides and maps: Holts Battlefield Guides website

MAPS OF YPRES

There are a whole series of detailed maps of the area available in the In Flanders Fields Museum shop and some of the book shops in Ypres. These are the Belgian IGN series: the Ypres battlefields are on sheets 20 and 28. The new series of 1/20,000 sheets are the most detailed, and can be used in conjunction with original trench maps of the same scale. Maps can also be ordered via the IGN web site at:

http://www.ngi.be/

The French Green series IGN Map 1/100,000 No 2 'Lille-Dunkerque' also covers this area and is suitable if you just intend driving the Salient. The Michelin 'Yellow' series No 51 covers this area of the battlefield, and the CWGC version with all the cemeteries marked on it is very useful. You can find it on sale at the CWGC officers in Ypres and the In Flanders Fields museum.

Major & Mrs Holt also produce a useful map of the Ypres Battlefields, showing all the cemeteries and memorials. This can be obtain from their website at: Holts Battlefield Guides website.

Guy Smith and Jerry Whitehead have also produced a new Trench Map/GPS system which has revolutionised visiting the battlefields. See their website for more details: Great War Digitial.

©Paul Reed 2010