3 night in France bit of advice wanted

[SkyGod]

6 of us arrive in Calais by the tunnel at 4pm This Sunday. Ticket back is booked for Wednesday at 3pm. Thats our Window.
I`m after some ideas on battlefield sites etc and Ideally some nice roads to link them up.

Initial thoughts are Normandy beaches then maybe a blast on minor roads towards ARRAS and do some WW1 stuff. This is me just winging it though as I have hardly been in that area. Even thought about Bastogne and Ardennes area????

Any ideas on sites/roads but would be great help.

Ta

 

[gerarddwatts]

Ypres only a quick hurl from Calais... much accommodation and stuff to see there... pop it in the search box for loads of info..

 

[Wapping]

You have three days, starting and ending in Calais, I'd do either D Day or WW1 but not both. I'd also decide whether I wanted to spend the three days looking at things (sacrificing the quality of the road riding) or less time looking and more time on some decent riding.

If I wanted to maximise the decent riding bit AND look at a chunk of war related stuff, I'd go for either:

(1) The Ardennes, probably riding Calais to Bastogne on day one, seeing the museum and sites on day two and riding back a different way on day three. That does WW2.

(2) Calais to Verdun on day one. A full day on the Verdun sites on day two and a ride back on day three. That does WW1.

Richard

PS If you want to do D Day and a bit of WW1, you could see the little visited Chinese cemetery at Nampont.

PPS As an alternative to Verdun (which sort of gets my vote as the best combination) you could do Calais, the WW2 rocket sites (V1 and V2) on day one. Then a ride down to Peronne via the South African memorial and take in the excellent WW1 museum at Perrone on day two. Returning on day three, via Vimmy Ridge and / or the Newfoundland memorial on day three. Thinking about it, that's pretty good.

Don't forget to take a decent map or two.

 

[GSRICHIE]

I would suggest that you want 70% road and 30% history otherwise why bother go on a bike trip right.

I would look at a night in Menin Gate, witness and take part in the 2000hrs Last Post and then have a few beers and something to eat. Next day have a walk around the museum and trenches in Hooge Crater, the museum is free if you have something to eat in the cafe.

All this interspersed by riding in the three national parks that line the border of belgium/france and finish your tour off by visiting the V2 Rocket site outside of St Omer (La Coupole). There are plenty of lovely roads and villages in these areas to keep you and your bike amused for three days.

All the best and where ever you go...........ENJOY

 

[Simon W]

Normandy beaches from Calais: half-day ride on dull roads just to get to Caen. In other words, don't bother... Click this link and scroll down to the bottom: the "Somme and Flanders 2-day" trip links battle sites and memorials. You'd have to adapt to fit your timings. Depending on how much riding you like to do in a day, it's easy to fit in extra sites - such as the Lochnagar crater, the Aussie memorial at Villers Bretonnneux. Pushing down to Verdun is also well worth it if you have time/don't mind big-mile days.

 

[SkyGod]

Massive help chaps and great advice. Thanks and I will keep you posted.
Initial thoughts are now Calais Cambrai- Cambrai Bastogne- then wing it.....

 

[Rasher]

Plenty of time for Somme area, easy to work Vimy Ridge into the way out / back - and also not far from Calais is La Coupole V2 Bunker site - well worth a visit for anyone rolling into / out of Calais on the A26 with a few hours to pass. Allow a few hours though as it is big with lots more to see than you would think from the outside.

I do like Verdun area - and easy to get to in about 4 hours from Calais, lots to do with WW1 forts you can wander about, 2 officially and 1 which is properly abandoned - Frogs have put up danger signs, but not locked the entrances so (at your own risk) you can go inside - but you will need a torch. So many places to visit all in fairly close proximity and no traffic on the roads between them. Two Wheel Moorings is ideally located in the middle of the region - and Ian is a bit of a buff on the local history and WW1 locations as well as having quite a collection of WW1 rifles and grenades himself.

Bastogne is also good, and a good town for a nice meal and a few beers, the Burgers at Le Nuts are great, and there are loads of restaurants and bars, the Great Best Western is perfect for digs, clean and well priced, just a 2 minute walk from town centre.

Probably better choice of roads around Bastogne as well, but less to crawl around.

 

[Timolgra]

Read MikeP's excellent reports on here and check out his waypoints.
There's also a surprisingly useful WW1 site app.

 

[Jeffk]

Ypres, be there at 8pm -very moving to watch and listen to the nightly ceremony. Decent little town, nice bars, plenty of food and a decent campsite.

 

[JPR]

If your heading East ,towards Cambray,a worthwhile stop is The Blockhaus at Eperlecque just off the A26 towards St Omer .
First,and biggest Launchpad for the V2 and V1.
Mostly still intact.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Mostly still intact.

Apart from the bits where we bombed it

 

[timeandtide]

If your heading East ,towards Cambray,a worthwhile stop is The Blockhaus at Eperlecque just off the A26 towards St Omer .
First,and biggest Launchpad for the V2 and V1.
Mostly still intact.

Well worth a visit!

 

[PW Cymru]

I've got a window in July that might fit.

Must look up MikeP's post.

Might even introduce the Airhead to some foreign fuel.

 

[Wapping]

How did this go?

 

[wreck diver]

Ypres

After reading this it prompted me to make Ypres the last stop before home.
Needed at least 3 days but a good taster.
The cemetery on hill 62 was peaceful and moving.