Whether you are a first time or an old hand at battlefield touring, Ypres is one of the best places you can possibly choose for the combination of access, accommodation, intensity of the historical monuments and other battlefield places of interest - and evening entertainment.

Now, once again, a sleepy country lane in a rural area south of Ypres. But at Christmas 1914, this is where the famous truce
took place. British and German troops met in the field on the left.

Basics

Ypres is in Belgium. Its modern name, in the Flemish language spoken in the area, is Ieper (that is with an "i" not an "L". It is pronounced ee-per. Note that this is not a French speaking area. Most people in the area speak English well, many fluently. The currency in use is the Euro. Credit cards are widely accepted.

Getting to Ypres

By car from UK: Ypres is an easy 94 km (just over 1 hour) drive from Calais. Route with map.
By car from airport: Ypres is 135 km (just over 1 hour 30 mins) drive from Brussels. Route with map.
By rail: Ypres has a main railway station with trains direct from Brussels. Timetables.

What is there to see? The Ypres area is so full of places to go and things to see it is hard to know where to begin. "Must not be missed" sites include:

• The Cloth Hall, Menin Gate Memorial, St George's Church and Lille Gate Cemetery (town centre)
• Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial (Passendale)
• Passchendaele Museum (Zonnebeke)
• Hooge Crater Cemetery and Hooge Military Museum (Hooge)
• Hill 60 (Zillebeke)
• Essex Farm (Brielen)
• Mine craters in the Messines-Wijtschate area

Our suggested tour itineraries

One Day in Ypres - download our free guide to the sites in Ypres Town

One Day in the Ypres Salient - a highlights tour for those without much time

3 and 5 day tour itineraries to the Ypres battlefields are in preparation and should be on the Long, Long Trail soon.

Tourist essentials

1. The main tourist office is situated in the Cloth Hall on the main square (Grote Markt) (town centre)
2. Monday is closing day: most shops and facilities are closed, at least for the morning.
3. Eating and drinking: there are many restaurants, bars and cafes in town, most grouped around the central square. The larger villages around - notably Langemark, Zonnebeke and Passendale - have some too.
4. Banks and ATMs (cash machines) : in Ieper and Zonnebeke, increasingly in the larger villages.
5. Parking: main car parks are on Grote Markt and Leet (cathedral) (town centre) and a lot of on-street parking in Ypres but paid in advance from slot machines. No problems parking at sites on the battlefields.
6. Supermarkets: there is a small supermarket facing the cathedral and larger ones on the road out to Boseinge.

Accommodation

When booking any accommodation, buyer beware. The Long, Long Trail can not be held responsible for the availability, price or performance of any of the accommodation listed here. Obviously.

There is a wide selection of accommodation in the town and surrounding villages. Note, however, that accommodation is invariably full for 11 November. Book early.

Note: international dialling code to Belgium is 32. Numbers are shown as they would be dialled from overseas. when calling in Belgium itself, drop the 32 and add a zero at the front of the number. Most hotel receptionists and guest house operators speak very good English.

The beautiful Grote Markt, the centre of Ieper, from the Regina Hotel

Hotels

Ambrosia Address: D'Hondtstraat 54, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 36 63 66 Website URL: www.ambrosiahotel.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

Ariane Address: Slachthuisstraat 58, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 82 18 Fax: 32 57 21 87 99 Email: info@ariane.be Website URL: www.ariane.be Hotel. Car park. Situated in Ieper town centre

Best Western Flanders Lodge Address: Albert Dehemlaanlaan 19, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 70 00 Fax: 32 57 21 94 74 Email: info@bestwestern.be Website URL: www.bestwestern.be Hotel formerly known as the "Rabbit". Car park. Ieper outskirts.

Kasteelhof t'Hooge Address: Meenseweg 481, 8902 Ieper Tel: 32 57 46 87 87 Fax: 32 57 46 87 58 Email: kasteelhof.thooghe@belgacom.net Website URL: www.hotelkasteelhofthooghe.be/ Hotel. Car park. Situated out of town on the main Ieper-Menen road, next to the Bellewaarde amusement park and opposite Hooge Crater cemetery

Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields Address: Sint Jacobstraat 15, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 42 96 00 Email: H1372@accor.com Website URL: www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/nov/3172/fiche_hotel.shtml Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

Old Tom Address: Grote Markt 8, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 20 15 41 Fax: 32 57 21 91 20 Email: info@oldtom.be Website URL: www.oldtom.be/ Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

Regina Address: Grote Markt 45, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 88 77 Fax: 32 57 21 90 20 Email: info@hotelregina.be Website URL: www.hotelregina.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

The Shell Hole Address: D'Hondtstraat 54, 8900 Ieper Tel and fax: 32 57 20 87 58 Email: enquiries@shellhole.com Website URL: www.shellhole.com Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

Sultan Address: Grote Markt 33, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 90 30 Fax: 32 57 21 95 37 Email: sultanyp@skynet.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

Gasthof 't Zweerd Address: Grote Markt 2, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 20 04 75 Fax: 32 57 21 78 96 Website URL: www.gasthof-tzweerd.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre

Guest Houses / B&B

Camalou B&B Address: 351 Dikkebusseweg, 8908 Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 43 42 Email: info@camalou.com Website URL: www.camalou.com Annette Linthout In the village of Dikkebus

Cherry Blossom B&B Address: Grote Branderstraat, Vlamertinge Phone: 32 57 30 15 55 Email: liz@cherryblossom.be Website URL: www.cherryblossom.be Jon and Liz Millward In the hamlet of Brandhoek near Vlamertinge

Hortensia B&B Address: Rijselsestraat 196, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 21 24 06 Email: info@guesthouse-ypres.be Website URL: www.guesthouse-ypres.be Andre Parys 100m from Lille Gate in Ieper town centre

Le Chat Noir Address: Diksmuidsestraat 91, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 47 45 95 344 Email: info@lechatnoir.be Website URL: www.lechatnoir.be Alain A few 100m north of Grote Markt in Ieper town centre

Lille Gate Guest House Address: Neerstraat 14, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 40 08 57 Email: info@lillegateguesthouse.com Website URL: www.lillegateguesthouse.com Chris and Milena 100m from Lille Gate in Ieper town centre

Llamedos Guest House Address: Rijselseweg 126, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 48 60 09 Email: mikeruthbelgium@skynet.be Website URL: www.llamedos-ieper.be/ Mike and Ruth Bygrave 1km from Lille Gate on road to Messines

De Potyze B&B Address: Zonnebeekseweg 359, Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 3443 Email: info@potyze.com Website URL: www.potyze.com Paul and Mimi 3km from town on road to Zonnebeke

Protea B&B Address: Menenstraat 47, 8980 Geluveld Phone: 32 57 46 6339 Email: info@theprotea.be Website URL: www.theprotea.be Paul and Mimi On main Menen road in Geluveld

The Rum Jar B&B Address: Elverdingestraat 69, Poelkapelle Phone: 32 51 77 88 06 Email: info@therumjar.be Website URL: www.therumjar.be Peter Morris

saBBajon B&B Address: Boezingepoortstraat 6, Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 3006 Email: info@sabbajon.be Website URL: www.sabbajon.be Jo and Luc In Ieper town centre

Varlet Farm B&B Address: Wallemolenstraat 43, Poelkapelle Phone: 32 51 77 78 59 Email: info@varletfarm.com Website URL: www.varletfarm.com Dirk and Charlotte Cardoen-Descamps Rooms in farmhouse and renovated farm buildings. Near the villages of Poelkapelle and Passendale, close to Tyne Cot

Camp sites

Camping Ypra Address: Pingelaarstraat 2, 8956 Kemmel-Heuvelland Phone: 32 57 44 46 31 Fax: 32 57 44 48 81 E-mail: camping.ypra@skynet.be Jan and Ann Vitse Heddebauw

Camping Jeugdstation Ypra Address: Bolwerkstraat 1, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 21 72 82 Fax: 32 57 421 61 21 E-mail: Info@Jeugdstadion.be

My favourite? Although it does not suit everyone because of its out-of-town, rural location, and that it is a Bed-and-Breakfast, I recommend Varlet Farm for the quality of its accommodation, the fantastic breakfast and the friendly and engaging hostess, Charlotte Cardoen-Descamps.