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Going to Ypres |
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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. |
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| Ypres:
the town painstakingly rebuilt from the ruins |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Accommodation |
| 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. See our accommodation guide
to Ypres |
| Personal
view: My
own favourite place to stay in the Ypres area is Varlet
Farm, the excellent B&B situated in the battlefields
near the village of Poelkapelle, not least for Charlotte's
fantastic welcome and amazing breakfast. |
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| Tourist
information |
| The
main tourist office is situated in the Cloth Hall on the main
square (Grote Markt) |
| Monday
is closing day: most shops and facilities are closed, at least
for the morning. |
| Ieper
town website |
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| Things
to see and do |
| Menin
Gate: the Menin Gate memorial to the British missing of
the Ypres salient is just 300m from the main central square.
Every night at 8pm sharp there is a "Last Post" ceremony
of remembrance that simply must not be missed. There is often
a large crowd, particularly at weekends, so get there in good
time. |
| 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. |
| Banks
and ATMs (cash machines) : in Ieper and Zonnebeke,
increasingly in the larger villages. |
| Battlefield
tour itinerary: itineraries for 1 day, 3 day and 1 week
tours will be added to this website soon. |
| Our own downloadable "one
day in" guide to Ypres (pdf) |