Another long weekend in Northern France and Belgium
- michaeldhaydock
- Mar 9, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: May 22, 2024
We couldn't stay away. After such a fantastic trip a month earlier, two of us headed back to Northern France over the August Bank Holiday. And again, it was a great little getaway over a handful of days. Arriving early morning on Saturday, and then back home late evening on Monday. The route was around 300km and took in both Lille and Brugge and great cycling.
Over the last few trips, it's clear that the sweet-spot for us with kit, is around 80-90km a day. As this was pan flat, it was a bit different, but still we kept close to this to ensure we enjoyed time on and off the bike. And after some of the headwinds, jeez did we need it!
Day 1: Calais to Lille
Accommodation:
Key stats: 122 km, 500m
Pave: Mostly paved with some Flandrian cobbles - doable on any bike
Similar to the month earlier, we started the trip in Calais. We stayed in the same trusty Ibis Styles overnight and took advantage of the hefty buffet breakfast once again. Like last time, the sun was shining but the drapes of the tour were a bit more faded compared to a month earlier. But enough about last time.
Direction south east. Destination. Lille. I was excited to be off again on another micro-adventure and escape busy city life. The first day was a bit longer than we normally aim for, but as I mentioned it was pan flat - bar a hump pretty much at the half way point at Cassel / Kassel depending on where you're from. We stopped in the charming little town for an hour or so and enjoyed a Tripel and an Orangina, surrounded by locals tucking into ginormous chip baguettes.
The road back down was bone-shaking over the cobbles, but enjoyable all the same. It then flattened out once more as we peddled onto Lille through farmland and the odd village. The last part of the ride wasn't the most direct as we decided to stick to the river (La Lys) paths that we picked up around Armentieres just before the 100km mark. This meant we came into Lille from the north and allowed us to mostly avoid the outer-city traffic.
The route
Day 2: Lille to Brugge
Accommodation: B&B Huis T' Schaep
Key stats: 75.7km, 150m
Pave: Paved - mostly bike lane - doable on any bike
I'm not going to lie, the second day was not a good day. Yes, it was great to be on the bike, but the route was a bit of a shocker. I'd recommend re-planning this leg; unless you don't mind cycling in a crazy headwind and by the side of a dual-carriageway. There was the odd pretty section, although we chose to get our heads down and get it over with as quickly as possible - only stopping in a play park for a sandwich around half-way. It's fair to say though that the weather was great - apart from the wind - but it is Belgium after all.
The last 10km or so into Brugge was pretty neat on reflection. Although still alongside the main road, here it took us through some rather leafy and rather affluent suburbs with rows of houses quietly hiding behind large gates, or poking above the trees. We slowed down a bit here to have a gawp at the passing grandeur and before we knew it we'd reached the gates on the edge of the City itself and trundled through to the main square.
Leaving relatively early and ploughing through, this awarded us a good amount of time to enjoy Brugge and the remaining sunshine. Cycling trips aren't all about cycling, right?
The route
Day 3: Brugge to Dunkirk
Accommodation: N/A
Key stats: 94km, 61m
Pave: Butter smooth cycle paths, with some gravel sections
It turned out we'd done this same route 4/5 years before, but in reverse, on our way to Brugge - but that's for another day. If you want a day that highlights the joys of cycle paths on the Continent, then this is the one for you. We were blessed with good weather, a nice tailwind and close to 80km of car-free cycling - and a bit of tree-lined gravel for good measure.
If you're going the other way, there's a lovely beer garden that's perfect for a stop before Brugge, but for a change, 10am felt a bit too early for a cold one. From here, and a while before in fact, it was mostly canal on one side, farm land on the other - with the occasional rogue sheep to keep us on our toes. Today was the first day we saw other 'cyclists' and fellow tourers pootling along the pleasant canal path.
The route passes through Nieuwpoort that has a great square with bars and restaurants for a stop. You also pass the impressively grand King Albert I WW1 monument in the area that is also worth pulling up to for a moment of reflection. From there, the rest of the route remains as is. Excellent canalways, forested gravel paths by the sand dunes, with little interaction with the road until you approach the ferry port.
All in all it's a great little trip and could be even better with some replanning of the second day. It would be perfect for a first-time tourer, e-biker, or anyone really.
The route
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