Bruges, Ostend & the Last Post in Ypres
What's Included
Return coach travel & ferry crossings
3 nights at a selected hotel in Belgium or France (JG3 rating) with breakfast
Excursions to Ghent, Ostend, Bruges & Ypres for the Last Post En-route visits to Lille & Dunkirk
Itinerary
Day 1 to day 4
Day 1
Ferry to Calais and on to the vibrant city of Lille to enjoy dinner (not included). We continue to our hotel where we stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2 – Ghent & Ostend
For our first excursion we head to pretty Ghent, with its perfect patchwork of medieval cobbled streets, quaint market squares, striking churches, an ancient castle and plenty of museums which sit on a peninsula of peaceful waterways. No other city in Belgium has as many classified buildings, so make sure to admire the stunning architecture here, including St Bavo’s Cathedral, which stands on the site of a 10th-century church and a 12th-century Romanesque church. Due to the city’s power in the Middle Ages, the churches were converted during the 15th and 16th centuries into the impressive Gothic cathedral we see today.
We then make our way to Ostend, Belgium’s premier coastal resort. Known as ‘the City by the Sea’, Ostend is a cosmopolitan gem that boasts miles of sandy beaches, a beachfront promenade, a yachting marina plus a whole host of shops, bars and restaurants.
Day 3 – Bruges & Ypres for the Last Post
This morning we visit Bruges, a beautifully-preserved medieval city of picturesque canals, and narrow cobbled lanes crammed with fine chocolate shops, lace boutiques and souvenir shops. Our next stop is Ypres, the scene of one the biggest battles in the First World War. Having been completely rebuilt after the war, it serves as a place of pilgrimage and memorial; there are plenty of museums and monuments to pay your respects and find out more about the town’s historic role. One special highlight is listening to the Last Post, played every evening at 8pm at the Menin Gate in tribute to those who fell.
Day 4 After checking out of our hotel we make an en-route stop in Dunkirk. The third largest port in France, Dunkirk has a rich maritime heritage and is also famous for the evacuation of Allied troops during the Second World War. The town also has a long seafront and a fine sandy beach, nicknamed the ‘queen of the northern beaches’. Later we continue to Calais for our return ferry home.
We’ll stay at a comfortable hotel (JG3 rating) such as the Logis Hôtel des Acacias in Tourcoing. All rooms are en suite and other facilities include a bar and restaurant. Your hotel will be confirmed approximately 3 weeks before departure, therefore we cannot guarantee that the hotel will have a lift and/or ground floor rooms and may be unsuitable for those with limited mobility.
Hotel Rating Hotels with a JG3 rating tend to be a more formal style of hotel, often part of a hotel chain, or are very-welcoming family-owned properties. Generally, they offer a greater range of facilities and services, and bedrooms tend to be a little more spacious with additional features. Public areas are larger and include lounge seating, bar and restaurant with good quality food served either buffet style or waiter service.