In praise of Ypres

namwaldog

namwaldog

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Just got back from a short (10 nights) shakedown first trip to France & Belgium and wanted to sing the praises of the 'Aire' in the centre of Ypres ( http://www.jeugdstadion.be/E/ ) where we spent our first two nights. We hadn't pre-booked but that is available online. It was fairly easy to find but the roadworks near the railway station complicated things a little. The site is unmanned over the winter and getting in threw us a bit. You have to park outside the barrier and walk to the office where there is an automated check-in system in several languages. You will need a credit/debit card which cost Euro 19 and will dispense a swipe card to open the barrier but then will give you back Euro 4 in cash when you leave. The 'day is measured 11am to 11am and you have to use the swipe card to open the barrier, drive out, park up and walk back in to surrender your swipe card. The 12 or so MH pitches are all hard standing well lit and kept clean.
When we were there 1st week in Feb there was EHU , WiFi and toilets with Hot water. There is an Aldi about 200 yards away and it is about a 10 minute walk via lit pathways, alongside the athletics stadium, to the Menen Gate for the 8pm ceremony. All the roads around Ypres are cycle friendly to make the visiting of the dozens of War Cemeteries easier.
All in all a good start to our European adventures
 
We,re going that way end of March, to visit Cambrai where my grandfather died and the Louveral memorial. May we'll check out that aire, thanks!

Lesley
 
namwaldog said:
Just got back from a short (10 nights) shakedown first trip to France & Belgium and wanted to sing the praises of the 'Aire' in the centre of Ypres ( http://www.jeugdstadion.be/E/ ) where we spent our first two nights. We hadn't pre-booked but that is available online. It was fairly easy to find but the roadworks near the railway station complicated things a little. The site is unmanned over the winter and getting in threw us a bit. You have to park outside the barrier and walk to the office where there is an automated check-in system in several languages. You will need a credit/debit card which cost Euro 19 and will dispense a swipe card to open the barrier but then will give you back Euro 4 in cash when you leave. The 'day is measured 11am to 11am and you have to use the swipe card to open the barrier, drive out, park up and walk back in to surrender your swipe card. The 12 or so MH pitches are all hard standing well lit and kept clean.
When we were there 1st week in Feb there was EHU , WiFi and toilets with Hot water. There is an Aldi about 200 yards away and it is about a 10 minute walk via lit pathways, alongside the athletics stadium, to the Menen Gate for the 8pm ceremony. All the roads around Ypres are cycle friendly to make the visiting of the dozens of War Cemeteries easier.
All in all a good start to our European adventures
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Good pointer, many thanks!(y)
 
Great location for walking to see things, we stayed there for a few days on the way back from Assen last year, we will definitely go back. Do not miss the service at the Menin gate very moving.

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In fact you can stay for free outside the gates. As you approach the gates towards the town centre just before you go through the gate turn left now keeping the canal to your right. You are now in a residential street with restricted parking. Keep going and you go over a small roundabout. Go over that and then the road is unrestricted and the town are happy for you to park up next to the canal. In fact the road is a dead end and as you go past the barrier at the end you will see the path that takes you past the leisure centre and through the woods to the Aire. A great spot to sit and watch people walk by and walk up to the 'Last Post' which is only now 200 yds away. I just love it there.
Please someone do not tell me that since last summer that they have now stopped this parking area.
 
Jeugstadion definitely does the job. Worth adding that if you book in advance online you'll need the same payment card for the automated check-in machine to dispense your access pass. Definitely worth booking ahead in the busy season, which can include the run up to Remembrance Day.

Recommended local visits (in addition to the 8pm Menin Gate ceremony) are: The Cloth Hall in Ypres, the Passchendaele museum at Zonnebeke, and the Tyne Cot Commonwealth Cemetery.
 
You must also visit Flanders Fields museum, the worst part is right at the end, pictures of those who survived but injured.
 
I honestly don't think I want to visit anywhere else there, it will be too upsetting. WW1 was such a wicked waste of life and pointless, those old b/w pics of the trenches are just unbearable. I don't get upset about WW2, there was a point to that, but somehow the first war just gets to me.

Lesley
 
Thanks for all your replies. Worth mentioning that there is a small change to the Last Post ceremony this year as they now take time to tell a little anecdote about a different soldier each night who had died. Very Moving!!

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PJGWiltshire said:
In fact you can stay for free outside the gates. As you approach the gates towards the town centre just before you go through the gate turn left now keeping the canal to your right. You are now in a residential street with restricted parking. Keep going and you go over a small roundabout. Go over that and then the road is unrestricted and the town are happy for you to park up next to the canal. In fact the road is a dead end and as you go past the barrier at the end you will see the path that takes you past the leisure centre and through the woods to the Aire. A great spot to sit and watch people walk by and walk up to the 'Last Post' which is only now 200 yds away. I just love it there.
Please someone do not tell me that since last summer that they have now stopped this parking area.
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We parked next to the barrier at the end of the road overnight last August, tried to get into the campsite but jam packed full, so found the spot down next to the river next to a few other campers and as you say a few minutes walk from the Menin Gate.

First thing in the morning went for a nice stroll past the leisure centre and made use of the showers etc at the campsite, hope to visit again but will definitely book in advance

Andy



Doh should read to end of thread before posting, as Rikfos says great spot
 
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We were there last spring, fabulous town, a place to return to(y)
 
We were there last September for 3 nights, glad we had booked as it was full every night.

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Finvarra said:
I honestly don't think I want to visit anywhere else there, it will be too upsetting. WW1 was such a wicked waste of life and pointless, those old b/w pics of the trenches are just unbearable. I don't get upset about WW2, there was a point to that, but somehow the first war just gets to me.

Lesley
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It's heavy going and no mistake, but you don't earn points for how many sites you visit - going there and paying your respects in some way is enough.
 
Ypres last week in January 2015 only us on site and raining and very cold
 

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Visiting places like Tyne Cot in poor weather certainly helps put it into perspective. We went on a dull, damp, rainy day in autumn, both wishing the weather was a bit better. Then we contemplated the graves and memorials for the 40,000+ soldiers who'd died trying to capture Passchendaele and realised we nothing to complain about.
 
I would like to go . but I don't think I could handle it.
 
I followed Vacarious books Road Trip Europe: The Great War and More. It took you to all the main places but a lot that weren't so well know. Did it last year for my granddad who joined up in 1914 and was in the Somme. I'm hoping they do some more of these (y)

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It's very poignant visiting Ypres - I saw this at the Menin Gate. I can't imagine for one minute that Billy ever met his Grandad, but he made the journey to Belgium in his memory.

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Some of you may be interested in this http://arleseyremembersyou.org.uk
The village where my grandfather was born organised a project to lay a cross on the graves of the 87 men on the war memorial, wherever they were in the world. My grandfather did not have a grave, so a cross was laid at the memorial in Louveral, where I'll be visiting in March. I think it was a lovely way to involve all the village in remembering the soldiers who died, in fact there is a film about it on the community channel. I'm going to visit the village on the way down to the ferry, never been there!

Lesley
 
We were there one very cold, wet November. Touring the various outlying cemeteries we got stuck in horrible clay and mud. This just made us realise the discomfort of the poor men that ultimately died anyway. Seeing the many tearful faces at the gate when the last post was played put the whole ghastly life of the soldiers in perspective. Everyone should go there, perhaps there wouldn't be any more wars like this again?

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rikfos said:
You can still park for free down the road by the leisure centre. You could always walk in to the campsite and have a shower.
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Does anyone have GPS coordinates for this location, or a link to it on google earth? We are going to ypres way over easter
 
Turn left just before the gate, down the road at the bottom
 
Can I just say a big "thank you" for posting the information bout this aire and for all the comments about Ypres. We are set to commence a European tour at the end of March and had intended Ypres to be our first port of call. Having followed this thread I have now sent a request for a booking. I wanted to let you all know how much your comments are appreciated.
 
10 years ago we visited Ypres for the Remembrance Service on 11th November. We were lucky enough to be invited to join the procession to the Menim Gate and were, therefore, within the gate itself for the whole service.

One of the most moving experiences of my life.
 

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