Ariane Hotel
Why we like it: A 62-room four-star hotel five minutes from the Grote Markt, with free private parking, a garden and a restaurant.
Duration1 night
From BrusselsCar 1 h 30 · train about 2 h
Last PostEvery day at 20:00 · free
Budget€180–280 pp
Best timeApril – November
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Brussels on a Friday morning and return on Saturday afternoon, which is when Klei at lunchtime and De Ruyffelaer in the evening are both open. By car, Friday afternoon is for Passchendaele and Tyne Cot; without a car, swap that afternoon for the Over the Top Tours tour at 14:00.
Friday
- 108:30Car or train to Ypres
An hour and a half by car along the E40 and A19, or about two hours by train with one change.
- 210:30In Flanders Fields Museum
In the Cloth Hall, two hours. Climb the belfry for €2 more.
- 312:30Lunch at Klei
The €42 Gastrolunch on the Grote Markt itself. Book.
- 414:30Passchendaele Museum
By car, a quarter of an hour to Zonnebeke. The combined ticket with the Ypres museum comes to €19.50.
- 516:30Tyne Cot
Three kilometres away: almost 12,000 graves and 35,000 names.
- 618:00Dinner at De Ruyffelaer
Grandmother's cooking; it opens at 17:30 and leaves you five minutes from the Menin Gate.
- 719:30The Last Post
Arrive half an hour early; at 20:00, silence and bugles.
- 821:00Night at the Albion
Right in the centre, with enclosed parking.
Saturday
- 109:30Salient tour
Over the Top Tours, four hours through the northern front by minibus, €40, from the Menin Gate.
- 214:00The ramparts and the return
A walk to the Lille Gate and back to Brussels.
In a day from Brussels, Ypres forces you to choose between the museum, the cemeteries in the countryside and the Last Post at eight in the evening. With one night you don't have to: on the first day you see the museum and the Passchendaele front, have dinner and go to the Menin Gate; on the second, a local guide takes you through the trenches and craters of the Salient.
What does it cost?
| What | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| In Flanders Fields Museum | €12 | €6 for ages 7 to 17; belfry +€2 |
| With the Passchendaele Museum | €19.50 | Combined ticket |
| Tyne Cot and the Last Post | Free | No booking |
| Salient tour, Over the Top Tours | €40 | Morning or afternoon, in English |
| Gastrolunch at Klei | €42 | Friday lunchtime, yes |
Where to stay?
The Albion Hotel, 300 metres from the Grote Markt, with paid enclosed parking. If you arrive by car and prefer free parking, the four-star Ariane Hotel, five minutes' walk away.
Where to eat?
Klei on Friday lunchtime and De Ruyffelaer in the evening. On Saturday lunchtime, after the tour, grab something on the Grote Markt before heading back.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Ypres (Ieper), step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Ypres (Ieper)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Brussels or Charleroi and take the train to Ypres
Ypres is at the far western end of Belgium, about 125 km from Brussels and 30 km from Lille. The usual way is to fly to Brussels-Zaventem (BRU) or Charleroi (CRL), with direct flights from several Spanish cities, and continue by train with one change, or hire a car at the airport to tour the front. Lille airport (LIL) is closer, but has fewer flights from Spain.
- Getting thereBrussels-Zaventem (BRU): train to Brussels…
- Getting aroundHire car for the cemeteries…
- Where to stayAlbion Hotel, in the centre
- ServicesYpres station
Getting there
- Brussels-Zaventem (BRU): train to Brussels and a train to Ypres changing at Kortrijk or Ghent, about two and a half hours in total
- Charleroi (CRL): hire car, about an hour and three quarters by motorway
- Lille (LIL): about 45 minutes by car
Getting around
- Hire car for the cemeteries in the countryside
- Without a car, a minibus tour from the Menin Gate
Where to stay
- Albion Hotel, in the centre
- Ariane Hotel, with free parking if you hire a car
Services
- Ypres station
Ypres and the Salient by car
A car is the freest way to see the old front: the cemeteries, craters and museums are scattered through the countryside, 5 to 15 km from Ypres, with no practical public transport between them. From Brussels it is about an hour and a half along the E40 and A19, which ends in the town.
100–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayAriane Hotel, with free private…
- Getting aroundYpres → Passchendaele Museum and…
- Where to eatDe Ruyffelaer, on Sunday lunchtime
- ServicesAlbion car park, from 7:30…
Where to stay
- Ariane Hotel, with free private parking
- Albion Hotel, with paid enclosed parking
Getting around
- Ypres → Passchendaele Museum and Tyne Cot, about 15 minutes
- Ypres → Langemark, about 15 minutes
- In town, on foot
Where to eat
- De Ruyffelaer, on Sunday lunchtime
- Klei and Ariane Resto, on weekdays
Services
- Albion car park, from 7:30 to 22:00
Ypres by train, on foot and on a tour
Without a car, Ypres works well if you stay one night: you arrive by train, see the town, the museum and the Last Post on foot, and the next day take a minibus tour of the cemeteries. As a day trip from Brussels, it is about four hours of train travel there and back.
120–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayAlbion Hotel, right in the…
- Getting aroundOn foot through the centre…
- Where to eatDe Ruyffelaer, Friday to Sunday
- ServicesYpres station
Where to stay
- Albion Hotel, right in the centre
- Ariane Hotel, five minutes from the Grote Markt
Getting around
- On foot through the centre and the ramparts
- Over the Top Tours tour, €40, morning or afternoon
- Taxi, by reservation, to Tyne Cot
Where to eat
- De Ruyffelaer, Friday to Sunday
- Klei, on the Grote Markt
Services
- Ypres station
- Tourist office
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingif you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Albion Hotel
Why we like it: A 32-room hotel in the centre of Ypres, 300 metres from the Grote Markt, with enclosed parking and breakfast from local producers.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Ypres (Ieper)
De Ruyffelaer
What to order: a Flemish stew from the daily menu, home cooking
Open Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday for lunch and dinner · confirm by phone
Klei
What to order: the €42 Gastrolunch at lunchtime or the €77 four-course menu in the evening
Closed Wednesday, Saturday lunchtime and Sunday
Ariane Resto
What to order: the North Sea sole or the beef cheeks stewed in Sint-Bernardus beer
Open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner and on Saturday evening · closed Saturday lunchtime and Sunday
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book your hotel well ahead if you are going around 11 November: it is Armistice Day and Ypres fills up.
We'd skip it
Doing it on Sunday and Monday without checking: Klei is closed on Sunday and De Ruyffelaer only opens Friday to Sunday.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway to Ypres cost?
With hotel, museums, tour and meals, between €180 and €280 per person.
Can it be done without a car?
Yes: train to Ypres and the two Over the Top Tours tours, afternoon and morning, instead of going to Passchendaele on your own.
Do you need to book the Last Post?
No, it is free and without reservation.