Ypres is home to many fine food and service is of the highest standards. Because the French do not tolerate poor quality food you are assured a great meal in pretty much every Ypres resuarant/bar and cafe. If you go to Ypres for a romantic break then we would recommend a visit around a vineyard. It will give a good introduction to wine and there are usually opportunities to taste the fantastic wines on offer.
Your Alternatives for travel from the UK to France has never been greater since the tunnel opened and now via Eurostar you can be in Paris around a couple hours. It opens up a whole new field of travel affording an opportunity to explore further on a short break. France is a very popular choice for a short break, whether you want a holiday or just an opportunity to get away and savour the French lifestyle and culture. When people think of a romantic holiday then they will usually have France in mind.
The cuisine in France is second to none as the French really do value high quality gourmet food. There is also a fantastic choice of fantastic good quality wines, and depending on the region of France you go to there will be very many varieties to choose from of local wines and champagnes.
In terms of places to stay you really want somewhere that is luxurious and opulant. Thankfully there are lots of great value hotels to suit every budget. Even 4 star hotels in France offer good levels of luxury. For the ultimate romantic break one should consider a 5 star hotel or one of the many Chateux hotels around.
When in Ypres you will want to visit the Menin gate Memorial which commemorates the soldiers with no known grave who fell in the Ypres Salient before 16 August 1917; as graves are found, the names of those buried in them are removed from the gate. Every evening under this gate the 'Last Post ceremony' is played at precisely 2000 hours. Originally 'The Last Post' was a bugle call played in the British Army to mark the end of the day's labours and the onset of the night's rest and now represents a final farewell to the fallen when played by buglers each day.
Guided tours of the Ypres Salient frontline and a visit to the 'In Flanders fields' museum provide a sobering reminder of what was lost during the war. 'In Flanders fields' museum is housed in Cloth Hall, a World Heritage Site which is an exact copy of the original large medieval commercial building, with its own belfry and 49-bell Carillion. Saint George's Memorial Church also commemorates the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the five battles fought for Ypres during World War I. A popular tourist attraction is the Museum Hooge Crater, which features rare military clothing of the troops that where fighting in the 'Ypres Salient' and some full scale scenes of the Great War battle fields, very authentically reproduced. The two largest war graves near Ypres that you may want to visit are Langemark German war cemetery and Tyne Cot Commonwealth war cemetery.
The best view of the salient is from Mnt. Kemmel from which the devastation caused by blasts can be clearly seen and Sanctuary Wood with its museum, trenches and cemetery give a very real feeling of what life would have been like fighting in the trenches. There are lovely restaurants and a wide range of hotels to choose from when you stay here. For restaurants the popular ones are De Ruyffelaer and Trattoria Alloro. If you are bringing your family, the hotel Novotel Ieper Centrum would be perfect as it is right in the centre of Ypres and family rooms. For a more quaint stay try the Kasteelhof T'Hooghe in Ypres' green belt and for a comfortable stay the 4* hotel Ariane.
You'll probably want to drive to Ypres, with Eurotunnel being a great way to cross the channel because of the easy check-in and its short 35 minute crossing. Whilst in Ypres you must try some Belgian beer and chocolates. There is a great small shop near the Menin gate called 't Hemelryck where you'll be able to buy some great beers and chocolates, and try their savoury hot waffles. Patisserie Chocolaterie Vandale is a charming family run shop that has been in business for more than a hundred years with an enormous selection of lovely chocolates.
Travelling to France with Eurostar or the Eurotunnel services is a trouble freefast and simple{means of transport from the UK|way to travel to France from the UK}. We recommend{booking in advance at least 2 weeks before you travel|making your travel reservations 14 days ahead of travel}in order to get the best rates. Additional discounts are offered when booking off peak journeys so try to avoid weekends and Fridays a good tour operator can offer advice on which are the cheapest fare options to go for.
Many people are browsing the internet for travel options that do not require flights. flights can be expensive. Lets look at the options and ways to get cheap travel to France.
Travelling to France by Eurotunnel or Eurostar is a trouble freequick and easy{means of transport from the UK|way to travel to France from the UK}. We suggest you{booking in advance at least 2 weeks before you travel|making your travel reservations 14 days ahead of travel}in order to get the best rates. Additional discounts are offered to those requesting off peak travel times so try to avoid weekends and Fridays a good tour operator can advice you on which are the cheapest fare options to go for.
It is not only the price of flights,{some people| as many} are frustrated you have to check in 2 hours or so before the flight is due to leave. On long haul flights this is not too much of an addition to the journey time but on a short haul flight of up to 4 hours or so you can literally spend more time waiting than you do travelling.
For this reason many people are taking their family car to France and looking to just get across the channel. There are a surprising number of transport options to France and we shall look at the most popular of them and how to save money.
Ferries, are generally the cheapest option and there are a number of popular ferry services from ports along the south coast of the UK. Carriers such as P&O, Seafrance, Condor and Norfolk line. There are 2 main classes of ferry, a traditional ferry which has many onboard facilities and a capacity for 100's of cars and passengers and a relatively slow speed or the smaller catamaran ferry which has a smaller capacity for cars and passengers and doesn't have as wide a choice of on board facilities as the Ferry but will typically make the cross channel crossing in a relatively quick time.Travel by rail is another popular option since the channel tunnel opened. The two carriers from the UK include Eurotunnel and Eurostar and it is worth noting that the two offer very different services.
Booking direct is not as you might thinkalways the best option, a good travel agent is able to offer a competitive package deal on hotel and travel and through their block buying power are able to offer generous discounts. Plus if one element of your travel plans were to fail the tour operator can re arrange this seamlessly giving you just one point of contact.
When it comes to getting the cheapest price we suggest that you get quotes for different times of the day and different days of the week. An low peak travel rate can be much lower priced than an on peak rate. A good travel advisor or tour operator is able to provide advice on the most cost effective times to travel in. With many travel options it also proves to be much cheaper the further in advance you wish to travel. Book at least 2 or 4 weeks in advance for the maximum discount.
We also strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance which covers you in the event that due to health issues (your party or even close family members) you are unable to travel.
Your hotel selection is another major part of the price of your holiday and there are often deals around like 3 nights for 2 or packages including meals so it pays to shop around and we would suggest visit sites like Short Break Market to get the best offers and deals and find out what the latest offers are. It always pays to ask your preferred travel providers for details on offers and deals.
