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Ghent trip, Fri 23rd Sat 24th Nov 2012
Ghent 6 trip, Belgium
CC Ashwell
Fri 23rd Sat 24th November 2012
The trip: A two night stay in the beautiful city of Ghent, Belgium to see some of the annual track racing events, along with a few beers and frites.
Im going to Ghent this November. I know there are others interested and committed too. As is usual for CCA events its a case of say it, do it and let others jump on board as they see fit. Theres different ways to do it, below is just a few options.
Im hoping to buy track tickets soon, and the hotel. Eurostar booking will have to wait theyre not going as far as November right now. Ill update info and prices on this discussion as I find things out. This is getting the discussion thread going really.
Av it!
GETTING THERE
Option 1.
Eurostar St Pancras - Brussels on Friday morning. Then catch a connecting local train to Ghent, arriving in the afternoon.
Option 2.
Drive, Friday morning. If you get four in a car it will get very economical. Early start - you'll be there mid-afternoon.
Option 3.
Im looking to cycle to Ghent [and get the train back]. On Thursday morning. From Ashwell to Dover is approx 130 miles, via Essex, the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry over the Thames, and then through Kent. Then catch a ferry to Calais.
At Calais, I will either stay overnight ,in or nearby, in a cheap hotel styley [e.g. a Hotel Etap/ibis in Calais], or push on the extra 100 miles through the night to Ghent. So, arriving in Ghent either Friday morning or early afternoon, audax styley. Right now: Im thinking of stopping overnight in Calais; inpart easier, and in part the opportunity to have half a beer in Bergues and then lunch in Diksmuide the next day.
Im familiar with most of the Essex part of the ride. Know nothing of Kent. And know only the middle bit of the France/Belgium ride from our great trips to Diksmuide beforehand.
IN GHENT
Im looking to book a 2-star hotel like ibis Gent Centrum Opera. Its approx 15 mins walk to the velodrome. My plan is to get tickets for Friday and Saturday nights racing. Though Friday is a bonus track Saturday is the big night for me. Friday will include a bit of sight seeing, bike shops and bars. Saturday might see a bit of a hangover/recovery and tootle around the local bike shops and bars before the evenings racing.
Sunday is largely just about getting back. But might do a few miles on the bike somewhere beforehand, maybe.
GETTING BACK
Local train to Brussels. Then Brussels Eurostar to London. Bikes are able to go on the Eurostar [cheers Scouse] either dismantled into a bike bag, prebooked or a kind of parcel service.
Simples!
APPROX TRAVEL/TICKET/ACCOMMODATION COSTS [for Option 3 overnight Calais]
Thursday 22nd Nov
Ferry Tilbury-Gravesend £5
Lunch £10
Ferry Dover-Calais £20
Hotel in Calais £35
Dinner £20
Friday 23rd Nov
Breakfast £10
Lunch £20
Hotel £35
Track ticket £20
Saturday 24th Nov
Track ticket £30
Hotel £35
Sunday 25th Nov
Train Ghent-Brussels £20
Eurostar Brussels-London £75
Approx total, £335.00 + booze n frites
My next steps in next week or so;
- Buy track tickets
- Book hotel[s]
At a later time;
- Ferry ticket
- Eurostar ticket
Ill update this discussion as things move on. Itd be good to have a few out there! November what can possibly go wrong?!
CC Ashwell
Fri 23rd Sat 24th November 2012
The trip: A two night stay in the beautiful city of Ghent, Belgium to see some of the annual track racing events, along with a few beers and frites.
Im going to Ghent this November. I know there are others interested and committed too. As is usual for CCA events its a case of say it, do it and let others jump on board as they see fit. Theres different ways to do it, below is just a few options.
Im hoping to buy track tickets soon, and the hotel. Eurostar booking will have to wait theyre not going as far as November right now. Ill update info and prices on this discussion as I find things out. This is getting the discussion thread going really.
Av it!
GETTING THERE
Option 1.
Eurostar St Pancras - Brussels on Friday morning. Then catch a connecting local train to Ghent, arriving in the afternoon.
Option 2.
Drive, Friday morning. If you get four in a car it will get very economical. Early start - you'll be there mid-afternoon.
Option 3.
Im looking to cycle to Ghent [and get the train back]. On Thursday morning. From Ashwell to Dover is approx 130 miles, via Essex, the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry over the Thames, and then through Kent. Then catch a ferry to Calais.
At Calais, I will either stay overnight ,in or nearby, in a cheap hotel styley [e.g. a Hotel Etap/ibis in Calais], or push on the extra 100 miles through the night to Ghent. So, arriving in Ghent either Friday morning or early afternoon, audax styley. Right now: Im thinking of stopping overnight in Calais; inpart easier, and in part the opportunity to have half a beer in Bergues and then lunch in Diksmuide the next day.
Im familiar with most of the Essex part of the ride. Know nothing of Kent. And know only the middle bit of the France/Belgium ride from our great trips to Diksmuide beforehand.
IN GHENT
Im looking to book a 2-star hotel like ibis Gent Centrum Opera. Its approx 15 mins walk to the velodrome. My plan is to get tickets for Friday and Saturday nights racing. Though Friday is a bonus track Saturday is the big night for me. Friday will include a bit of sight seeing, bike shops and bars. Saturday might see a bit of a hangover/recovery and tootle around the local bike shops and bars before the evenings racing.
Sunday is largely just about getting back. But might do a few miles on the bike somewhere beforehand, maybe.
GETTING BACK
Local train to Brussels. Then Brussels Eurostar to London. Bikes are able to go on the Eurostar [cheers Scouse] either dismantled into a bike bag, prebooked or a kind of parcel service.
Simples!
APPROX TRAVEL/TICKET/ACCOMMODATION COSTS [for Option 3 overnight Calais]
Thursday 22nd Nov
Ferry Tilbury-Gravesend £5
Lunch £10
Ferry Dover-Calais £20
Hotel in Calais £35
Dinner £20
Friday 23rd Nov
Breakfast £10
Lunch £20
Hotel £35
Track ticket £20
Saturday 24th Nov
Track ticket £30
Hotel £35
Sunday 25th Nov
Train Ghent-Brussels £20
Eurostar Brussels-London £75
Approx total, £335.00 + booze n frites
My next steps in next week or so;
- Buy track tickets
- Book hotel[s]
At a later time;
- Ferry ticket
- Eurostar ticket
Ill update this discussion as things move on. Itd be good to have a few out there! November what can possibly go wrong?!
Comments
Am in, all being well.
Martin if you train it back, where will you get a bike-bag from?
Am looking at early Friday depart, returning Sunday pm Eurotunnel (approx £100 return), a tank and bit of petrol. About £50 per head, based on four in car
Cheap as frites!
Plus food, hotel etc and lots of beer vouchers as per your post
Bikes on Eurostar. Good question. I will look into the pre-book option soon. Or buy a cheap bag there. Or borrow one - and if anyone is driving over, kindly ask to shove in boot. Or take whole bike back - for a few quid. Dunno yet.
This looks like a wonderful trip Martin.
Daniel
a couple of points...the last session and winners presentation etc is sunday lunchtime not sure exactly of timings.
one of the ways ive done it in the past and quite a cheap option is leave the car at Dover, take bike on the seacat to Ostend as foot passenger, then cycle approx 50 miles to Ghent.
Not sure how i will travel yet, depends if Mrs D comes.
My plans for this years riding have gone pear shaped, this would be a good way to the end the year.
Gavin B.
how about an option 4 which is;
1 - cycle to st pancras from ashwell (50 miles) or (catch the 05.21 from Ashwell to kings cross - gets you to london before cycle restrictions)
2 - catch High Speed 1from st pancras to dover priory (about £50 return) takes about 1hr 30mins and they depart every 30mins and i have seen loads of bikes on it - say the 07.24; which gets you to dover by about 9am
3 - catch ferry to calais (or dunkirk; less to cycle) think these go every 2hrs and take max 2hrs
4 - pedal from calais (or dunkirk) to ghent 95miles'ish (80 from Dunkirk)
5 - ditto the way back
not sure of how connections would work out but if you left ashwell early enough you could probably get the 10 o'clock ferry and be in calais/dunkirk by 12'ish which will leave you the afternoon to pedal to ghent
Yes: there's loads of ways to do this. Let's keep the options coming and then see where things lie. I can see a pub meeting in the near future. Maybe an add-on after the AGM.
Or fixed wheel tandem. LINK
Ideal for through the night riding as one can sleep (and still pedal) whilst the other steers (and pedals)
Daniel
I'm keen to ride as much of the journey down as possible - Tim's Ghent stories make it sound more like a pilgrimage than anything else.
Given all the options, I can see having good fun with a 'track my progress' app!
Adam
http://tiny.cc/ashwell-dover
Calais-Ghent
http://tiny.cc/calais-ghent
328ft of climbing on 100 miles!
The conversation to be had is around the definition of "better". For cyclists, is one day cycling better than two? Are 80 miles better than 230?
Time away is the biggest factor for most club members - less so cost, as the differences are likely marginal. I think it's possible there'll be two cycling options - a Thursday start and a Friday start.
And maybe some who drive or train it both ways.
I am still erring on the side of a Thursday start.
For now - nothing has changed while options are thought about. We need to buy track tickets and Ghent hotel soonish. And the travel can be considered a little later. I'm going to try and chat with the ticket people this week.
Sections A and B will be the best places - on the finish line. Then H - directly opposite. But these seats are allocated as opposed to other sections that are un-named. It might be simpler if we got tickets in these 'lesser' areas. And cheaper. Tim D - any thoughts from previous experience?
2 or three cars, bikes loaded, get there and if its not freezing get some miles in in situ
it's great to be a belgian...
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Spanish, Portuguese or German)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much!
As I walk along the streets
With my mayonnaise and frites
You can tell I'm as happy as can be
With my Duvel in my hand
Then you must understand
I'm a Belgian, so nothing worries me!
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Irish, Italian or Danish)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much
Without the Belgians there would be no saxophone
no Tintin, captain Haddock or Poirot
and you'll excuse me if I ve missed
anybody of the list
These are the only Belgians that I know!
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Finnish, Austrian or Swedish)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much!
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Spanish, Portuguese or German)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much!
Now the English egg and bacon's not so bad
Especially since all their cows went mad
But if they've never tasted mussels
On the Grand Place down in Brussels
It's no wonder they're feeling very sad!
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Irish, Italian or Danish)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much
I'm a Belgian, I'm not Irish, I'm not Greek
I don't drink Guinness or Retsina, I drink Kriek!
On the Schelde or the Meuse
You find me drinking Gueuze
Or Leffe or Chimay or Lambik!
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Spanish, Portuguese or German)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(And me, I'm not a Luxemburger)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much
Potverdekke, it's great to be a Belgian
I'm not English, I'm not French and I'm not Dutch
(I'm not Spanish, Portuguese or German)
I'm a Belgian, so thank you very much
Don't let that put you off the place.
Well done all the lads!
Up for a long ride as you suggest Martin in 3.
A quick scan down the list for people so far - I just want a basic idea for conversations on tickets;
Martin L
Scouse
Geoff
Tim D
Stef D
Gavin
Phil K
Adam C
Robbie
Here's World Champion Zdenek Stybar doing the dunes last year.
Maybe something to do for those who don't want to amble around Ghent in the day time.
I'm thinking of tickets for the middle of the track on Friday [only about a tenner] - and a cheaper seat for Saturday. I'm assuming people with seat tickets can get to the middle no problem. Will try and find out.
If people want a fancier seat - here's the link to book now. The popular sections - A, B, C, H - are nearly sold out.
http://www.uitbureau.be/default_uit1.aspx?ref=ACAD&lang=NL_UIT