We are staying in Brugge for 4 nights and planning to use public transportation to take day trips. We want to visit Ypes/Leper and have found two ways that we could do that. RS has talked about a tour company (Flanders Battlefield Tours) based in Leper that sounds very good. We would have to take the train from Brugge to Leper and I am having a little difficulty calculating that cost. There is also a Quasimodo tour that includes your transportation in a private coach from the Marketplace in Brugge which would be very convenient but does cost more. Does anyone have experience with either of these or have further suggestions? Thank you!
Posted by
Bristol, UK
619 posts
I cannot answer your question, but I just point out that the two names are Ypres and Ieper. That's a capital "eye" at the beginning.
In the First World War, the British troops called it Wipers.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4627 posts
In 2000 when we went there, it was an easy drive from Brussels.
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2106 posts
A return trip with the train needs about 1½ h and will set you back some €25 each. For time tables you can use the belgianrail website, fill in only by local name: Brugge and Ieper
http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx
And indeed don’t miss attending the “Last Post” ceremony at the Menin Gate every evening at 8pm.
Posted by
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
504 posts
We took the Quasimodo tour in September and had a wonderful time. You get to see a lot more of the Flanders battlefields besides Ypres. We stayed in Ypres for the Last Post after the tour, which gave us time to have dinner on the market square. Quasimodo arranged for taxis to take us back to Brugge.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33991 posts
The battlefields all around the Salient with their small and not so small cemeteries every few hundred yards complete with large and small craters is an extremely emotion packed place.
Tyne Cot is special.
That's where my family lost one three days after Christmas, 1917. Killed in action. Then where he was on his stretcher endured very heavy shelling. His body was never seen again.
If you have history in the area be prepared to be moved.