Whether you are a first time or an old hand at battlefield touring, Ypres is one of the best places you can possibly choose for the combination of access, accommodation, intensity of the historical monuments and other battlefield places of interest – and evening entertainment.

Basics
Ypres is in Belgium. Its modern name, in the Flemish language spoken in the area, is Ieper (that is with an “i” not an ”L”). It is pronounced ee-per. Note that this is not a French speaking area. Most people in the area speak English well, many fluently. The currency in use is the Euro. Credit cards are widely accepted.
Getting to Ypres
By car from UK: Ypres is an easy 94 km (just over 1 hour) drive from Calais.
By car from airport: Ypres is 135 km (just over 1 hour 30 mins) drive from Brussels.
By rail: Ypres has a main railway station with frequent trains direct from Brussels.
See my guide On the way to Wipers! A battlefield tour before you get there
What is there to see?
The Ypres area is so full of places to go and things to see it is hard to know where to begin. “Must not be missed” sites include:
- The Cloth Hall (town centre, incorprating the “In Flanders Fields” museum)
- Menin Gate Memorial (town centre)
- The “Last Post” is played here and wreaths laid every day at 8pm. Please note that the centenary has attracted many people to this event and you are advised to arrive early if you wish to obtain a good view of proceedings.
- St George’s Memorial Church (town centre)
- Lille Gate and adjacent Ramparts Cemetery (town centre)
- Tyne Cot Cemetery, Memorial and Visitor Centre (Passendale)
- Langemarck German Cemetery (Langemark)
- Passchendaele Museum (Zonnebeke)
- Hooge Crater Cemetery and Hooge Military Museum (Hooge)
- Hill 60 and Caterpillar Crater (Zillebeke)
- Essex Farm Cemetery, bunkers and memorials (Brielen)
- Mine craters in the Messines-Wijtschaete area
Our suggested tour itineraries
- One Day in Ypres – see and hear our free walking tour
- Ypres salient in a day – our suggested highlights itinerary
- Canada at Ypres
- Download the Long, Long Trail’s Google Earth guide to Ypres
Tourist essentials
- The main tourist office is situated in the Cloth Hall on the main square (Grote Markt) (town centre)
- Monday is closing day: most shops and facilities are closed, at least for the morning.
- Eating and drinking: there are many restaurants, bars and cafes in town, most grouped around the central square but also along the Rijselsestraat and other main routes into the square. The larger villages around – notably Langemark, Zonnebeke and Passendale – have some too.
- Banks and ATMs (cash machines) : in Ieper and Zonnebeke, increasingly in the larger villages.
- Parking: main car parks are on Grote Markt and Leet (cathedral) (town centre) and there is a lot of on-street parking in Ypres but it is “pay and display” parking that must be paid in advance from slot machines. Free from 6pm to 8am. No problems parking at sites on the battlefields.
- Supermarkets: there is a small supermarket facing the cathedral and larger ones on the road out to Boesinge.
- Phoning: international dialling code to Belgium is 32. Numbers below are shown as they would be dialled from overseas. When calling in Belgium itself, drop the 32 and add a zero at the front of the number. Most hotel receptionists and guest house operators speak very good English.
Accommodation
When booking any accommodation, buyer beware. The Long, Long Trail can not be held responsible for the availability, price or performance of any of the accommodation listed here – obviously. It’s a good idea to check other customers comments at Tripadvisor or other accommodation review websites, before you book.
The beautiful Grote Markt, the centre of Ieper, viewed from the Regina Hotel
There is a wide selection of accommodation in the town and surrounding villages. Note, however, that accommodation is invariably full for 11 November. Book early.
Hotels
Albion Address: St Jacobsstraat 19, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 20 02 20 Website URL: www.albionhotel.be/ Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre. Very limited own car parking |
Alliance Address: D’Hondtstraat 19, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 38 88 05 Website URL: www.alliancehotel.be/ Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Ambrosia Address: D’Hondtstraat 54, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 36 63 66 Website URL: www.ambrosiahotel.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre Chris Baker says “When I stay in Ieper I usually choose the Ambrosia Hotel: a good quiet location just a few minutes walk from the Grote Markt; easy on street parking (free overnight); a good welcome and great breakfast; nicely furnished rooms – and all at a reasonable price”. |
Ariane Address: Slachthuisstraat 58, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 82 18 Fax: 32 57 21 87 99 Email: info@ariane.be Website URL: www.ariane.be Hotel. Car park. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Best Western Flanders Lodge Address: Albert Dehemlaanlaan 19, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 70 00 Fax: 32 57 21 94 74 Email: info@bestwestern.be Website URL: www.bestwestern.be Hotel formerly known as the “Rabbit”. Car park. Ieper outskirts. |
Hampshire Hotel O Ieper Address: D’Hondtstraat 4, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 36 23 30 Website URL: http://www.hampshire-hotels.com/hotel/97/Hampshire_Hotel_O_-_Ieper.html Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Kasteelhof t’Hooge Address: Meenseweg 481, 8902 Ieper Tel: 32 57 46 87 87 Fax: 32 57 46 87 58 Email: kasteelhof.thooghe@belgacom.net Website URL: www.hotelkasteelhofthooghe.be/ Hotel. Car park. Situated out of town on the main Ieper-Menen road, between the Hooge Museum and the Bellewaarde amusement park and opposite Hooge Crater cemetery |
Main Street Hotel Address: Rijselsestraat 136, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 46 96 33 Website URL: www.mainstreet-hotel.be/ Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields Address: Sint Jacobstraat 15, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 42 96 00 Email: H1372@accor.com Website URL:www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/nov/3172/fiche_hotel.shtml Hotel. Underground car park. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Old Tom Address: Grote Markt 8, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 20 15 41 Fax: 32 57 21 91 20 Email: info@oldtom.be Website URL: www.oldtom.be/ Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Regina Address: Grote Markt 45, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 88 77 Fax: 32 57 21 90 20 Email: info@hotelregina.be Website URL: www.hotelregina.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre, facing the Cloth Hall |
Sultan Address: Grote Markt 33, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 21 90 30 Fax: 32 57 21 95 37 Email: sultanyp@skynet.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre |
Gasthof ‘t Zweerd Address: Grote Markt 2, 8900 Ieper Tel: 32 57 20 04 75 Fax: 32 57 21 78 96 Website URL: www.gasthof-tzweerd.be Hotel. Situated in Ieper town centre |
B&B / Guesthouses
Camalou B&B Address: 351 Dikkebusseweg, 8908 Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 43 42 Email: info@camalou.com Website URL: www.camalou.com Annette Linthout In the village of Dikkebus |
Cavells B&B Address: 3 Minneplein, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 47 98 06 426 Email: info@cavells.be Website URL: www.cavells.be Roger and Muriel In central Ieper |
Cherry Blossom B&B Address: Grote Branderstraat, Vlamertinge Phone: 32 57 30 15 55 Email: liz@cherryblossom.be Website URL: www.cherryblossom.be Jon and Liz Millward In the hamlet of Brandhoek near Vlamertinge |
De Akkerwinde B&B Address: Lange Dreve 12, 8980 Zonnebeke Phone: 32 57 46 60 00 Website URL: www.deakkerwinde.be/en/index.asp Patrick and Fanny Alongside Polygon Wood |
D’Hellekapelle B&B Address:Dikkebusstraat 171, B8950 Loker Phone: 32 57 20 24 83 Website URL: www.dhellekapelle.be In the village of Loker (Locre). Also has self catering flats |
De Nacht Wacht B&B (the Night Watch) Address: Maloulaan 15, 8980 Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 55 15 Website URL: www.denachtwacht-ieper.be/ Mike and Ine Ieper town centre, close to railway station |
Guesthouse ‘t oud gemeentehuis Poelkapelle (“the old town hall in Poelkapelle”) Address: Guynemerplein 5, 8920 Poelkapelle Phone: 32 494 633 091 Website URL: www.guesthouse-poelkapelle.be/ Stijn Vercruysse and Nele Tryssesoone In the village of Poelkapelle |
Hortensia B&B Address: Rijselsestraat 196, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 21 24 06 Email: info@guesthouse-ypres.be Website URL: www.guesthouse-ypres.be Andre Parys 100m from Lille Gate in Ieper town centre |
Le Chat Noir Address: Diksmuidsestraat 91, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 47 45 95 344 Email: info@lechatnoir.be Website URL: www.lechatnoir.be Alain A few 100m north of Grote Markt in Ieper town centre |
Lille Gate Guest House Address: Neerstraat 14, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 40 08 57 Email: info@lillegateguesthouse.com Website URL: www.lillegateguesthouse.com Chris and Milena 100m from Lille Gate in Ieper town centre |
Llamedos Guest House Address: Rijselseweg 126, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 48 60 09 Email: mikeruthbelgium@skynet.be Website URL: www.llamedos-ieper.be/ Mike and Ruth Bygrave 1km from Lille Gate on road to Messines |
De Potyze B&B Address: Zonnebeekseweg 359, Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 3443 Email: info@potyze.com Website URL: www.potyze.com Paul and Mimi 3km from town on road to Zonnebeke |
Protea B&B Address: Menenstraat 47, 8980 Geluveld Phone: 32 57 46 6339 Email: info@theprotea.be Website URL: www.theprotea.be Paul and Mimi On main Menen road in Geluveld |
The Rum Jar B&B Address: Elverdingestraat 69, Poelkapelle Phone: 32 51 77 88 06 Email: info@therumjar.be Website URL: www.therumjar.be Peter Morris |
Ter Vesten B&B Address: Arsenaalstraat 4, Ieper Phone: 32 57 21 57 59 Website URL: www.bbtervesten.be/ Magda Vandenbroucke In Ieper town centre |
saBBajon B&B Address: Boezingepoortstraat 6, Ieper Phone: 32 57 20 30 06 Email: info@sabbajon.be Website URL: www.sabbajon.be Jo and Luc In Ieper town centre |
Varlet Farm B&B Address: Wallemolenstraat 43, Poelkapelle Phone: 32 51 77 78 59 Email: info@varletfarm.com Website URL: www.varletfarm.com Rooms in farmhouse and renovated farm buildings. Near the villages of Poelkapelle and Passendale, close to Tyne Cot |
Self Catering
Poorthuis Ieper Address: Diksmuidsestraat 26, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 475 42 02 38 Website: www.apartmentsypres.com Philippe and Katie Deschryver |
D’Hellekapelle Address:Dikkebusstraat 171, B8950 Loker Phone: 32 57 20 24 83 Website URL: www.dhellekapelle.be In the village of Loker (Locre) also has B&B see above |
Landhuis Kemmelberg Address: Lokerstraat 10, 8956 Kemmel, West-Vlaanderen Phone: 32 475 42 02 38 Website: www.apartmentsypres.com Philippe and Katie Deschryver |
Camping
Camping Ypra Address: Pingelaarstraat 2, 8956 Kemmel-Heuvelland Phone: 32 57 44 46 31 Fax: 32 57 44 48 81 E-mail: camping.ypra@skynet.be Jan and Ann Vitse Heddebauw |
Camping Jeugdstation Ypra Address: Bolwerkstraat 1, 8900 Ieper Phone: 32 57 21 72 82 Fax: 32 57 421 61 21 E-mail: Info@Jeugdstadion.be |
Some useful Ypres links
Recommended guide books
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