motorcycle-friendly B&Bs in Ypres/the Salient

[Tom Morgan]

Could anyone recommend a B&B which has secure parking for motorbikes? I know Varlet Farm, of course, and have stayed in lots of hotels and B&Bs over the last 30 years but as I've mostly arrived there by train or with coach groups, or been on foot staying over between tours, this has never been anything that I gave much attention to.

As always, grateful for any advice.

Tom

[Frajohn]

Hi Tom

It is worth looking at the 'Bike Stay' website

http://www.bike-stay.net/belgium/index.html

Kind regards

John

[KIRKY]

This B&B specialise in Bikers http://www.beaumonthamelview.com/

Tony

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

Tony - bit of a commute from Ypres though ! What has Tom ever done to you ?

Tom

[KIRKY]

Oops your are right as usual Tom, must learn to read the complete message!!

Tony

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

Tony - its an old, old (very old) engineer's maxim that "If all else fails, read the ******* instructions !" - or in this case, the tag-line - I just had this horrible vision of poor "old" Mr Morgan kick-starting some ancient beast in the Thiepval car park at late-o-clock in the afternoon, with the prospect of a slog up the A1 - A25 ahead of him. Nothing short of cruel.

Tom

[Fred van Woerkom]

Tom,

BB Hortensia, Rijselsestraat, has a special place to put your bike in a danger-free zone. Highly recommended !

All the best,

Fred

[KIRKY]

Tom, Tom Morgan is such a nice guy he would have just done it and not said anything!

Tony

[Tom Morgan]

Tom, Tom Morgan is such a nice guy he would have just done it and not said anything!

Tony

Well, yes, I would, but I'd still mentally mark your card for future reference, Pal! I'd get you back - ring your doorbell and run away, something like that.

Tom

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

... - ring your doorbell and run away, something like that. ...

Tom - playing pranks in Woolvoooooooramptun could be costly - while you are out ringing the dooorbell someone will probably nick your car

Tom

[KIRKY]

Careful, the South Staffs Pals are based here and can turn nasty!

TK

[bruce]

I was going to suggest the Hortensia too. There is a garage for bikes, as well as nice rooms, at a fair price, a cooked breakfast, good hostess and host, close to the Lille gate and tkleine reissel with its peace beer, and a pleasant stroll round the ramparts to the Gate.

You could stay in far worse places!

Bruce.

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks Bruce and Fred, for mentioning the Hortensia. I have stayed there before and I agree it's a nicely-located spot giving great value for money. I didn't know about the bike parking though as parking wasn't an issue I had to consider when I was there. The Hortensia is a place I'll definitely look into.

Tony - thanks for your Somme recommendation. Never stayed there, but have had some email conversations with the owner and know where it is. We were thinking of visiting the Somme as a day excursion, but an overnight stay with suitable parking is certainly an option we could consider.

Tom - it won't be an ancient beast, but it does have a kickstart. This one's a bit more modern and can take the A1/A25 in its stride and eat up the miles. Mind you, it eats up the riders, too, and put me in hospital for a day at the start of October when it threw me off. I was heading towards Wolverhampton at the time. Maybe it was trying to tell me something. Minimal damage to the bike. Slightly more to the rider. It's all part of the fun, though. I can dress myself unaided again now.

Tom

[985acoy]

nice bike.985

[Wildun]

Hi Tom,

I have stayed twice, 2012 and 2013, at T'oud Gemeentehuis in the centre of Poelkapelle village with my bikes, BSA Bantam and Mz 301.( and also in October this year with my wife and car!). Bikes can be parked in the courtyard through the wooden doors which are locked in the evening and through the night; you will be given a key to the doors as this is the access to the B&B rooms. Stijn and Nele could not be more helpful, read the Tripadvisor reviews for my, and other bikers' opinion. Enjoy your W650 on the quiet Belgian roads.

Chris.

http://www.guesthouse-poelkapelle.be/

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g188670-d2493910-Reviews-Guesthouse_t_oud_Gemeentehuis_Poelkapelle-West_Flanders_Province.html

[Tom Morgan]

Hi Tom,

I have stayed twice, 2012 and 2013, at T'oud Gemeentehuis in the centre of Poelkapelle village with my bikes, BSA Bantam and Mz 301.( and also in October this year with my wife and car!). Bikes can be parked in the courtyard through the wooden doors which are locked in the evening and through the night; you will be given a key to the doors as this is the access to the B&B rooms. Stijn and Nele could not be more helpful, read the Tripadvisor reviews for my, and other bikers' opinion. Enjoy your W650 on the quiet Belgian roads.

Chris.

Thanks, Chris. I found their website when googling for biker friendly B&Bs in Flanders. It looked very good so I was very glad to read that your reports (and lots of others) confirm this.

You did well to go over there on a Bantam! Where did your journey start from? I'd really like to go on my Velocette MAC (1951) but that kind of distance, with a rigid frame, might be a bit uncomfortable. The Dub makes the journey there and back pretty effortless and should be great fun out in the lanes when we get there. My brother-in-law's got one, too. Ypres or bust, this year.

Frajohn - this is the one that shows up for Ypres on the excellent site you provided a link to - thanks for that.

Tom

[Fred van Woerkom]

Tôm,

What a beautiful bike ! What make is it?

All the best,

Fred

[Tom Morgan]

Fred, it's a Kawasaki W650 (2001) - Kawasaki's attempt to recreate the style of the British Triumph twin-cylinder bikes from the 1960s. There are not too many of them around.

Tom

[Fred van Woerkom]

Tom,

It is a beauty !

Are there still many Vincents about? I have been told that they were something special in the '50s. Like the Rolls Royce among motorbikes,

I saw three of them in a race for classic bikes in Holland.

All the best,

Fred

[Wildun]

Hi Tom,

I went on the Bantam to the Guynemer Day, 2012, in Poelkapelle. I set of from South Lincolnshire, having to avoid the M11 and M25 normal route due to my 45mph cruising speed but the A2/M2/M20 are usable with care on slower machines. To the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone was 180 miles then using the fabulous French and Belgian back roads was another 65ish miles; seven hours riding time total. I then attended an Oldtimer Run at Gullegem and also had a ride into France to the Loos battlefield and then Vimy Ridge. I would certainly encourage you to go on your Velo, it would be fabulous thumping around the less busy roads over there. I have promised my Belgian friends that I will go next year on my 1952 D1 125cc Bantam, also rigid frame but it is still in bits so must get on with it!

Best Wishes and Encouragement,

Chris.

[Tom Morgan]

Fred - sorry for the delay. Here are some photos.

Timing side

Drive side

Tom

[Fred van Woerkom]

Tom,

Magnificent machine ! Thanks for sharing.

All the best,

Fred

[ploggy]

Hi Tom,
try "Paul's Place" in Zonnebeke www.paulsplace.be he is a biker.

Claude

[bartensabien]

Nice bike !!

I'm a motor biker too, but I have an modern Japanese machine. (and going to Ireland this summer to meet 2 forum members),

Travelling with a motorbike is fun, but leaving the bike somewhere for the night is always a sorrow. I know that feeling.

But I always manage to find a place to park my bike in a safe place.

It is just a matter of calling or mailing the owner of the B&B: they always find a sollutions for you. Most B&B owners will take it as a challence to find a safe parking place for one or more motorbikes. And if you mention you ride an oldtimer, the will move heaven and earth to park your machine. (Last year soemwhere in France, our bikes were guarded all night... by a German sheppard).

Just for youre information:
If you are in Merkem (the Ypres area) , you can contact "Motorcyclecheckpoint": Pieter is a young guy who repairs, sells and hires Royal Endfield bikes and knows the Ypres Salient very well. I'm sure Pieter will be able to help you to find logging and parking.

http://www.enfieldtobattlefield.be/#!contact/c24vq

Regards from the sunny Gullegem

Bart

[ianhwason]

Perhaps too late for Tom but just to let others travelling by motorbike know:

The friendly folks at La Passarelle B&B at Hooge allowed me to keep my bike in their garage - no problem.

Regards,

Ian.