Day 1 · 20 June 2027

Dunkirk to Bastogne

Dunkirk → Ypres → Dinant → Bastogne

Our first day is deliberately not the fastest way to Bastogne. The aim is to stay away from toll roads and, where practical, use interesting cross-country roads rather than simply sitting on motorways.

This page is designed to be the daily rally briefing. It shows where the convoy starts, the two places where it will regroup, the planned restart times and the proposed route corridor. Exact parking points and the final road-by-road navigation will be confirmed before the rally.

StartDunkirk

Regroup 1Ypres

Regroup 2Dinant

FinishBastogne

Road styleNon-toll / scenic

How the convoy works today

If you decide to travel with the convoy at the start of the day, we will leave Dunkirk together. We expect the cars to become separated as the day progresses — traffic lights, junctions and different driving speeds make that inevitable.

The two stops below are therefore our official regrouping points. We will wait for everyone who started the day as part of the convoy and leave each stop together at the published restart time.

If you decide to leave the convoy and make your own way, that is absolutely fine — just let the WhatsApp group know so that nobody is waiting for you at the next regrouping point.

08:30Provisional departure from Dunkirk — exact meeting point to be confirmed.

10:45Restart from Ypres — everyone travelling with the convoy should be ready to leave.

15:45Restart from Dinant — main lunch / sightseeing stop.

Approx. 17:30–18:00Arrival in Bastogne, depending on traffic and the final scenic route.

Regrouping stop 1

Ypres / Ieper — Menin Gate & Grote Markt

Planned restart: 10:45

Ypres is one of the most important First World War locations in Belgium. The Menin Gate stands on the route used by British and Commonwealth troops leaving the town for the Ypres Salient and carries the names of tens of thousands of servicemen who died without a known grave.

The stop is intended to give everyone enough time for a short visit to the memorial and a walk into the historic centre. The Grote Markt and reconstructed Cloth Hall are only a short walk away and there are cafés around the square, making this a useful first coffee and comfort stop of the rally.

Why stop?History, memorial and an impressive town centre.

Food & drinkCafés and refreshments around the Grote Markt.

Meeting pointExact rally parking / regroup point to be confirmed.

Important: 10:45 is the restart time, not an arrival time. If you arrive early you can take your time; if traffic delays you, you may only have a short stop before the convoy moves on.

Dinant riverside at dusk — Dinant riverside

Regrouping stop 2

Dinant — Citadel & Meuse Valley

Planned restart: 15:45

Dinant sits in a spectacular position on the River Meuse, squeezed between the river and steep limestone cliffs. The Citadel dominates the town from the rock above and gives the stop a completely different character from Ypres.

This is planned as the main lunch and sightseeing break of the day. The Citadel has free parking for cars at its upper entrance, together with a cafeteria and refreshment facilities. A full Citadel visit normally takes around 90 minutes, so anyone arriving promptly should have time to see more of the site; others may prefer coffee, lunch and the views before the convoy restarts.

Why stop?Clifftop views, historic Citadel and the Meuse Valley.

Food & drinkCafeteria / refreshments at the Citadel and restaurants in town.

Proposed meeting pointUpper Citadel car park, Chemin de la Citadelle 1, 5500 Dinant.

Again, the important time is 15:45. The convoy will regroup and aim to depart together then for the final run through the Ardennes to Bastogne.

Keep this in the car

Day 1 Route Sheet

Dunkirk → Bergues → Wormhout → Steenvoorde → Poperinge → Ypres → Menen → Kortrijk → Ronse → Ath / Soignies → Nivelles → Gembloux → Namur → Dinant → Rochefort → Saint-Hubert → Bastogne

A printed copy of the route sheet will be handed out at the start of the day. It is designed as a simple navigation backup if the convoy becomes separated, with the route sequence, regrouping points and restart times all in one place. You can also download the same sheet here and keep it on your phone.

Download / Print Day 1 Route Sheet

Version 1 - provisional. The detailed route is being checked by the route-planning team before the final rally version is issued.

Photos on this prototype page are from Wikimedia Commons. Menin Gate: Larry / CC BY 2.0. Dinant panorama: Jean-Pol Grandmont / CC BY 2.0. Other images: Wikimedia Commons contributors. For the final public version we can replace or locally host properly credited images if preferred.