If you're planning a trip to Ypres, the town the Belgians call Ieper, the quickest way to take your own car is a DFDS crossing from Dover to Dunkirk or Calais. Visit Flanders describes Ypres as "the unofficial capital of Flanders Fields", the site of numerous First World War battles.
I've set out the two DFDS crossings that suit it, what they cost when I checked, and then what the official sources say about the Last Post ceremony, the memorials and the museum. I've used only DFDS, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the Last Post Association, the In Flanders Fields Museum, Visit Flanders, Flanders.be and GOV.UK. I haven't given drive times from the ports, because none of those sources does.
The DFDS crossings for Ypres
These are the fares DFDS showed when I checked on 13 November 2026.
| Route | Operator | Crossing time | Sailings | Fare from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover–Dunkirk | DFDS | From 2 hours | Up to 22 a day | £114 one way, car and up to 5 people |
| Dover–Calais | DFDS | 1 hour 40 minutes | Up to 30 a day | £114 one way, car and up to 5 people |
DFDS says the fare is a "one-way fare for a standard car carrying up to 5 passengers on Dover-France routes, including ETS charge".
DFDS is also offering 15% off 2027 crossings if you book early.
DFDS's own route pages don't mention Ypres or the battlefields. I searched them and found nothing, so the link between the ferry and Ypres is mine, not DFDS's.
DFDS's own route pages don't mention Ypres or the battlefields.
Dover to Dunkirk: the closer port
DFDS says Dover to Dunkirk gives "access to northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and more", and that its Dunkirk port is "less than 30 minutes from the Belgium border". The crossing takes from 2 hours over 47 nautical miles, with up to 22 sailings a day. DFDS lists the first ferry at 02:00 and the last at 23:59, and says it sails "throughout the day and night, 7 days a week".
On board, the 7 Seas Restaurant and Lighthouse Café are open 24/7, and Wi-Fi is free. If you have time on the French side, my guide to Dunkirk has ideas.
Dover to Calais: more sailings
DFDS calls Dover to Calais its fastest crossing between the UK and France, at 1 hour 40 minutes. It runs up to 30 sailings a day, with the first ferry listed at 00:10 and the last at 21:10. The fare from is the same £114 as Dunkirk. Calais gives you more sailings to choose from. Dunkirk, DFDS says, is the one close to the Belgian border.
Vehicles only, and check-in
DFDS says "Only vehicle travel is permitted on our Dover - France routes. Foot passengers are not permitted." So for Ypres you'll need your own vehicle on these routes. DFDS says check-in closes 60 minutes before departure, and advises allowing 120 minutes before check-in closes to pass through all the controls.
For my wider notes on the Belgian side, including pets, see my ferry to Belgium guide.
The Last Post at the Menin Gate
The Last Post Association says "Every evening at exactly 8.00 p.m., the police halts the traffic passing under the Menin Gate to allow the buglers to play their simple but moving tribute to the memory of the soldiers who fought and died here so many years ago." It says the daily ceremony is "free and open to everyone, without the need for prior reservation".
The Association asks everyone present to:
- behave in an appropriate and respectful manner
- stand only on the pavements
- remain quiet during the entire ceremony and not applaud during or after it
- always follow the guidelines of the Last Post Association officials
Its website has a calendar showing whether any groups, such as wreath layers, bands, choirs or pipers, are taking part on the day you plan to visit. The Association says it was founded in 1928, and that it is an "independant, voluntary and non-profit-making organisation of local people from Ieper".
The Menin Gate Memorial and Tyne Cot
CWGC says the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial "now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known", and that it was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and the United Kingdom who died in the Ypres Salient. For UK casualties, CWGC says that means only those before 16 August 1917, with some exceptions.
CWGC says a restoration of the memorial is complete, and that "Since Spring 2025 the Memorial is fully open again to the public." Across the road from the Gate, CWGC's visitor centre and café is at Menenstraat 46, where its team can help you find a casualty or a CWGC cemetery.
Tyne Cot Cemetery is 9 km north-east of Ieper town centre, according to CWGC. It says it is "now the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world in terms of burials", with 11,961 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated there. The Tyne Cot Memorial, which forms its north-eastern boundary, commemorates "nearly 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand who died in the Ypres Salient after 16 August 1917 and whose graves are not known". CWGC says wheelchair access is possible via an entrance at the rear, signposted from the car park.
Tyne Cot is one of the sites in Flanders Fields recognised as UNESCO World Heritage: CWGC says 139 war cemeteries and memorials were inscribed in September 2023.
In Flanders Fields Museum
The In Flanders Fields Museum is in the rebuilt Cloth Hall on the Grote Markt. It says it "presents the story of the First World War in the West Flanders front region". After climbing the restored Belfry tower, by an additional 231 steps, you can look out over the city and the surrounding battlefields.
The museum's website gives these details, as I read them on 13 November 2026:
- Opening hours. 10 am to 5.30 pm, open every day, but closed on Mondays from 16 November to 31 March.
- Visit length. An average visit takes 1.5 to 2 hours, and ticket sales stop 1 hour before closing.
- Closing days. 24 and 25 December 2026, 31 December 2026, 1 January 2027, and 4 to 18 January 2027.
- Adult ticket. €12 for the museum, or €15.50 combined with the Yper Museum. Family tickets are €26.50.
- Extras. The audio guide is €2 per person and the Belfry visit is €2 per person.
Driving in Belgium
GOV.UK's Belgium advice says to carry these whenever you drive there:
- your driving licence
- your car registration documents
- your insurance paper
- your MOT ('contrôle technique') certificate
- your passport and your passengers' passports
GOV.UK also warns that police use speed traps, cameras and unmarked vehicles, and that speeding can result in an on-the-spot fine. Using a mobile phone while driving is illegal unless it's hands-free.
You may also need a UK sticker. GOV.UK says you don't need one if your number plate has the UK identifier with the Union flag. You must display one if your plate has numbers and letters only, a GB identifier with the Union flag, a European Union flag, or the national flag of England, Scotland or Wales.
Flanders.be says "There are two LEZ in Flanders: one in the city of Antwerp and the other in the city of Ghent", plus the Brussels-Capital Region. Ypres isn't on that list. My ferry to Belgium guide covers registering for those zones if your trip takes you through them.
GOV.UK also explains the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES). You may need to register your fingerprints and a photo, at no cost. If you leave through the Port of Dover, GOV.UK says "any information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK".
Questions about Ypres by ferry
Which ferry should I take to Ypres?
DFDS's Dover–Dunkirk or Dover–Calais. Both showed from £114 one way for a car and up to 5 people on 13 November 2026. DFDS's pages don't mention Ypres, and I haven't found a drive time from an official source.
What time is the Last Post at the Menin Gate?
The Last Post Association says it's every evening at exactly 8.00 p.m., free, with no reservation needed.
Is the Menin Gate open after its restoration?
CWGC says the restoration is complete and that "Since Spring 2025 the Memorial is fully open again to the public."
How much is the In Flanders Fields Museum?
The museum's site shows an adult ticket at €12 and a family ticket at €26.50. It's closed on Mondays from 16 November to 31 March.
Can I go to Ypres as a foot passenger?
Not on these crossings. DFDS says its Dover–France routes are vehicle only and foot passengers are not permitted.
Does Ypres have a low-emission zone?
Flanders.be lists only Antwerp and Ghent in Flanders, plus Brussels. Ypres isn't among them.
