Blimey! Don't they do the reclining chairs for £15 anymore? Used to be there was no compulsion to buy a cabin unless you had kids under 14. You are going on a bank holiday weekend, school holiday though...

yeap no reclining chairs apparently:(

think the eurotunnel will be cheaper even with the hussle of riding to Dover

Do you have a copy of "Autoroute" ?

If so I could drop you something over the weekend...

The ferry operators in Dover are great with bikes, just remember to leave it in gear and switch the alarm off (service mode). I have done the "long ferry trip" thing before and I can never sleep on the boat, so I take the shortest route across the channel (Dover-Calais) as I can make the time up on the road, and I get a decent nights sleep....

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Jelster no I'm afraid no autoroute but if you wanna print screen what you get and email it to me then I can put it on any of the route planners

If you're planning on doin the Ardennes I'd suggest blitzing through the northern half of Belgium on the autoroutes, it's pretty flat and boring riding country.

Once you are about 40 mins south of Brussels the Ardennnes start, look at coming off the auto routes down into Namur, heading up the river to Dinant (both of which have Citadels to visit , and then and any route winding round the ardennes, taking in places like Hans sur Lesse, Rochefort, Bouillon, St Hubert, La Roche en Ardenne, Stavelot (just next to the Spa circuit, you can ride on some of the old circuit). Once you're down there there is plenty to see, some good roads following river valleys, and don't worry if you stray into france occassionally!

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichel...1406SERREP1110

Loads of small towns with reasonabley priced restaurants etc.

Did the Ardennes a couple of years ago. And did exactly what Jelster suggested, stayed outside Dover the night before, got the eight o'clock ferry.
Remember when you get to France they're an hour in front of us.

Easter could be a bad weekend to go. I went May bank holiday and everywhere was damn near closed on the Monday as it was on the Sunday. The French believe that a bank holiday is a holiday for everyone.

The group I went with stayed in Charleville Meziere, took about three hours from Calais to get there.
We stayed at a Formula One hotel, think Travellodge, for about 25 euros a night. Rooms are a bit pokey but are ensuite.

I'm thinking of going again this May, but using a different town as a base. The roads are great with not a lot of traffic on them.

If you decide to do the 'D-Day' thing, (a trip I'm planning to do later in the year), you might want to think about taking a ferry from Portsmouth or Poole to Cherbourg - less boring motorway riding to get you to the area you wish to visit :D

Unless you're in a car or coach they aren't really bothered TBH because you stay with the vehicle.
Pretty quick way on the train and they're not too bothered about the weather.
A very good way to go IMHO.
Bank holidays are not always the best time to go because a.) most things are closed especially petrol stations for some reason and b.) always loads and loads of families with kids about and c.) the roads are generally very busy with tourist traffic :(

I did the D-Day beaches a couple of years ago - went overnight from Portsmouth to Caen (cabin for 4 people), then headed west to Sainte-Mere-Eglise (first town to be liberated). Did all the western beaches on the first day, stayed the night in a cheap hotel we found in Port-en-Bessin, then back to Caen and home on the evening ferry. Nice roads, nice scenery, amazing and very thought provoking. If it's your first trip abroad on the bike, and you've ridden down from Manchester AND you've got a pillion, then I'd be tempted not to try and turn the trip into a marathon - there's plenty to see and do in northern France

But then the Ardennes are only 2 1/2 - 3 hrs from calais and awesome, as always you take your pick, there's always next time.