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Ghent 2026
  • Paul Docherty
  • Paul Docherty

Ghent 2026

Cycling to Ghent via Dover and returning into Hull. Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 23, 2026
    Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 1 Newington -Thurnham

    May 23–24 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    A short day for me taking in the Championship playoffs at Wembley and then getting the train out of London for a night ride on a hot night in rural Kent. Meanwhile Caroline and Jan cycled the distance from London.Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 2: Thurnham - Dover

    May 24 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    A very undulating but beautiful route tested us all with laden bikes on such a hot, humid, still day. It was a relief to roll into Dover, which looked smart on a balmy sunny day. In place for the crossing to France tomorrow.

    Pretty small lanes in Kent, but seemingly few villages or rural amenities of any sort.    Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 3: Dover - Boulogne

    May 25 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Amazing experience crossing the channel with Saillink. A near perfect day, perfectly smooth crossing, brilliant team, zero queues, no wait for immigration who came to us! We relaxed, chatted to the crew and fellow travellers, then had a go at helming the boat in the shipping lanes and across the sea border into France. Perfect. We’ll 100do it again.Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 4: Boulogne - Montreuil

    May 26–27 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Another hot day in France going through small towns and villages and cycling some of Eurovelo-4. Saw a large number of people heading to the coast, spread out over maybe 150m and wearing life jackets, so assume heading for a small boat channel crossing. Very poignant watching migration in action and thinking of the danger all those people are soon to be when they cross the shipping lanes with poor equipment.Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 5: Montreuil - St Omer

    May 27 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Short but tough day simply due to the high humidity and temperatures as France records record high temperatures for May. Still varied landscapes, a few hard climbs and long descents into our next town. More heat effects in the group, so we’re trying to set off early and get as much of the riding done in the morning.Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 6: St. Omer - Zonnebeke

    May 28–29 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Set off early on a baking hot day and headed for the first climb (Mont Cassel) which was okay. Still shady and the gradients not too extreme. However the long descent was pave and not possible to go with any speed on loaded touring bikes.

    Into Belgium and the changes in Flanders quite abrupt. The landscape, the architecture, the roads, the cycling infrastructure. Most of all a big cycle sport culture chatted to some roadies on the way.

    The heat rose all day and the wind too until we had a 14mph headwind for the last half. Arriving baked into Zonnebeke, delighted to find that our B&B host had invested in a pool!    Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 7: Zonnebeke - Ghent

    May 29–Jun 1 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Refreshed after a night in a B&B with a pool which took up half the back garden, we had a great breakfast with Dirk discussing Belgian history, the local military sites and the sadness of Brexit for many of us.

    Setting off, the hair dryer blew and the temperature rapidly rose. However, we often had a tailwind component and the wind did get up so gave us a helping push. A few roadworks diversions along the canals delayed us slightly.
    P
    Entered Ghent via the brilliant smooth 4m wide F7 cycling super highway and arrived at the hotel where we’ll spend the weekend. A good day.    Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 10 Ghent - Rotterdam Europoort

    Jun 1–2 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    A big day cycling. We set off from Ghent all ready for our trip into the Netherlands and an overnight at Veere. However, on the Breskens-Vlissingen ferry we had time to look at the weather for the next day. This was showing an increasing likelihood of very severe lightning storms on our route which included crossings of the long dams of the Delta project. Apparently it is not recommended to cross these dams when the lightning risk is severe

    Hence a quick change of plan. We decided the least bad option was to combine two days of cycling and to press on to Europoort for our ferry so helped by a slight tailwind component we pressed on, stopping only briefly, and just made it to the ferry in time to change our sailing date and start the journey home.

    The areas around the dams were beautiful with amazing white sand beaches and the civil engineering excellence of the Netherlands was once again on display with those huge dam projects. Between the dams and Europort was a very beautiful area of small towns and villages which you would never imagine being so close to the massive industrial complex that is Europoort.

    We were absolutely exhausted on arrival after 141 k and collapsed into our cabins after eating.    Read more

  • Paul DochertyGhent 2026Traveler

    Day 11 York - Hull

    June 2 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    A tough last day into the Westerly wind after getting off the boat early in Hull. The staggering infrastructure contrast between the Netherlands and the U.K. is vividly demonstrated by the cycle tracks of Hull but we were soon through the city. I can’t imagine what the Dutch and German cycling visitors on the boat would think. Our legs were feeling the big day before still and we did notice the undulations of the Yorkshire Wolds.

    Cruising into Pocklington in heavy rain by right shifter gave out and it sounds as if it’s a broken cable courtesy of the angles in STI shifters. So…we limped home with tired legs and me with two (out of 22!) gears… thankfully on fairly flat terrain. Even though it was a normal touring distance, it felt a big one.

    Another brilliant continental cycletour!    Read more

    Trip end
    June 2, 2026