of the great attractions of Belgium for British visitors is its proximity to the UK. Almost any of the French or Belgian ports provide good and quite speedy access to the Ardennes, so seeking the sharpest fare in this competitive market is worthwhile. Although at the time of writing there are car ferries from Dover to Dunkirk and Ramsgate to Ostend it is usually quickest to travel via Calais, the crossing time being shorter and services more frequent (with three competing carriers in 2014). Precise directions from the channel ports depend on your destination.
You can fly to Brussels from most major UK airports and then either hire a car or continue by train. Rail connections from London to Brussels are also good and it is possible, though not straightforward, to tailor a walking holiday to an arrival by train with or without local buses. For rail access to the centres featured in this book there are stations at Dinant (for the lower Lesse valley) and Spa in Belgium as well as Clervaux in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. La Roche-en-Ardenne can be reached by bus from Marloie on the Brussels to Grand Duchy line. Malmedy (for the Hautes Fagnes) has a bus service via Stavelot from Trois Ponts station on the Liège to Grand Duchy line. Bouillon’s nearest railhead is Sedan in France but the bus service between the two only runs twice a day, two days a week. However, there is a fairly good connecting service to the station at Libramont on the main Brussels to Grand Duchy railway. See Appendix B for details of websites offering information about rail and bus travel in the region.
Rather predictably, most visitors use a car because it allows much better coverage of the area and is more flexible than using what is often poor local transport provision.
When to visit
You can walk in the Ardennes at almost any time of the year, although given that there are a few resorts boasting cross-country skiing – especially in the Hautes Fagnes – winter walking may prove challenging. In July and particularly August the area is extremely busy and early booking for hotels and campsites is highly recommended. For those who can travel outside school holidays, June and September are ideal months for the best chance of decent weather and more peaceful surroundings. By October many hotels, restaurants and activities are closed.
Generally the weather, rainfall and hours of sunshine are very similar to the Lake District region of the UK, although the Hautes Fagnes can have prolonged periods of mist and rain and the winters there are rather colder, with snow sufficient for cross-country skiing.
Accommodation
B&B in Lellingen (Sentier du Nord, Stage 4)
There is a wide choice of places to stay, ranging from quite big-ticket hotels to B&Bs and campsites. You have to search a bit more assiduously for rented accommodation (gîtes), but it is available. Trawling the internet is the most successful tactic, but many sites are in French or Dutch and, as with all internet searches, finding the right information can be challenging. All the towns in the Ardennes have tourist offices, variously called ‘Office/Bureau du Tourisme’, ‘Maison du Tourisme’ or ‘Syndicat d’Initiative’. All of these have websites and are a good alternative to DIY.
When staying in gîtes it is usually necessary to take your own bed linen and towels, and a travel kettle may be useful. See Appendix B for a list of websites that might help in finding accommodation.
Money
Belgian currency is the euro. Most gîtes, B&Bs and many small hotels do not accept credit cards, so to avoid the risks of carrying vast amounts of currency an alternative strategy is required. One option is to use a debit or credit card at an ATM, although withdrawal charges can make this expensive. A cheaper way is to organise a debit-type card (usually known as a ‘cash passport’) that can be pre-loaded with euros at a more advantageous rate than high street banks offer. This can be limited to euros, carries no transaction cost and is used through an ATM in the same way. A number of foreign exchange and travel companies offer this product and the card purchase in the first instance is free. In some places they can also be used as conventional debit cards, again without a transaction charge. The list of websites in Appendix B includes two companies offering cash passports, but it is an ever-increasing market and a general online search will yield plentiful results.
Health and safety
If you’re a European citizen, don’t forget your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). It is necessary to pay a doctor for treatment, but up to 75 per cent of the fee may be reclaimable on return to the UK, provided you have an official receipt (attestation de soins donnés). You can seek a consultation with a specialist hospital doctor by appointment without referral from a family doctor, but direct consultation at higher costs may be more difficult in terms of reimbursement. Accident and Emergency departments are run on the same lines as in the UK. Ambulance charges are non-refundable in Belgium but you may be able to claim reimbursement in the UK.
Remember to take your prescription with you if it’s possible that you may require a resupply of regular prescribed medication; most pharmacies will accept these but you will have to pay the whole cost, which may be considerable, and seek reimbursement back in the UK.
Citizens from other countries should check they are covered by their medical insurance before travelling.
Ixodes ricinus, the region’s most commonly encountered tick
Ticks are very small, eight-legged arachnids in the same class as spiders and scorpions. They can’t fly or jump but they ‘quest’. This tactic involves holding the first pair of legs outstretched, ready to cling on to a passing host (maybe a walker). Although responsible for a veritable raft of diseases, in Belgium the risk they pose is the same as in parts of the UK and the most frequently diagnosed transmitted problem is Lyme disease. In order to reduce this risk there are three recommendations: firstly, after walking in wooded areas you should examine all parts of the body (get a close friend to help if you can) to search for ticks. Secondly, take tick tweezers with you (easy to get in the UK and in pharmacies in the Ardennes) and finally, very importantly, if you have unexplained fevers, rashes, joint pains or any other unexplained symptoms in the weeks following an Ardennes walking holiday, consult your family doctor. The risks are very low – no higher than in the Scottish Highlands, the New Forest or Norfolk, for example – but the potential problem is important and well worth bearing in mind.
Unfortunately it is true that theft from cars (including ‘sac-jacking’, where a window is smashed and bags stolen from the car when stopped in traffic) and pickpocketing are not unknown in the larger Belgian towns and cities, so the standard precautions are required.
Hunting hides are common in forests around the region
Hunting is a very popular pastime in Belgium. It is highly regulated and tough tests in theory, weapon safety and marksmanship are strictly enforced. The species that can be hunted include deer and wild boar – typically forest animals – so there is a potential for walker-hunter conflict in terms of safety during the hunting season. In the Ardennes, for most species, the season is from 1 October to the end of December. At these times it is advisable check locally as to which walking areas should be avoided, although there are normally warning signs in place.
What to take
The same equipment for walking is required in the Ardennes as in the UK and should include a rucksack, waterproof top, appropriate footwear to cope with mud and water, adequate fluids and some food. A map is essential, ideally in a map case or waterproof bag, and a base-plate compass plus a first aid kit and a survival bag (for injuries rather than for an overnight stay) are strongly recommended.
