DLOC International Rally 2010: itineraries

This page provides itineraries that may be useful for the continental part of your trips.

In any case: remember that Toutes Directions means: "All directions". In the Dutch speaking parts of your trip this will be Alle Richtingen. Likewise: Autres Directions = Other directions = Andere richtingen.

From Calais and Dunkirk

When you disembark in France you are confronted with road signs in French, but also with the limited horizon that French road signs have for foreign cities. Although you are only a few dozen miles away from the Belgian border, which you will have to cross, there hardly is any road sign displaying a Belgian name initially.

The first mile after disembarkation may thus be a bit confusing. You must try to pick up the motorway A16 to the North. It runs parallel to the coast, at short distance, so you can't escape. Following the signs for "Dunkerque" is a good gamble, as long as you avoid going towards the city centre. Once you see signs for "Bruxelles" you know you are OK: they will guide you to the Belgian border.

Upon crossing the border you immediately enter the Flemish (Dutch) speaking part of Belgium. City names will be spelled in Dutch from now on, and e.g. Bruxelles becomes Brussel. As soon as you pick up the signs to Brugge (Bruges) you follow those but essentially you stay on the same motorway which in the Belgian system is numbered A18/E40. You will not get anywhere near Brussels during your trip!

When approaching Brugge you pass by the stretch of motorway at Jabbeke, where Jaguar in 1949 conducted speed tests with its newly designed XK120 car with XK engine.

Near Brugge you will join the A10 motorway towards Gent (Gand), and from this point the route coincides with travellers that disembarked in Oostende. This is continued below.

A last point to note is that it takes quite a while until you encounter the first petrol station along the motorway. Count on at least 60 miles to cover after disembarkation.

From Oostende

The ferry lands near the city centre, but this city is not a very busy one. Pick up signs to Brugge or Gent (or even Brussel) and they will guide you via Brugge to Gent on the A10/E40 motorway. See below for the common part of the trip that follows.

From Zeebrugge

Drive from Zeebrugge to Brugge, and from there to Gent (Gand): motorway A10/E40. Then see below.

From Brugge onwards: common for all travellers from France & Belgium

From Brugge you follow the signs to Gent (Gand): motorway A10/E40. Near Gent is the motorway crossing called "Zwijnaarde" where you must switch to the A14/E17 direction Antwerpen. Take care not to miss this one!

After the 2002 International Rally several club members indicated that the busy Antwerpen Ring was the most enerving part of their trip. But this problem can literally be circumvented.

The Antwerpen Ring is a real ring around the city, and you travel roughly from SW to NE. The density of the traffic is very asymmetric: the Eastern segment is much heavier loaded than the Western one. This is mainly because the impopular Western part has a toll tunnel named "Liefkenshoektunnel". It also is twice as long, but in absolute terms we're talking about less than 10 miles. For these few extra miles and toll-Euros you'll buy much peace of mind.

Upon approaching Antwerpen from the South the split is indicated by clear signs that show a I for the quiet Western part, and a II for the busy Eastern part (which includes the exit to Brussel). A small disadvantage is that following the I requires you to select the leftmost (innermost!) lane of a many-laned stretch. But you will be rewarded soon.

Follow the Ring until you pick up signs for the city of Breda which is the A1/E19 motorway. Breda is where we go next. After some 30 miles the Dutch border is crossed and the road is renamed to A16/E19.

Immediately after the border you switch to the A27 to Utrecht. From that point on keep following the A27 towards Utrecht but beware of the intersection A27/A58 and make sure not to get onto that A58.

On the Dutch roads, be careful not to mix up the city names Amersfoort and Apeldoorn.

Stay on the A27 for some 50 miles, until the A28 branches off to Amersfoort. Near Amersfoort switch to the A1 dir. Apeldoorn, and exit 17 on that A1 is for Stroe - Garderen. See below.

Be prepared for heavy traffic jams on the A27 when approaching Utrecht during the evening rush hour (17:00-19:30). Either get your evening meal first, or take the following alternative detour.

Detour to avoid evening rush hour on the A27 is: from the A27 take the A15 towards Nijmegen. Near Nijmegen switch to the A50 to Arnhem/Apeldoorn and from there keep following this A50 to Apeldoorn. A short stretch of this is jointly numbered A12/A50; don't miss the point where they split again. When approaching Apeldoorn switch to the A1 dir. Amersfoort, Utrecht, Amsterdam. and exit 17 on this A1 is for Stroe - Garderen. See below.

From the Dutch harbours

Be careful not to mix up the city names Amersfoort and Apeldoorn in the following texts.

IJmuiden (from Newcastle)

Initially you follow the signs for Amsterdam, which leads you to the A9 motorway. At the intersection with the A4 (direction Amsterdam) you have two choices: a shortest, but extremely busy route, and a longer, less busy one. In any case, the vicinity of Amsterdam will be crowded. Do not take any of these alternatives if your car is not comfortable on the motorway. In that case contact me in time so I can provide an alternative itinerary.

The shortest route goes via A4 to Amsterdam, and then along the South side of the A10 - which is the Amsterdam Ring - from South West to South East. After exit S113 (don't take that one!) switch to the A1 to Muiden and after some 50 miles on the A1 motorway is exit 17 for Stroe/Garderen. See below.

Less crowded, but still busier than pleasant, is to continue on the A9 until you switch to A2 to Utrecht. My advice is then to leave the A2 motorway at exit 4 towards Hilversum N201. This route via the N201 is much shorter than staying on the motorway, and it is a very scenic one as well. Stay on the N201 until after the city of Hilversum the A27 is signposted, and then select this A27 towards Almere and Amersfoort. After a handful of miles change to the A1 to Amersfoort. After 30 miles on the A1 motorway is exit 17 for Stroe - Garderen. See below.

Rotterdam - Europoort (from Hull)

Upon leaving the harbour head for Rotterdam: N15 first, continuing as motorway A15. The road will be full of lorries.... If you are not afraid to take tunnels then follow Den Haag / Beneluxtunnel, and on the other side of the tunnel choose A20 to Gouda and Utrecht. Alternatively you continue on the A15 until Utrecht A16 is indicated, and follow the signs to Gouda and Utrecht A16 from there (large bridge instead of tunnel). Where the A16 changes to A20 (still pointing to Gouda and Utrecht) you join the travellers from Hoek van Holland, also travelling to Gouda. See below.

Hoek van Holland (from Harwich)

Hoek van Holland: initially you follow the signs for "Alle richtingen" (All directions) or any of the larger city names "Rotterdam" or "Den Haag" to get out of town. But once these two names split up, follow Rotterdam (motorway A20). Continue on the A20 to Gouda and (direction) Utrecht.

Near the city of Gouda (named after the cheese...) the A20 motorway merges with the A12 and you continue in the direction of Utrecht. You pass along the south edge of the city of Utrecht (large bridge, and immediately next to the bridge a large Ikea store building almost touching the road). At that point I suggest that you choose between a shortest route which will be congested during rush hours, and a slightly longer route with better throughput.

Shortly after the large Ikea store the shortest route goes via the A27 in the direction of Hilversum. But if that exit to A27-Hilversum is congested then continue on the A12 in the direction of Arnhem. That may be congested as well, but will resolve much sooner.

If you select A27 to Hilversum, then soon thereafter you switch to the A28 in the direction of Amersfoort. Near Amersfoort select the A1 to Apeldoorn, and finally exit 17 on the A1 is for Stroe/Garderen.

If you choose to continue on the A12 towards Arnhem, then after some 20+ miles switch to the A30 direction Barneveld. Where the A30 ends select the A1 direction Apeldoorn. Exit 17 on the A1 is for Stroe/Garderen.

Motorway A1 exit 17: Stroe - Garderen

From the exit 17 the village of Garderen is signposted. On the 2nd roundabout turn right, i.e. do not continue in the direction of Garderen proper. The Golden Tulip Hotel Garderen is shortly after the roundabout on the left side of the road. The actual hotel itself is not visible from the road, but it is sufficiently signposted. Address: Oud Milligenseweg 62, Garderen. Postal code 3886MJ.