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Dunkerque, France

Stay in Dunkerque: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Dunkerque

Watch this spot We email you when Dunkerque is worth the trip.

About Dunkerque

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (353°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (173°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.3 km out (1 in 128). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in January, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 19°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually October, November and December, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Dunkerque, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 wind sports spots.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 15 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Brussels Airport (BRU), direct. About 7 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → BRU · Skyscanner from about £410 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 55 from the airport to Dunkerque.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in DunkerqueAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Dunkerque · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Dunkerque · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Dunkerque on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct05 ft6 smushy146kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct602 ft5 smushy31kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct532 ft5 smushy23kJ12°C
Wed 21Oct412 ft4 smushy6kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct271 ft6 smushy11kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct423 ft6 smushy51kJ11°C
Sat 24Oct352 ft6 smushy39kJ11°C
Sun 25Oct51 ft5 smushy2kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct191 ft6 smushy9kJ14°C
Tue 27Oct1under 1 ft8 s1kJ17°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to BRU, then 2h 55 by road. About 15h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Dunkerque

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 2 ft at 5 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Dunkerque

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 2 ft at 4 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Dunkerque

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Dunkerque

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 2 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to BRU, then 2h 55 by road. About 15h 45 door to door

The trip from Dunkerque, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,130–£2,110 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to BRU, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£410–£855
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£255–£425
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£85–£145
Total£1,130–£2,110

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Dunkerque

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.