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Description
Calais is a city in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of France. It is the closest point on the French mainland to England; Dover lies across the English Channel (La Manche) just 32 km (20 miles) away. The town has a major cross-channel ferry port and the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel is nearby. Calais is popular with British day-trippers arriving by ferry or on Channel Tunnel shuttle trains one reason being due to the fact that France has lower taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Large warehouse supermarkets have sprung up on the outskirts of Calais just to serve these British "booze cruisers" who return to the UK with their suspensions groaning under the weight of cheap booze and cigarettes. While most tourists view the town as simply a port there is a little more to the town.
Access
By Ferry
From Dover takes just over 1h15 minutes; the operators are:
- Seafrance
- P&O
Le Shuttle
Running from Folkestone to the western edge of Calais the service takes about 35 minutes (although only about 20 minutes are in the tunnel) and offers the fastest way to go between the countries; this service is for passengers with cars only who remain with their car for the duration of the short trip, onboard there are no restaurants (although there are facilities – a fast food restaurant and various shops in the terminal buildings) but there are toilets.
Eurostar
Running from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet and Ashford, Eurostar offers Calais in 1 hour; there are around 3 trains a day in each direction. Note that the Calais Fréthun TGV stop is some distance from Calais itself; there are however shuttle buses and taxis.
SNCF
Running from Lille, Boulogne, Dunkirk and Paris, Calais is well supported by the French rail network.
Motorail
Cars can be taken to the South of France, destinations such as Narbonne, Marseille and Lyon can be reached by train (your car is carried with you).
Transportation
Most people travel by car around the town, but there is a comprehensive network of buses running from the town centre to the suburbs and Cit̩ Europe.The post is served by a special shuttle bus Рalthough via a footbridge the centre and the harbour terminal are only 15 mins apart.
Activities and Sightseeing
- Rodin’s Artwork outside the town hall
- Ferries plying the route between France and Britain
- The White Cliffs of Dover – in the faint distance
There is not a great deal to do in Calais, mainly shopping… So if generic clothing, touristy-style tat, or copious amounts of alcohol do no suit your most favoured shopping habits, then skip to “Get Outâ€.
Shopping
- Alcohol – since France has slightly lower taxes on alcohol than the UK various establishments have set up to cater for day trippers, although often it is a little cheaper to go to a local hypermarket (and you can pick up other stuff)
- Tickets – out of there!
Restaurants
There is a fantastic crepe restaurant called La Chênaie in Rue Jean de Vienne.
Lodging
See the Listing of the Hotels in Calais
Nearby
To hitchhike to Belgium or the Netherlands, if you leave the terminal, you must walk 500m through a large car park, after which you will see roundabout and an on-ramp to the motorway. That is the place to hitch a ride: there is enough space even for a big lorry.
For a more 'traditional' experience of France, Saint Omer is a mere 26 miles (43 kilometres) down the road from Calais. The Saturday morning market on its main square, the Place Foch, can be enjoyable. There are also good affordable restaurants and friendly bars, as well as interesting architecture.