TRAVELLING

ANGELA BIRD'S
Northern France
What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais

TRAVELLING TO NORTHERN FRANCE
from the UK

Photograph: Bonnie Robinson

Photograph: Carolyn Boakes

NEW RULE FOR MOTORISTS

From 1 July 2008 it is compulsory for any vehicle being driven in France
to be equipped with a warning triangle, to be placed
30 metres behind the immobilised vehicle after a breakdown. Emergency flashing lights must also be used.
The law also requires that there should be at least one high-visibility reflective jacket stored in the passenger compartment of the vehicle (not in the boot), for use by the driver on exiting the immobilsed vehicle.
Here is a link to the official French government website on the matter.
From 1 October 2008 a fine of 135€ will be imposed
for non-possession of these items.

1 GETTING THERE BY FERRY

There is a wide choice of ferry operators, taking cars and foot passengers:

Dover-Calais with P&O (follow link above)

Dover to Calais with SeaFrance
Dover to Dunkerque with Norfolk Line

Dover to Boulogne with LD Lines
NEW

Euroferries are operating a new service from Ramsgate to Boulogne for cars, coaches and foot passengers from Spring 2009. Crossings will be by high-speed ferry, and will take 75 minutes.

TIP 1 The ferry companies usually offer cheaper summer crossings if you book and pay for them before the preceding Christmas.
TIP 2 Also towards the end of the year, ferry companies have begun to offer special deals where you pay in advance for a number of return crossings at a cheap rate, to be used during the following year, and then book the exact dates of travel later, as you want to use them. Sign up on the companies’ websites for information letters, and you will be told about them.

TIP 3 If you are going over on a major drink-buying mission, to visit the Calais branch of a UK wine or beer company such as Majestic (aka Wine and Beer World) or Oddbins (follow link below), you may find that if you order enough bottles in advance the company will offer you a free day-trip Channel crossing. Check this out before making your own travel arrangements.

2 GETTING THERE BY TRAIN / TUNNEL

Though the trains of both travel through the Channel Tunnel, Eurostar and Eurotunnel are two quite different forms of transport and start and finish their journeys at different places

Eurostar, from London or Ashford, for foot passengers
You travel as a foot passenger, by high-speed train, from London-St Pancras to Calais-Fréthun (just a few trains a day stop here) and to Lille-Europe. You can continue on this service to Paris or Brussels. It is also possible to board the France-bound train at Ashford, in Kent.
If you would like to know what you are passing, in the apparently featureless landscape of Northern France, click here. (Much of the line is drawn in on the map pages of the book.)

Eurotunnel, from Folkestone, for vehicles with their passengers
You have to be travelling in a vehicle to use this service, which makes the short journey through the tunnel from Folkestone to Calais-Coquelles in 36 minutes. Cars are driven onto a special train, and passengers can remain in their vehicle for the entire journey. (This makes it especially suitable for those with mobility problems or for people travelling with pets.)
TIP For Eurotunnel, if you envisage taking your car over regularly for short (or long) breaks during the year, consider the Eurotunnel special deal whereby you pay upfront for 10 single crossings to use during the following 12 months at a cheap rate, and then book the exact dates of travel later. You can buy these at any time of year, by signing up as a “Frequent Traveller” on the Eurotunnel website. Note that there are often supplements to pay when you book, if you should want to travel at popular times, such as from the UK in the morning, or from France in the afternoon!
Note A Book an outward and return trip as two separate “single” crossings. You can change the date of a journey free of charge before you make the first part of it; however if you have booked your journey as a return ticket, this means that any amending must be done before you start the outward journey (in other words, if you want to alter the date of the homeward part, you cannot do it once you have set out on the outward journey). If you make your booking as two single journeys, then you can amend the date of either.

Note B If you plan a day-trip or a 24-hour return, it will be cheaper to book this through the normal Eurotunnel channels, rather than to use one of your “Frequent Traveller” crossings.