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LD Lines has announced that it will start a new roll-on roll-off cross-channel ferry service between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer (62 Pas de Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) from 1 July 2009 - offering 4 return crossings a day for cars, freight and foot passengers with a crossing time of 105 minutes. This complements the existing SpeedFerries service from Dover to Boulogne which takes just 50 minutes but has limited capacity.
Boulogne is in many ways a pleasanter entry point into France than Calais - and a good short stay destination. The ferry port is very close to the town centre and beaches, and the town has a good selection of restaurants and shops.
Book LDLines ferry to Dieppe or Le Havre
Book Speedferries Dover-Boulogne
WARNING TRIANGLES AND REFLECTIVE JACKETS REQUIRED
A few weeks ago we reported that the French road traffic laws were changing to make it compulsory for motorists to carry both a warning triangle and a reflective jacket in the vehicle at all times (and a set of bulbs). Now the AA reports:-
A law concerning the compulsory carrying of a reflective jacket (EN471) and a warning triangle (ECE R27) in France came into force on 1st July 2008. However, this regulation will not be enforceable with on-the-spot fines until 1st October 2008, when the fine will be between €90 and €135.
The French Road Safety Department has today confirmed that:
From 1st October 2008 all drivers in France, including drivers of vehicles registered outside of France, must have one warning triangle and one reflective jacket in their vehicle.
We have arranged with RAYMAC a special offer of a WARNING TRIANGLE + A HI-VISIBILITY VEST FOR JUST £9.99 PLUS VAT AND DELIVERY (usual price for the Warning Triangle alone is over £10) - CLICK HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL OFFER
As from 11 July 2008, Speedferries, the fast boat service from Dover to Boulogne, will be accepting foot passengers on its crossings. Now this offers a decent prospect for a day trip without a car - the crossing is fast (45 minutes) amd provides you with an excellent view of the French coast and the two “Caps” of “Blanc Nez” and “Gris Nez”and the Boulogne terminal is only about 5 minutes walk from the town centre - and I think Boulogne is a much nicer resort than nearby Calais. Plenty of good shops (especially fish and cheese), a bit of culture in the delightful Old Town, a decent beach and plenty for the kids to do.
The service is based on a shuttle bus which will collect passengers directly outside the Western Docks and transport them onboard SpeedOne.
During the crossing passengers will be able to experience a range of retail and catering facilities before the shuttle bus drops them directly outside the port of Boulogne which is just a few minutes walk from both the town centre and forward transport links across France and beyond. The shuttle bus collects passengers outside Boulogne Port for the return sailing to Dover.
With a price of just £7.50 per person each way, regardless of duration of stay, book your foot passenger crossing today to avoid disappointment.
For more info see Speedferries
Another French icon, the Solex motorised bicycle used to be a common sight throughout France - although in earlier times it was powered by a noisy smelly little 2-stroke petrol engine. Something like 80 million Solexs were produced as a cheap form of transport after the Second World War.The original production line closed at the end of the 1980s, but now it has been re-invented as the E-Solex an environmentally-friendly way of getting around town using battery high efficeincy power to boost your pedalling.
You can now enjoy a one of these very French machines by hiring one for a day or half-day in St Omer (62 Pas-de-Calais, Nord Pas-de-Calais).
Les Belles Echappees also hire out Citroen 2CVs, tandems and trikes and offer a number of packages which can include route suggestions, restaurant and hotel combinations etc.
Les Belles Echappées invite you to a journey off the beaten track in search of simple pleasures connected with emotion and collective memory.
You can find a video showing the 2CVs in action on You Tube Les Belles Echappees translates as a good time or break!
Les Belles Echappees, Chemin des murs, Ferme de l’Abbaye - 62500 CLAIRMARAIS
Tél : 03.21.98.11.72
There are other options for raking to the road “a la francaise” - e.g. the 2CV tours of Paris with 4 roues sous un Parapluie (4 wheels under 1 umbrella); Or hire a classic Citroen TA in the Loire Valley with Quart de Tours (37 Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
Further south Joffreny Tours offer classic and modern British cars (and others) for touring the French countryside from their base near Chalus (87 Haut Vienne, Limousin) - although helpfully they have an office in the UK
Lots to do and see - Hire a classic standard MGB Roadster, a V8 MGB Roadster, a BMW Z3 Roadster or a Triumph Stag (soft-top or hard-top) and take off on a sightseeing tour of the Limousin, Charente and Dordogne, in west central France, with all of its historic towns and picturesque chateaux, and sample some of the fine food and wine along the way. This is beautiful touring country and there are very few cars on the road…
The Telegraph(28 Mar 08) has been running a series on eating locally in the UK, both to be environmentally friendly and to discover quality food beyond the supermarket shelves. It’s not too much to extend the focus another 22 miles across the English Channel to Calais( 59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) - train and ferry are both environmentally relatively benign, and into the bargain you benefit from the French obsession with quality produce.
There is a grand marché every Saturday morning in the Place Crève Coeur, where farmers bring freshly dug produce from their smallholdings. Look out for the lush, locally grown broad-leaved watercress and extra-long leeks.
Inside the covered market, buy ripe-flavoured, air-dried sausages - I loved the dark meat of the wild boar (sanglier), the pork with walnuts and the rich, buttery tarts filled with prunes and custard or savoury cheese, smoked pork belly and onion.
This is also the place to buy an athletically built poulet fermier (farmyard chicken), mussels, live langoustines and little fresh goat’s cheeses made 10km from Calais. If you want to avoid dull hotel breakfasts, note that the market cafés serve only coffee.
Instead, nip around the corner to the Café l’Impérial in Rue Lafayette for croissants and petit pains, but expect to share it with the café’s honoured canine guests.
But even in France, and especially in the larger towns, these traditions are being threatened by edge-of-town super/hypermarkets which inevitably threaten small producers and retailers. Calais has more than its fair share, especially with the Cité Europe Mall near the Channel Tunnel terminal. Tesco and Sainsburys are key players attracting many Brits who prefer the familiarity of known brands rather than the more risky adventure into foreign environments, French people who do not (or will not) speak English, and produce which is not uniform in shape or colour or nicely wrapped in plastic.
The escape route from the ferry terminal whisks you away onto the autoroute system via a chemical works and the usual untidy landscape of warehouses and freight yards, but it is worth exploring the town of Calais itself, which does retain the character of a fairly typical French town, with its impressive Town Hall (Hotel de Ville), markets and small shops.
And despite the disatrous exchange rate with the Euro there are still bargains to be had (especially on wine and spirits after the budget), ferry crossings are still cheap and the gallic atmosphere is free!
Fuel prices in France, now much the same as in the UK (except that Diesel remains cheaper) reflect the double impact of increasing oil costs and the poorer exchange rate:
Exchange rate £1.00 = € 1.2254 (as at 27 March 08)
Unleaded (sans plomb 95) € 1.345 = £1.10 per litre
Super unleaded (sans plomb 98) € 1.369 = £1.12 per litre
Diesel (gazole) € 1.2390 = £1.01 per litre.
To brighten the gloom of February, P&O Ferries are offering Day Trips with car from Dover to Calais for just £20 return until 18th March 2007 - and into the bargain not only will you get 6 free bottles of wine but also a free breakfast or lunch when you buy one.!
It is inevitable that Northern France is redolent with memories of the two World Wars - but visiting memorials, graveyards and battle sites is not to everyone’s taste. For those who are interested then visits to memorials such as Thiepval, Beaumont Hamel and the Menin Gate in Ypres (just over the border in Belgium) are sobering and thought-provoking ocassions.
However, even if you are not interested, I would recommend a visit to the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge (62 Pas-de-Calais) - yes it is the site of another battle, but the Canadians have erected a stone memorial which is a thing of rare beauty. On a superb site on the ridge overlooking the rather industrial landscape of Lens and the Douai plain, the memorial is a stunning representation of hope and peace. Although designed in the 1920s to commemorate the 11,000 or so Canadians whose bodies were never recovered and the 50,000 others who died in the First World War it was finished in 1936, ironically just 3 years prior to another bout of bloody carnage,
The monument was refurbished in recent years and only re-opened in April 2007 and is well worth a visit. Several hundred metres away there is a visitor centre, trenches and tunnels to visit if you so wish, and the whole site is staffed by young Canadian student wardens who will answer any questions you may have.
Unfortunately the towns of Vimy and Lens are not particularly exciting for the visitor - but Arras offers an impressive Grand Place (Square) and is a lively place to stay.
Most French autoroutes between major towns and cities are toll motorways, which whilst often offering fast and uncrowded dual-carriageways, can nevertheless add significantly to the cost of a trip through France - e.g over €90 (over £60) on a one-way trip from Calais to Nice (1226km of motorway driving about 760 miles).
However there are significant sections of autoroute which are toll free - most often these are around major towns and Cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon etc).
In the North, the A16 is toll-free from Boulogne (J29) to the Belgian border (J36) via Calais and Dunkerque. The A25 from Dunkerque (J20) to Lille is free, so you can reach Lille from the main Channel ports without paying a toll!. Also all routes from Lille to the Belgian border.
The following autoroutes are toll free (as at September 2007)
A16 (part of the Autoroute des Estuaires (estuaries)) from Boulogne-sur-Mer (J29) to the Belgian border(J36)
A20 (L’Occitane) from Vierzon (J6 junction with A71) to Brive-la-Gaillarde (J53) via Chateauroux, Argenton and Limoges
A25 from Dunkerque (J20 with A16) to Lille
A28 from Abbeville (J1) to Rouen (J14)
A30/A31 (Autoroute de la Vallée de la Fensch) from Thionville (J1) to Toul (J12) via Metz and Nancy
A38 from Dijon (J33) to Pouilly-sur-Auxois (J24 and the junction with the A6)
A63 (Autoroute de la Cote Basque) from Bordeaux to Bellin-Bellet (J20)
A64 (la Pyreneenne) from St Martory (J20) to Muret (J25)
A68 (la Tarnaise) from Monastruc (J3 NE of Toulouse) to Albi (J11) via Gaillac
A75 (la Meridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand (J15) to Pezenas (J59) (except for the Millau Bridge) via Issoire
A77 (Autoroute de l’Arbre (trees)) from Pouilly (J26) to Nevers (J37)
A84 from Caen (J46) to Rennes (J25) via Avranches
The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations - no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage - and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.
| Destination | From | airline |
Markets in 62 Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Some markets only take place in Summer - check beforehand with the local tourist office or town hall.
Aire-sur-la-Lys Friday
Aix-Noulette Friday
Allouagne Wednesday
Ambleteuse Wednesday
Annay-sous-Lens Wednesday
Annezin Saturday
Ardres Thursday
Arques Tuesday
Arras Wednesday, Thursday , Saturday, Sunday
Auchel Tuesday
Auchy-les-Mines Saturday
Audresselles Monday
Audruicq Wednesday
Auxi-le-Château Saturday
Avesnes-le-Comte Friday
Avion Thursday , Friday
Bailleul-s-Berthoult Friday
Bapaume Friday
Barlin Wednesday
Beaurainville Wednesday
Berck Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Béthune Monday , Thursday , Friday
Beuvry Friday
Biache-St-Vaast Thursday
Billy-Montigny Wednesday, Sunday
Blendecques Thursday
Boulogne-sur-Mer Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
Brebières Thursday
Bresmes-les-Ardres Sunday
Bruay-Làbuissière Friday , Sunday
Bully-les-Mines Thursday , Saturday
Calais Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday,Sunday
Calonne-Ricouart Thursday
Camiers Monday , Thursday
Carvin Saturday
Chocques Thursday
Condette Sunday
Corbehem Friday
Coulogne Monday
Courcelles-lès-Lens Sunday
Courrières Wednesday
Cucq Wednesday, Sunday
Cuinchy Saturday
Desvres Tuesday
Divion Wednesday
Dourges Saturday
Douvrin Monday
Drocourt Thursday
Écourt-St-Quentin Wednesday
Estevelles Tuesday
Étaples Tuesday, Friday
Fauquembergues Thursday
Fouquières-lès-Lens Friday
Frévent Tuesday
Friuges Saturday
Grenay Tuesday
Guînes Friday
Haillicourt Thursday
Harnes Thursday
Hénin-Beaumont Tuesday, Friday
Hersin-Coupigny Saturday
Hesdin Thursday
Houdain Thursday , Saturday
Hucqueliers Wednesday
Isbergues Thursday
Le-Portel Tuesday, Friday
Le-Touquet Monday , Thursday , Saturday
Lens Tuesday, Friday , Saturday
Libercourt Thursday
Licques Monday
Liévin Wednesday, Sunday
Lillers Saturday
Loison-sous-Lens Saturday
Longuenesse Wednesday
Loos-en-Gohelle Thursday
Lumbres Friday
Marck Tuesday
Marles-les-Mines Saturday
Marquise Thursday
Mazingarbe Wednesday, Friday , Saturday
Méricourt Saturday
Montigny-en-Gohelle Monday
Montreuil-sur-Mer Saturday
Noeux-les-Mines Tuesday, Friday
Noyelles-Godault Thursday
Noyelles-sous-Lens Wednesday
Oignies Tuesday
Oisy-le-Verger Wednesday
Outreau Monday , Thursday
Oye-Plage Wednesday
Pas-en-Artois Tuesday
Pernes Thursday
Pont-à-Vendin Thursday
Rinxent Sunday
Rouvroy Monday
Sains-en-Gohelle Wednesday
St-Martin-Boulogne Thursday
St-Omer Wednesday, Saturday
St-Pol-sur-Ternoise Monday
Sallaumines Monday , Saturday
Samer Monday
Sangatte Friday
Souchez Tuesday
Thérouanne Tuesday
Vendin-le-Vieil Monday , Friday
Vermelles Monday
Vimy Saturday
Vitry-en-Artois Tuesday
Wimereux Tuesday, Friday
Wingles Wednesday
Wissant Wednesday
Wizernes Sunday
| March 26, 2006 |
On 26 March the town of Bailleul (59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) celebrates the “International” Potjevleesch festival, although you do somehow doubt if there will many entries from the UK. This is a local Flemish dish (often found in the country around Dunkerque and Lille) which literally means “meat casserole” BUT the peculiarities are that it usually contains 3 types of meat, traditionally chicken, rabbit and veal shin slowly cooked - AND it is served cold in its own jelly. So when I first asked what it was in the restaurant to be told it was a meat casserole, I expected something hearty and warming! It was certainly tasty, and is clearly popular with the locals.
For more info on the festival and the dish see http://www.montsdeflandre.fr/
As there is no locally grown wine in the region, you can accompany the dish with some of the local and Belgian beers which are widely available - France and Belgium do seem to merge in this region - it was really only the different roadsigns which draw your attention to having crossed an international frontier - that and the use of the pretty impenetrable Flemish language!
| February 26, 2006 |
DUNKERQUE FESTIVAL (59 Nord, Nord Pas-de-Calais) - 26 February 2006 - the Sunday before Ash Wednesday - a parade in the centre of the town traditionally to celebrate the imminent departure of the town’s fishermen who would soon be setting off to fish in Icelandic waters. Unfortunately the closest most of us get to Dunkerque is from the grim industrial port (Nofolk Line ferries) several miles to the west or the autoroute from Calais to Belgium or the Auchan Hypermarket at Grande Synthe. Although much of the town was badly damaged in the second World War, the town has a long and ancient tradition including a World Heritage Belfry - and can be worth a little detour.One of our favourite restaurants is nearby (Bois de Chene or Fleur du Sel at Capelle-la-Grande)
Keywords: France,Dunkerque,Nord,Bois de Chene,Carnival
Norflok Line Ferries have now introduced the first of their 3 new ships on the Dover-Dunkerque route - the Maersk Dunkerque. Norfolkline traditionally handled freight only but a few years ago started taking non-freight vehicles at very keen rates. The cheap prices have continued, but with the new fleet of boats the on-board accommodation gets a major upgrade. The original fleet were very much functional ships with basic but comfortable seating and facilities. The restaurant left you in little doubt that the main clientele was the British lorry driver, so the food was wholesome rather than fancy, the menu very English!
So the new ships are welcome and will add capacity to the route - I hope it will not mean the end of cheap fares on this route.
For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: France,Travel,Ferry,Dunkerque,Norfolk Line
