Day trip to Calais

[Threeracers]

Spur of the moment day trip to Calais for shopping / lunch on Wednesday - any recomendations for either? Where are the favourite shopping places these days for booze/food? I am taking a LWB Landy so lots of room to stock up!

And for lunch is it better to drive out of Calais for somnething a little nicer?

TIA

Mark

[dougc]

St Omer is a good alternative to Calais - about 30 miles or so from the port.

That said so Beirut.

[A911DOM]

Check very carefully whats happening with eurostar as there's been a very nasty crash in Belgium this morning and all Eurostar services have been suspended as it blocks that track coming this far!

I know you're only going to Calais, and I also know that some people have travelled and just gone as far as Lille - but worth checking out first if there is major disruption!

[Mobile Chicane]

Zone Artisanale Marcel Doret in Calais has a huge Majestic where wines you'd buy in the UK are typically a few quid cheaper.

Also look at Perardel (for champagne) and believe it or not Eastenders. Eastenders has some real ste, but it sells good stuff as well.

For food shopping, I go to Carrefour in Boulogne. Rillettes of pork / duck, rose veal, pink garlic, horse meat, crevettes, cheese, savon de marseille, Ricola sweets, tins of confit de canard and decent mayonnaise are all 'must buys'.

Unfortunately I can't recommend anywhere to stop for lunch, since I generally don't. Lunch takes too big a chunk out of shopping time if I've got a lot of stuff to buy and need to be there and back in a day.

[Mattt]

I saw Eurotunnel were doing £15 day return fares at the moment.

[williamp]

You can do Bruges in just over 1 hour from Calais (probably more in the land rover). There's aslo the trenches museums...

The V3 site is also interesting- bet you've never heard of Hitler's V3 weapon!

For shopping, there is loads of cheap booze places around Calais, and the eurotunnel place at Coquelles. But really, the message is clear: dont bother with Calais! In fact, dont stop in calais!

[4F6]

Calais town centre isn't that bad, bit down market but its ok enough. Wouldn't know about food in Calais as we usually head straight to Boulogne which is much nicer.

Plenty of cheap wine / beer places at ZA Marcel Doret as mentioned or Auchan on the outskirts of Calais is usually good too.

[Mattt]

Is Calais better now? Last time I actually went into it shopping at one of the Hypermarkets, I can only describe the local architectural style as 'Communist'.

[Craigyp79]

Mattt said:

Is Calais better now? Last time I actually went into it shopping at one of the Hypermarkets, I can only describe the local architectural style as 'Communist'.

No.

HTH.

(I live just outside Calais and can wholeheartly recommend going to Boulogne.)

[Threeracers]

Ok, coast road down to Boulogne, spot of lunch, back via the supermarket.

Many thanks all

Mark

[Mobile Chicane]

A friend has just corrected me: the decent supermarket in Boulogne isn't Carrefour, it's Leclerc.

Which reminds me there is also a sportswear shop in the same retail park where rugby shirts / trainers in 'big blerk' sizes are often in the sale.

Well worth popping in.

[Threeracers]

Cheers Ms Chicane, will aim for Leclerc and although not a trainers sort of chap you can never have too many rugby shirts!

Mark

[Threeracers]

Mattt said:

I saw Eurotunnel were doing £15 day return fares at the moment.

I have paid £15 to take a 110 Landy over tomorrow with three adults and three kids.

The only downside appears to be that it is not flexible like a normal chunnel crossing so you pay extra if you miss your crossing time.

Mark