Difference between revisions of "Calais"

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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
 
{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
 
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'''Calais''' is a port town in the north west of [[France]] at the English Channel. with just 34 km from the British port of [[Dover]], '''Calais''' is the closest port to mainland [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and one of the busiest cross-channel ports on continental [[Europe]]. Regular ferry services operate from '''Calais''' to [[Dover]] (''P&O'' and ''Seafrance'', each with over 20 crossings per day).
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'''Calais''' is a port town in the north west of [[France]] at the English Channel. with just 34 km from the British port of [[Dover]], ''Calais'' is the closest port to mainland [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and one of the busiest cross-channel ports on continental [[Europe]]. Regular ferry services operate from '''Calais''' to [[Dover]] (''P&O'' and ''Seafrance'', each with over 20 crossings per day). The best alternative for Calais is [[Dunkerque]].
  
 
== Hitchhiking out ==
 
== Hitchhiking out ==
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=== South, East towards everywhere ===
 
=== South, East towards everywhere ===
Near Calais on the motorway, few kilometres from the ferryport, there is a huge ''lorry park'' from where you can easily get direct lifts to many places all over Europe ([[Belgium]], [[Netherlands]], [[England]], [[Germany]], [[Poland]], [[Spain]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Austria]] and [[Turkey]] should be easily possible).
 
Be aware that a truck is legally only allowed to have one driver and one passenger, so it's a lot harder to find a ride for two people hitching together.
 
If you are just hitching into [[Belgium]] you're probably better off finding a ride while on the ferry, to a petrol station in [[Belgium]].
 
  
Turkish lorry drivers are often very kind and help you searching for a lift. You often ask one of them and he talks to all his fellow countrymen – you often ask all of them by asking one, end up having dinner with them :-). Their German is often better than their English but they really try to do their best to communicate.
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To get out of the ferry terminal, the best trick is to follow the signs for the motorway to Lille and eventually you'll get to a big roundabout with the road leading uphill with a bay where vehicles can stop next to the "no pedestrians" signs that all the other hitchers have written all about :) stand by the signs and you'll get a brave trucker to stop for you. Almost all car traffic heads south Paris way, and it's a nightmare getting back onto the motorway if you come off there, so try to flag down someone with a sign saying D or PL. Standing at the roundabout itself is quite interesting as you will be watching immigrants trying to get into England constantly running up and down trying to sneak into a truck.
  
There is also a service station with free showers.
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If you're going far and/or don't care about speed so much, there a huge ''lorry park'' on the motorway a few kilometres from Calais from where you can easily get direct lifts to many places all over Europe ([[Belgium]], [[Netherlands]], [[England]], [[Germany]], [[Poland]], [[Spain]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Austria]] and [[Turkey]] should easily be possible). Be aware that a truck is legally only allowed to have one driver and one passenger (except if there's more seats), so it's a lot harder to find a ride for two people hitching together. If you are just hitching into [[Belgium]] you're probably better off finding a ride while on the ferry, to a petrol station in [[Belgium]].  
  
The best trick is to walk out the ferry terminal, and follow the signs for the motorway to Lille and eventually you'll be on a big roundabout with the road leading uphill with a bay that vehicles can stop on next to the "no people" signs that all the other hitchers have written all over :) stand by the signs and you'll get a brave trucker stop for you.  
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Turkish lorry drivers are often very kind and help you searching for a lift. You often ask one of them and he talks to all his fellow countrymen – you often ask all of them by asking one and end up having dinner with them :-). Their German is often better than their English but they really try to do their best to communicate.
Almost all car traffic head south Paris wise, and its a nightmare getting back on the motorway if you come off there, so try to flag someone with a sign saying D or PL.
 
  
Somewhatofftheway waited about four rainy hours here for a ride to Reims so if you are in a hurry, try to get a ride on the ferry by asking people on the boat. Standing at the roundabout itself is quite interesting as you will be watching immigrants trying to get into England constantly running up and down trying to sneak into a truck.
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There is also a service station with free showers.
  
 
== Extra information ==
 
== Extra information ==
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. From there you can get a free drink(hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.
 
  
* Whilst waiting in the queue for your time to board the ferry, after the passport check, you can try to change rides in order to get on an earlier boat. Just walk around asking people that have an earlier leaving time than yours. Since you passed passport check they should not be afraid to take you. You can see it on the paper that is usually on their car or truck windows. This can save you a lot of time.
+
* When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. If you can get in, you'll get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.
  
* You can also change rides inside the ferry, especially when it has arrived in the port and people are getting to their cars and waiting to exit. Just go around looking at number plates and asking around.
+
* Whilst waiting in the queue for your time to board the ferry, after the passport check, you can try to change rides in order to get onto an earlier boat or to a better destination. Just walk around asking people that have an earlier leaving time than yours. Since you passed the passport check, they should not be afraid to take you. You can see the departure time on the paper that is usually on their car or truck windows. This can save you a lot of time.
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 +
* You can also change rides inside the ferry, especially when it has arrived in the port and people are getting to their cars and waiting to exit. Just go around looking at number plates and asking around. Hurry, though, you don't want to be left on foot when all the cars are leaving.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
 
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]
 
* [http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_timetable_timetable_DOCA.htm P&O ferries timetable Calais–Dover]
 
  
 
{{IsIn|Nord-Pas de Calais}}
 
{{IsIn|Nord-Pas de Calais}}

Revision as of 02:43, 27 May 2011


Calais is a port town in the north west of France at the English Channel. with just 34 km from the British port of Dover, Calais is the closest port to mainland Britain and one of the busiest cross-channel ports on continental Europe. Regular ferry services operate from Calais to Dover (P&O and Seafrance, each with over 20 crossings per day). The best alternative for Calais is Dunkerque.

Hitchhiking out

<map lat='50.95' lng='1.848' zoom='11' view='3' float='right'/>

North-West towards Dover, England

You can get to Dover for free if you find your lift before you board the ferry - tickets are paid for by vehicle and not by passenger. The limit is two for a lorry (more if there's more seats) and several with a car. While looking for a lift, tell people about this possibility, many don't know about it.

It's easy to find a lift in a service station on Europe's many highways leading towards Calais, but if you're in Calais, it's a good idea to wait in front of the ticket office. When buying a ticket, the driver has to produce a passport or ID card of every person in the car, so you should be going into the office with him.

If you can get a lift into the harbour terminal with tickets bought in advance - and you usually will as it doesn't matter if the number of passengers stated on the paperwork and the number of passengers are not the same - you might have some time before the ferry leaves, espcially so with lorries. Use this time well, walk around the huge parkings (which is perfectly fine) and talk to as many people waiting for their ferries as you can. There might be an issue if the number of passengers coming into the harbour isn't the same as coming onto the ferry, but Zenit followed said strategy successfully in May 2011 - P&O don't check the tickets again as you enter the ferry (only as you enter the port), Seafrance might. It might be a bad idea to let the vehicle that brought you into the port in the first place cross without you - if somebody tries to give you shit, you won't be able to "prove" that you'll be crossing etc.

You can also get across by tunnel. Cars and lorries get loaded onto a train which takes them over. The price is the same for each vehicle as well, no matter how many persons there are in the car. However, it is very difficult to get a ride at the tunnel entrance itself, because the road has about 15 lanes coming directly from the motoway, the cars are going quite fast and the drivers will concentrate on finding their correct lane, so most of them won't see you. The staff is quite unfriendly and you will be sent away (remember though that this also applies if you try to hitch too far in the port. Most people are being told that hitching by the tunnel entrance is illegal (which is probably doubtful).

All in all, the ferry is definitely the much better option, but however you plan on handling things, it's best to find somebody to take you across (or at least into the ferry terminal) beforehand.

Apparently on some ferries (not all), the trucks park so close that it's not possible to open the doors. That would mean that you'd spend more than 1.5 hour closed into a box with a stranger and most drivers can only take one person legally - so if you mind this, think about the possibility beforehand.

If you do have to buy a foot passenger ticket, bear in mind that it has tripled in price in the last year (!) and is now 39 euros.

Important for Non-EU Nationals (including US citizens)

There are UK passport controls in Calais and if you do not have the proper papers (depending on your nationality even if you do have the right papers), you will encounter a lot of hassle, including being denied entry. Worse, the friendly driver who gave you a ride might also face delays and even fines. As with any border crossing, it helps if you look respectable, even if you travel on a EU or similarly accepted passport and have money (or better, a credit card) to support yourself.

Upon arrival in Dover, UK customs also have a tendency to check far more cars than any other EU country. The UK is not part of the Schengen Agreement, so you might consider leaving the ferry as a foot-passenger to save your driver a potentially substantial delay! (This is not possible if you arrived using Norfolklines.)

South, East towards everywhere

To get out of the ferry terminal, the best trick is to follow the signs for the motorway to Lille and eventually you'll get to a big roundabout with the road leading uphill with a bay where vehicles can stop next to the "no pedestrians" signs that all the other hitchers have written all about :) stand by the signs and you'll get a brave trucker to stop for you. Almost all car traffic heads south Paris way, and it's a nightmare getting back onto the motorway if you come off there, so try to flag down someone with a sign saying D or PL. Standing at the roundabout itself is quite interesting as you will be watching immigrants trying to get into England constantly running up and down trying to sneak into a truck.

If you're going far and/or don't care about speed so much, there a huge lorry park on the motorway a few kilometres from Calais from where you can easily get direct lifts to many places all over Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, England, Germany, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria and Turkey should easily be possible). Be aware that a truck is legally only allowed to have one driver and one passenger (except if there's more seats), so it's a lot harder to find a ride for two people hitching together. If you are just hitching into Belgium you're probably better off finding a ride while on the ferry, to a petrol station in Belgium.

Turkish lorry drivers are often very kind and help you searching for a lift. You often ask one of them and he talks to all his fellow countrymen – you often ask all of them by asking one and end up having dinner with them :-). Their German is often better than their English but they really try to do their best to communicate.

There is also a service station with free showers.

Extra information

  • When on the ferry try to find the Commercial Drivers Restaurant on one of the floors. If you can get in, you'll get a free drink (hot chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drink), however if you wish to buy food it will cost you.
  • Whilst waiting in the queue for your time to board the ferry, after the passport check, you can try to change rides in order to get onto an earlier boat or to a better destination. Just walk around asking people that have an earlier leaving time than yours. Since you passed the passport check, they should not be afraid to take you. You can see the departure time on the paper that is usually on their car or truck windows. This can save you a lot of time.
  • You can also change rides inside the ferry, especially when it has arrived in the port and people are getting to their cars and waiting to exit. Just go around looking at number plates and asking around. Hurry, though, you don't want to be left on foot when all the cars are leaving.

Links


trash:Calais