Calais and Dunkirk - still worth visiting?

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tony_lavelle

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Not having visited these ferry ports for 5 years, I was thinking of a cross-channel trip this summer. What they are like to visit now, especially with so many migrants around?
 
They have been doing some work in Calais Marina which is/has reduced visitor moorings temporarily, it would be worth checking before starting out.

Personally I think Dunkirk is worth missing as approaching from SW it resembles Mordor :disgust:
Waking up to a boat covered in fine grit doesn't appeal much either.

We love Gravelines as it is so quiet normally. They have been working on the lock gates which should improve the water level in the Marina. We keep the boat on a Mud berth anyway, so when the Marina dries out it doesn't much bother us. Last year however we remained afloat all the time. Despite being pretty close to Dunkirk, the prevailing winds keep the pollution right down.

Ian
 
ianfr said:
We love Gravelines as it is so quiet normally. They have been working on the lock gates which should improve the water level in the Marina. We keep the boat on a Mud berth anyway, so when the Marina dries out it doesn't much bother us. Last year however we remained afloat all the time. Despite being pretty close to Dunkirk, the prevailing winds keep the pollution right down.

Ian
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We had heard how quiet Gravelines was. As we approached the river/canal there seemed to be a lot of boats with Belgium flag also going in. It turned out to be huge rally from Nieuwpoort. Everyone was fitted in, including a lot of the Belgium boats rafted up on the ends of the pontoons. We were initially told the marina restaurant was full, but when the owner realised one of our party was a returning customer, another table was squeezed in for us. Our second night was much quieter.
 
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If you enter the Marina on the North side at Dunkirk you can catch a free bus to the beaches which have many pleasant cafes. The supermarket is a substantial bike ride away though!
 
I like Calais. It's not too expensive and there are some really good restaurants in the old town. In fact, I'll be there on Spring Bank Holiday weekend with a rally. I haven't witnessed any hassles with migrants there.

I don't thin I saw Calais in its best light when I was last there a couple of years ago. We didn't mean to go there for a start, but fog in the channel and prevailing conditions gave us no choice. The coastline... well, Ianfr nailed it with 'Mordor'. We ended up in the Port du Grand Large as there wasn't any room in the other marinas closer to town and, in any case, there doesn't seem to be a lot of restaurant action going on there anyway. I'd be very happy to be proved wrong though.
 
I think most of you are missing the point of my question. I am familiar with these and other ports along the North French coast but is the visiting yachtsman's experience spoiled by migrants?
 
Thanks. I have nothing against the migrants; in their place I would probably be doing the same thing. However I would be put off if there were crowds of them pestering for a cross-channel ride.
 
Working in that part of France, I am very aware of the understandably, alarming reports about the French channel ports, causing a huge reduction in the number of UK visitors to the towns themselves (both day trippers and those passing through). The situation is having a negative impact on many businesses. However, in the last eighteen months, it is has been very unlikely you will see a "migrant" in Calais, Dunkirk or Boulogne town centres and certainly not the marina and beach areas. Please go and enjoy the restaurants or don't be surprised that when you do return, your favourite has closed down.
 
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I went in to Calais three times last summer for various reasons and had a very positive experience on each visit. Certainly no hassle from anybody, apart from my wife when I told her that we were leaving at 4 am, the restaurants were good and particularly an old favourite, Le Detroit, seems to have upped it's game considerably.

We encountered no problems what so ever, if anything things seemed to be a bit better. The U Ship shop owner, in particular, was very helpful and had a cracking stock of fixings which are sold individually from drawers, and not in annoying little blister packs.

Perhaps the best endorsement was from some friends who came on one trip for whom it was their first visit to Calais by yacht, they loved the experience and were really impressed by the quality of the restaurants that they visited.
 
Toutvabien said:
I went in to Calais three times last summer for various reasons and had a very positive experience on each visit. Certainly no hassle from anybody, apart from my wife when I told her that we were leaving at 4 am, the restaurants were good and particularly an old favourite, Le Detroit, seems to have upped it's game considerably.

We encountered no problems what so ever, if anything things seemed to be a bit better. The U Ship shop owner, in particular, was very helpful and had a cracking stock of fixings which are sold individually from drawers, and not in annoying little blister packs.

Perhaps the best endorsement was from some friends who came on one trip for whom it was their first visit to Calais by yacht, they loved the experience and were really impressed by the quality of the restaurants that they visited.
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