What in Calais is worth visiting?

[Toutvabien]

I think that some folk are being unfair to Calais, it has a few very good restaurants, Historie Anciennce http://www.histoire-ancienne.com/ is really very very good indeed and has attracted some very good reviews from Brits and French foodies. The cycle hire scheme in town gives very cheap access to bikes that enable access to beaches along the coast, armed with a hire car the area within striking distance has lots to keep folk busy. We used to keep Jigsaw in Ramsgate and Calais and Gravelines where our weekend milk runs that usually provided us with enough amusement to keep a family of two adults and three kids happy. The Saturday morning market in the square just about 100 metres from the marina can usually provide enough oysters, smoked herrings, whelks etc to deliver a fine lunch onboard. I cannot agree about Le Coq D'or though, last time we went there it was really very very bad indeed, vile food and very poor service, it used to be good and may have recovered it's former glory but I would ask somebody who has eaten there recently as it may have changed ownership again. The beaches are really good when the weather serves and if your kids like parks the ones behind the beach have bits for all ages.

 

[Tomahawk]

We happened to be in Calais one fine afternoon on Bleriot Plage.
Suddenly the Gendarmes appeared and started clearing everyone from the beach. They got quite shirty with some people who were refusing to leave..

Once the beach was cleared there was a terrific roar of very low flying jets decked out in Red White Blue.


We were treated to a fantastic display by the Tricolour Arial display team… It was the centenary of Bleriots first crossing of the Channel….

 

[haydude]

Back in 2001 I crossed the channel by ferry to Calais and found a lovely restaurant, we had a lovely time and nice food. On our return to the car we discovered that it was broken into. The bugger instead of breaking the side window bent the whole door frame from the top. We spent the rest of the evening at a police station to file the complaint for the insurance claim. It was December so the return home was slow and cold with the passenger door that could not shut. The car was repaired, but since the door was replaced it was never the same as before. They have not seen me since. NEVER AGAIN.

 

[Sybarite]

Back in 2001 I crossed the channel by ferry to Calais and found a lovely restaurant, we had a lovely time and nice food. On our return to the car we discovered that it was broken into. The bugger instead of breaking the side window bent the whole door frame from the top. We spent the rest of the evening at a police station to file the complaint for the insurance claim. It was December so the return home was slow and cold with the passenger door that could not shut. The car was repaired, but since the door was replaced it was never the same as before. They have not seen me since. NEVER AGAIN.

It was not a place which did it; it was a person. That person could be anywhere, even in London.

 

[Jim@sea]

The ferry port home.

I second that. When we stayed at the Holiday Inn which is on the sea front you have to park on the main road and at 3 in the morning I was looking out of the window and saw 3 lads walking along the pavement looking in every car. Obviously many of the cars would be holidaymakers catching the next day ferry and the cars would be loaded with stuff. I banged on the window and they ran away.
They dont allow windows to be opened in case someone wants to commit suicide by jumping out of the window and injuring a French person who may be walking along the pavement.
(wasent Calais twinned with Widnes)

 

[bendyone]

Calais is probably one of the most secure places to park now a a days. There is a fairly constant Police presents around the town due to the immigrant population. If fact I left a bag on my car roof outside the marina all afternoon by 6 o'clock it was gone and handed into the marina bar.

 

[BelleSerene]

Thanks again all. FWIW, Calais, like all French towns, has a few jewels that are worth visiting, wandering around and spending some time. We didn't have or want to use transport to get out of town, but thanks for the recommendations including to the (markedly nicer) Boulogne where we have sailed before, and to Dunkerque where we haven't yet.

Re Calais security which got a slating on this thread, we had a refreshing experience in which a Frenchman (had the build to have been a policeman in plain clothes; I can't know) brought a mobile phone us a daughter had dropped by the beach where we were playing. There was a fresh text on it from a friend of hers, so he'd have known it belonged to a British young female; quite how he identified that we four playing cricket in bare feet on the beach were British, I'll never know. Clearly his diligence and honesty are not ubiquitous - but equally clearly, nor is the theft referred to in previous posts.

OK, Calais doesn't have the attractions of - well - any other French port I could name, and let's face it, it's pretty ugly for a French town, but we value variety, the four-hour channel crossing from Dover appealed to the family, and I can't regret going there.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Supine Being]

I think that some folk are being unfair to Calais, it has a few very good restaurants, Historie Anciennce http://www.histoire-ancienne.com/ is really very very good indeed and has attracted some very good reviews from Brits and French foodies.

Agreed, Histoire Ancienne is a great little place, as is Au Vieux Fourneau just a little further up. The Cafe de la Tour on the main square is a decent brasserie, and the Cafe de Paris just further up is nice if you fancy a flammenkuche. There's also a very nice cheese shop just off the main square. Plus, all the work on the main square has been finished now, so it's looking quite good (as long as you ignore the unfortunate post-war architecture).

It's best to find out whether the fair will be next to the marina if you're visiting in the summer holidays - we found it pretty wearing pretty quickly.

I think we've been moored next to you there in the past, Touvabien!

 

[temptress]

As I recall the next port. Can't think of anything to recommend Calais except that is is preferable to Dunqurke (SP?).

I remember visiting them wiht the kids on the way to Holland. Leaving Ostende we beat into a F8 on the way back - the crew all voted to miss these two and continue on to Dover despite the wind/rain/waves and gale!