Calais Overview

Calais (kah-lay; pop. 80,000)—with its slew of restaurants, bars, and clubs— caters to vacationers at all hours. The beach draws loads of locals and travelers throughout the summer; with the Chunnel nearby, English can be heard everywhere. While Calais doesn’t offer much architectual eye candy, the swath of shoreline promises spirited nightlife when the weather is warm.

• Trains: Calais has 2 stations.
• • Gare Calais-Ville, bd. Jacquard. Ticket office open M 5am-7:30pm, Tu-Sa 6am-7:30pm, Su 8:30am-7:30pm. Info office open M-Sa 9am-7pm. To: Boulogne (30min., 11 per day, €7.20); Dunkerque (1hr., 2 per day, €7.70); Lille (1hr., 16 per day, €16); Paris (3hr., 6 per day, €30-60). Free Balad’In buses connect the ferry terminal, pl. d’Armes, and the station (every 30min.).
  • Gare Calais-Fréthun, near Chunnel entrance. Eurostar and TGV trains serve Paris and London.
• Buses: BCD (☎03 21 83 51 51). To Boulogne (40min.; M-F and Su 5 per day, Sa 2 per day; €7.20) and Dunkerque (40min.; M-F 6 per day, Sa 3 per day; €7.70).
• Public Transportation: OpaleBus, 68 bd. Lafayette (☎03 21 19 72 72). Info office open M-F 9am-noon and 1:30-6:30pm, Sa 9am-noon. Bus #3 (dir.: Blériot/VVF) runs from the station to the beach, hostel, and campground (M-Sa 7am-7:45pm, Su 10:10am-7:40pm; €1.10).
• Taxis: At the train station (☎03 21 97 35 35 or 97 13 14). 24hr.

Practical Information

• Tourist Office: 12 bd. Georges Clemenceau (☎03 21 96 62 40; www.calais-cotedopale.fr). From the train station, cross the street, turn left onto the bridge, and continue onto bd. Georges Clemenceau; the office is on the right. English-speaking staff offers free maps and accommodations booking. Open June-Aug. M-Sa 10am-1pm and 2-6:30pm, Su 10am-1pm; Sept.-May M-Sa 10am-1pm and 2-6:30pm.
• Tours: Run by the tourist office. Petit train runs July-Aug. daily 10:30, 11:30am, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6pm; €5, under 12 €2.50. Walking tours depart from Hôtel de Ville July-Aug. Tu-Sa 10am, 2pm; €2.
• Currency Exchange: Available at the post office and the ferry and Hovercraft terminals, 5 bd. Georges Clemenceau. Open M-F 9:30am-12:30pm, Sa 10am-12:30pm.
• Laundromat: Lavorama , 48 pl. d’Armes. Wash €2.80 per 5kg. Open daily 7am-9pm.
• Police: Pl. de Lorraine (☎03 21 19 13 17). Call for the pharmacie de garde.
• Hospital: 11 quai du Commerce (☎03 21 46 33 33).
• Internet Access: Médiathèque Louis Aragon, 16 rue du Pont Lottin (☎03 21 46 20 40). €1 per hr. Open Tu 10am-noon and 1:30-7pm, W-Sa 10am-noon and 1:30-5pm.
• Post Office: Pl. d’Alsace (☎03 21 85 52 85). Currency exchange available. Open M-F 8:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-noon. Postal Code: 62100.

Accommodations And Camping

• Centre Européen de Séjour/Auberge de Jeunesse (HI), av. du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny (☎03 21 34 70 20; www.auberge-jeunesse-calais.com), near the beach. From the train station, turn left and follow rue Royale past pl. d’Armes. Cross the bridge and turn left at the roundabout onto bd. du Général de Gaulle. Turn right onto rue Alice Marie and bear left at the fork. The hostel is the 3rd building on the left (20min.). Alternatively, take bus #3 from the station to Pluviose, 1 block from the hostel. From the ferry, take a shuttle bus to pl. d’Armes. Spacious rooms with meticulously clean shared bathrooms. Pool table, bar, cafeteria, and library. Breakfast included. Wi-Fi €2 per 12hr. Reception 24hr. Check-out 10am. Singles €26; doubles €42. AmEx/MC/V.
• Hotel Victoria, 8 rue du Commandant Bonninque (☎03 21 34 38 32; fax 97 12 13), an extension of rue de Thermes. Close to the lighthouse. Heavily wallpapered rooms with TVs. Breakfast €5. Reception 8am-11pm; code access after 11pm. Singles and doubles €31-44, with toilet €44-57; triples and quads €41-44/48-50. AmEx/MC/V.
• Hôtel Pacific, 40 rue du Duc de Guise (☎06 62 23 40 26; www.cofrase.com/hotel/pacific). Bright, sizable rooms with bath. Breakfast €6.50. Reception 7:30am-11pm. Check-out 11am. Reserve 1 month ahead in summer. Singles €39-48; doubles €55; triples €63; quads €90. AmEx/MC/V.
• Camping Municipal de Calais, av. Raymond Poincairé (☎03 21 97 89 79 or 06 60 46 19 93). Small sites with little privacy packed with RVs. Reception July-Aug. 7am-9pm; Sept. and Apr.-June 8am-noon and 2:30-8pm. Gates closed 10:30pm-6am. Reservations required July-Aug. and recommended otherwise. Open from mid-Apr. to Oct. €3.70 per person, children €3.20; sites €2.60. Electricity €2.05.

Food

Calais cuisine is understandably seafood-centric; most restaurants offer regional seafood platters. Any pâtisserie— especially those on boulevard Jacquard —will have a gâteau Calais, composed of rich coffee butter cream, a crumbly cookie base, and a thick layer of icing (€1.50-2). Morning markets are held on place Crèvecoeur (open Th and Sa 8:30am-12:30pm) and place d’Armes (open W and Sa 8:30am-12:30pm). A Match supermarket is located at 50 pl. d’Armes. (☎03 21 34 33 79. Open June-Sept. M-Sa 9am-7:30pm, Su 8:30-11:30am; Oct.-May M-Sa 9am-7:30pm.) Restaurants and brasseries line rue Royale and boulevard Jacquard. Cheaper-than-usual glaciers (ice-cream stands) dot the shore.

• Tonnerre de Brest, 16 pl. d’Armes (☎03 21 96 95 35). Extensive selection of crêpes and galettes (€2.70-10) in a maritime-themed setting. Lunch menu ( galette, crêpe, and wine, beer, or cider) €11. Menus €10-18. Open July-Aug. daily 11:30am-2:30pm and 6-11pm; Sept.-June Tu-Su 11:30am-2:30pm and 6-11pm. MC/V.
• Histoire Ancienne, 20 rue Royale (☎03 21 34 11 20). Classy dining room with black leather chairs and unique artwork. Vegetarian options and a tasty regional toques d’Opale menu (€26). Change out of beachwear before arriving. Plats €17-23; vegetarian plats €17. Open M noon-2pm, Tu-Sa noon-2pm and 6-10pm. Closed 3 weeks in Aug. Reservations recommended for dinner. AmEx/MC/V.
• Au Coq d’Or, 31 pl. d’Armes (☎03 21 34 79 05). A knight in full armor greets diners. Outgoing waitstaff serves regional cuisine. Plats €10-23. Regional menu served M-F (€14). Open daily noon-10pm. MC/V.

Sights And Outdoor Activities

Tbeach. In the summer, head to Calais’s fantastic beach—the town’s main attraction. The beach becomes less crowded with hyper children and pickup soccer games as you walk farther from rue de la Mer. (Follow rue Royale as it becomes rue de la Mer. Continue to the end and turn left along the shore away from the harbor.)

Tmusée De La Seconde Guerre Mondiale. Housed in an old German WWII naval bunker in the Parc St-Pierre, this museum illustrates the fascinating history of Calais’s important naval role during the war with old uniforms, weapons, photographs, and newspapers. (☎03 21 34 21 57. Open daily May-Sept. 10am-6pm; Oct.-Nov. and Feb.-Apr. M and W-Su 11am-5pm. Wheelchair-accessible. €6, students €5, families €14. Group rates available. Free audio tour in Dutch, English, French, and German.)

The Burghers Of Calais. Rodin’s evocative sculpture is framed by the Hôtel de Ville’s flowered lawn. The statue depicts six burghers who surrendered the keys to Calais during the Hundred Years’ War, offering their lives to England’s King Edward III in exchange for those of the starving townspeople. Edward’s French wife Philippa pleaded for mercy, and the burghers were spared.

Phare De Calais. This 58m lighthouse with a draining 271-step climb has the best view in town (though the industrial Calais is not the most breathtaking sight to behold). On clear days, the Dover cliffs are visible from the top. A museum at the base explains the history of the structure. (Pl. Henri Barbuisse. ☎03 21 34 33 34; www.pharedecalais.com. Open June-Sept. M-F 2-6:30pm, Sa-Su 10am-noon and 2-6:30pm; Oct.-May W 2-5:30pm, Sa-Su 10am-noon and 2-5:30pm. €4, ages 5-15 €2.)

Musée Des Beaux Arts Et De La Dentelle. Housed in a hideous building, this museum displays artwork and a collection of dentelles (lace) from all eras—including a sexy lingerie display. (☎03 21 46 48 40. Open M and W-F 10am-noon and 2-5:30pm, Sa 10am-noon and 2-6:30pm, Su 2-6:30pm. Wheelchair-accessible. Free.)

Nightlife

A hearty spirit invigorates pubs on rue Royale and rue de la Mer, especially where they meet place d’Armes. Discothèques along rue Royale stay open late.

• Last Night, 10 rue de la Mer (☎03 21 34 73 24). 81 different mixed drinks (from €4), flashy neon lights, and tons of techno. Beer from €2. Open daily from June to mid-Sept. 2pm-2am; from mid-Sept. to May 2pm-1am. AmEx/MC/V.