h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Or more generally, which French destinations would you pop over to from the South Coast?

(I haven't done a day trip for years, since we were held up at sea for 8 hours by storms.)

..probably as a foot passenger.

I've never been to either but have passed Calais and it looks concrete and depressing.

My grandfather took a day trip to Dieppe a few years ago. He recalls that the sea crossing was rough, the facilities on board crude and that in Dieppe itself he was met by a group of rude Germans who called his party nasty names and were most unwelcoming.

However, Calais does indeed resemble something that has been passed, so I fear your choices are limited.

St Malo's lovely, but it's a long trip. Choppy too; the last time I went I was heaving over the side for the entire return journey.

Are you able to get onto the Eurostar? We went to Lille for the day and that was lovely. If you're a foot passenger you have to board at Ashford though, you can't pick it up at Dover.

It's so long ago I was in that area, I can't remember. But I can't recommend Gravelines highly enough. A fascinating place. AFAIK no ferries go there though.

No wonder. I'm sure it would be hard to market a series of transport routes called "Gravelines".

Big ferry ports tend to be a bit grotto on the whole. I'd look at what the nearest villages or towns are.

Neither really. Near to Calais is nice though - Etaples, Le Touquet are both interesting. You could get a bus to either.

Boulogne is also not too bad - fantastic aquarium if you like that kind of thing.

And I second Lille as a good day trip.

Ostend in Belgium wouldn't be too bad either, rble beach, nice café food, one or two art galleries as well.

Or Zeebrugge, hire bikes and you could be in Bruges in an hour?

sprout

Thanks for the replies, the Eurostar to Lille sounds great Vip, although I see they don't have cheap fares the day I wanted to go.
I shall investigate the other suggestions.

My only memory of Calais is loading up on cheap booze; somehow the scenery didn't register in those days...

>>Near to Calais is nice though - Etaples, Le Touquet are both interesting. You could get a bus to either.

Thanks Sprout, I've opted for taking the car over though the Tunnel, so I might well pop in on those places.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, they've proved invaluable!

If you hang around any docks it is going to be pants.

If you get into the old town Calais if quite nice really. It is an old town with a maritime history. You wouldn't chose to visit Dover from what you see on the route out of town from the docks would you?

PP

Oh, I dunno. Surely there's amusement - of a kind - to be had from hanging around docks.

Only if you are a sailor, surely?

PP

Pink Paisley, we'll probably just drive straight out of Calais anyway now, maybe calling back just to stock up on cheese, wine and certain crisps which for some reason we don't get in the UK.

Just wondering about the height limit on the trains,I'm sure I'll be OK (if experiences recounted on the web are true), but putting a 1.83m high Galaxy under the 1.85m barriers is going to be interesting...

I've been to St Omer a couple of times. It is usually closed though.

You couuld always take the car to Calais and drive to Dieppe.

PP

I thought Boulougne (sp?) was quite nice but it's been a while. Some parts of Calais are nice enough, and Dunkirk isn't far away.

I'll also echo St Malo and Lille as nice places too