Help & Advice Needed

[P4UL T]

The mrs and I are taking my mum and dad for a weekend trip to France and are looking for a nice place to stay and visit.

Having never stayed in France and only ever passed through im a little stuck for ideas.

We will be arriving in Calais about 10am Sat morning and leaving Sun afternoon.

I don't want to drive more than 2 hours from Calais and would like somewhere along the coast realy to hang out and stay the night.

Then the next day drive back to Calais for some cheap shopping.

Some ideas would be great please guys.

Thanks

Paul

[Dodgydave]

If you don't want to travel too far I would recommend a drive down the coast road from Calais to Boulogne, the D940.

There are a number of small villages where you could stop for lunch etc. such as Escalles and Wissant. Just before you get to Boulogne you come into a small village called Wimeraux, I have stayed here before in the Hotel Atlantic. The Hotel Atlantic is quite famous in the area for its restaurant, but very expensive.

Wimeraux itself is like being on the French Riviera, with long sandy beaches and a promenade, very nice if the weather is good but can be a bit bleak if it's raining and windy.

or

There is a small town that I have visited before inland from Le Touquet, called Montreuil. This is a very beautiful little walled town with restaurants etc.

Of cause you could always drive a bit further into France, the choice is yours.

Hopefully I have given you some ideas.

Dave.

[P4UL T]

Thanks for that Dave,

Ive just noticed that the hypermarkets in Calais are closed on Sundays so we will have to do shopping Sat and sight-seeing on Sun.

Is everything closed on Sunday in France?

[Mike_B]

Most of France is closed on a Sunday, except motorway service stations. Good time to go exploring though as no-one else is about.

Serious point - DON'T rely on being able to buy petrol on a Sunday (away from the motorways). Fill up the tank on Saturday and don't go so far on Sunday as to run it too low to get back to Dover. They have automatic fuel pumps but 99% don't accept UK-issued chip'n'pin cards.

[P4UL T]

Thanks for that Mike