What's the current situation in Calais? (1 Viewer)

Berta the Nuevo

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Hi, we're setting off to France soon, via the Tunnel, and usually stay the first night at the Aire by the harbour in Calais. Has anyone been there lately, is it open/safe?
 
Jan 3, 2008
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I am going next week, despite what anyone might say about the Calais are, I think its worth driving 30 mins or so away from Calais and potential problems, bearing in mind the situation can change in moments and the only person who can really assess it is you, when you arrive. Gravelines is fine and there are others places just as good not far away.

Why take a chance unless you have a burning desire to see the Calais seafront.
 

awg

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Highly recommend Montreuil sur met. 50 mins from Calais and the aire has just been extended with 8 new spaces cut into a slope and it's free. The campsite is also OK for longer stays. We normally use the aire as a first and last night stop.
 
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You will be fine if you want to stay there.

Personally it's not my favourite aire so I would go to Gravelines, Wissant or Watten depending on which direction I was headed.
 

magicsurfbus

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Cameron's two-tier razor wire barricade now extends for about a mile along the approach road to the port, with Police guarding its entrance. It's now basically a barbed wire topped vehicle funnel with a very narrow neck, making it far less likely that people are going to be running all around the port entrance trying to hitch rides on trucks, as we saw them doing in the Spring.

The seafront aire was still open about a fortnight ago when we passed through, but as much as I like the seafront I've always found it noisy overnight due to the ferry engines. As others have said, the Gravelines and Wissant aires are good alternatives depending on which direction you're heading to/from, although you have to walk further at Gravelines to find a good choice of eateries, as the old town's a bit lifeless.

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If we were getting a late-ish train across, say arriving in France at about 11pm local time, is it possible to drive say up to 50 miles from Calais (preferably heading towards Rouen) then be sure of finding a decent, safe, aire to park up on ?
 

magicsurfbus

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If we were getting a late-ish train across, say arriving in France at about 11pm local time, is it possible to drive say up to 50 miles from Calais (preferably heading towards Rouen) then be sure of finding a decent, safe, aire to park up on ?

Wissant aire is about 30 minutes' drive from Calais port. The last bit of the journey is on a rural D road but it's manageable. Obviously you're more likely to find a spot at night in the low season than in mid-summer.

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We came through Calais on saturday lunchtime.

No sign of any bother, the jungle is still there, the new fences are in place. No problems.

Regarding the aire - we stopped staying on there a while ago, mostly because of the noise, but also didnt care for all the people lurking.

These days we stop at either Gravelines or Le crotoy, would use wissant but its usually rammed, and le touquet has gone too expensive for what you get.
 

PORKSTER

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I took 10.30pm ish train through 3 fridays ago no problems and stayed at Gravelines plenty of spaces nice and easy to get too. came home on 10.20pm train Saturday and we did see about a group of 2 dozen undesirables walking along motorway just before Calais but nothing to see around terminal only 7 vehicles on that train.
 
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Travelled out on 1st September, arriving around 1am.
Stayed at City Europe. The tunnel access roads were all heavily policed by French and UK police.
I did not experience any problems and did not see anybody (migrants or otherwise) hanging around.

On the return joirney: Stayed at Calais Port (by the ferries) last night (20th September).
Didn't see any migrants hanging around, as I haven't on previous occasions and there were no problems at all on the Aire, which was relatively quiet. I suspect that this is because lots of people are avoiding it! I would say it was half to two thirds full with lots of UK registered motorhomes there.

Drove to the tunnel this morning around 8.30am
Saw a few migrants on the approach (probably about a dozen) but drove straight to the tunnel without any problems at all.

I personally have found no reason not to use Calais Aires.
If you feel uncomfortable then drive away; I would.

Mike.

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snowdrops

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We opted to stay at a very pretty municipal camp site in Amiens on our last night fee days ago. Backs onto very pretty canal so some lovely views and is a 15 min cycle down towpath to Amiens centre. Wonderful bars, restaurants, good shops. Site facilities excellent. Les Cygnes I think. 1 hr 50 drive to Calais.
 

etap

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Last September we were going to stay on the aire at Calais but a chap there warned us that bikes were being stolen from the back of motorhomes ( his were the night before ) and other sites had suffered as well, so we went to Guines ( spelling) camp site, we won't stay in Calais until the migrant problem is solved, sorry about this Traders in Calais but can you blame us ?
Etap
 

magicsurfbus

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I always think that camping at Guines is the closest you'll ever get to overnighting inside a revolving door. Obviously it serves its purpose if you prefer a campsite to an aire, but does anybody actually stop there for more than 18 hours?

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etap

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I have no idea how many people stay for more than 18 hours (we don't) but I would rather stay on a campsite than an aire.
Etap
 
Jan 3, 2008
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I always think that camping at Guines is the closest you'll ever get to overnighting inside a revolving door. Obviously it serves its purpose if you prefer a campsite to an aire, but does anybody actually stop there for more than 18 hours?

Why would anyone stay more than 18 hours, its an aire, an overnight or just short term day stop.
 

ojibway

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Le Crotoy is always a favourite if travelling south - an hour head start.

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Berta the Nuevo

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Thanks, everyone, we made good time, got an earlier train and spent the night at the aire at Berck sur mer, which was pleasant, right near the beach, the dog enjoyed it. Will probably try one of the others on our return to avoid Calais.
Things not going so well today though - currently sitting in a Peugeot garage in Amboise, having been brought here on a low-loader - a problem with the electronics??!
 

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