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{{pagebanner|Calais banner Quai d'Angouleme.jpg}}
{{pagebanner|Calais banner Quai d'Angouleme.jpg}}
{{otheruses}}
{{otheruses}}
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'''Calais''' (Dutch: ''Kales'') is a city in the [[Nord-Pas de Calais]] region of [[France]]
. It is the closest point on the French mainland to [[England]]; [[Dover (England)|Dover]] lies across the English Channel (La Manche) just 32 km away. The town has a major cross-Channel ferry port, and the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel is nearby. Calais is popular with British day-trippers arriving by ferry or on Channel Tunnel shuttle trains one reason being because France has lower taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Large warehouse supermarkets have sprung up on the outskirts of Calais just to serve these British "booze cruisers" who return to the UK with their suspensions groaning under the weight of cheap alcohol and cigarettes. While most tourists view the town as simply a port, there is much more to Calais than just that
.
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'''Calais''' (Dutch: ''Kales'') is a city in the [[Nord-Pas de Calais]] region of [[France]].
==Understand==
==Understand==
[[Image:Calais pier.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Calais pier.]]
[[Image:Calais pier.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Calais pier.]]
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It is the closest point on the French mainland to [[England]]; [[Dover (England)|Dover]] lies across the English Channel (La Manche) just 32 km away. The town has a major cross-Channel ferry port, and the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel is nearby. Calais is popular with British day-trippers arriving by ferry or on Channel Tunnel shuttle trains one reason being because France has lower taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Large warehouse supermarkets have sprung up on the outskirts of Calais just to serve these British "booze cruisers" who return to the UK with their suspensions groaning under the weight of cheap alcohol and cigarettes. While most tourists view the town as simply a port, there is much more to Calais than just that.
==Get in==
==Get in==
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===By ferry===
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===By ferry
(car and foot)
===
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Calais is connected to [[Dover (England)|Dover]] in [[England]] by ferry services operated by [http://www.poferries.com P&O Ferries] and [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk DFDS Seaways]. Ferry crossings between Calais and Dover take typically around 1 hour 30 mins and there are up to 46 sailings daily. The check-in time is 30 minutes before departure for vehicles and 45 minutes before departure for foot passengers.
Calais is connected to [[Dover (England)|Dover]] in [[England]] by ferry services operated by [http://www.poferries.com P&O Ferries] and [http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk DFDS Seaways]. Ferry crossings between Calais and Dover take typically around 1 hour 30 mins and there are up to 46 sailings daily. The check-in time is 30 minutes before departure for vehicles and 45 minutes before departure for foot passengers.
[[File:Calais Port.JPG|thumb|240px|right|Cranes in the ferry terminal, Calais]]
[[File:Calais Port.JPG|thumb|240px|right|Cranes in the ferry terminal, Calais]]
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Free car parking facilities are available in front of the Calais ferry terminal and the maximum stay is three days.
Free car parking facilities are available in front of the Calais ferry terminal and the maximum stay is three days.
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The port in Calais is also directly linked to the French motorway system. The A26/E15, which provides access to the heart of [[France]] including [[Paris]] and beyond and the A16/E40, a gateway to Benelux and the northern European motorway systems. The A16/E402 directs you to western France.
Another popular ferry route is [[Dover (England)|Dover]] to [[Dunkirk]] (near Calais) which is operated by DFDS Seaways and takes around 2 hours.
Another popular ferry route is [[Dover (England)|Dover]] to [[Dunkirk]] (near Calais) which is operated by DFDS Seaways and takes around 2 hours.
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Fares for the Dover-Calais ferry start from £25 (day return) and £39 (single) for a car with up to 9 passengers.
Fares for the Dover-Calais ferry start from £25 (day return) and £39 (single) for a car with up to 9 passengers.
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===By
train
===
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===
By
car
===
[[Image:Chunnel.JPG|thumb|right|Tour Bus, in a train car, in the Chunnel]]
[[Image:Chunnel.JPG|thumb|right|Tour Bus, in a train car, in the Chunnel]]
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====Eurotunnel Le Shuttle====
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Running from [[Folkestone]] to the western edge of Calais (Coquelles), this car shuttle service operated by '''[http://www.eurotunnel.com Eurotunnel]''' takes about 35 min (although only about 20 min in the tunnel) and offers the fastest way to travel between France and the UK. This train service is for passengers with cars only, who remain with their car for the duration of the short trip, as there are no restaurants (except a fast food restaurant) but there are toilets.
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Passengers travelling from Folkestone to Calais go through French passport/identity card checks in the UK before boarding the train, rather than on arrival in France. Those travelling in the other direction from Calais to the UK by Eurotunnel go through UK passport/identity card and customs checks in Coquelles before boarding the train, rather than on arrival in the UK.
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==== Roads ====
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The port in Calais is directly linked to the French motorway system. The A26/E15, which provides access to the heart of [[France]] including [[Paris]] and beyond and the A16/E40, a gateway to Benelux and the northern European motorway systems. The A16/E402 directs you to western France.
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===By train===
====Eurostar====
====Eurostar====
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Line 51:
[http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/eurostar_deals.jsp?rfrr=UK%3AUK%3AexpressBook_body_Eurostar%20deals Eurostar fares] start from £66 return (under 26) and £69 return (adults) from the UK to Calais .
[http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/eurostar_deals.jsp?rfrr=UK%3AUK%3AexpressBook_body_Eurostar%20deals Eurostar fares] start from £66 return (under 26) and £69 return (adults) from the UK to Calais .
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====Eurotunnel Le Shuttle====
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Running from Folkestone to the western edge of Calais (Coquelles), this car shuttle service operated by '''[http://www.eurotunnel.com Eurotunnel]''' takes about 35 min (although only about 20 min in the tunnel) and offers the fastest way to travel between France and the UK. This train service is for passengers with cars only, who remain with their car for the duration of the short trip, as there are no restaurants (except a fast food restaurant) but there are toilets.
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Passengers travelling from Folkestone to Calais go through French passport/identity card checks in the UK before boarding the train, rather than on arrival in France. Those travelling in the other direction from Calais to the UK by Eurotunnel go through UK passport/identity card and customs checks in Coquelles before boarding the train, rather than on arrival in the UK.
====SNCF====
====SNCF====
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==Buy==
==Buy==
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* '''Alcohol'''- since France has slightly lower taxes on alcohol than the UK various establishments have set up to cater for day trippers, although often it is a little cheaper to go to a local hypermarket (and you can pick up other stuff). The main hypermarkets are Auchan and Carrefour, the latter within the Cité Europe shopping centre and can both be reached on bus 5. In the town centre, there is a smaller Carrefour located at the back of the Quatre Boulevards shopping centre (near the Opéra).
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* '''Alcohol'''- since France has slightly lower taxes on alcohol than the UK various establishments have set up to cater for day trippers, although often it is a little cheaper to go to a local hypermarket (and you can pick up other stuff). The main hypermarkets are
[http://magasins.auchan.fr/magasins/calais/105/accueil/
Auchan
]
and
[http://www.carrefour-calais.com
Carrefour
]
, the latter within the Cité Europe shopping centre and can both be reached on bus 5. In the town centre, there is a smaller Carrefour located at the back of the Quatre Boulevards shopping centre (near the Opéra).
* {{buy
* {{buy
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| name=Cite Europe | alt= | url= | email=
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| name=Cite Europe | alt= | url=
http://en.citeeurope.com/W/do/centre/home
| email=
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| address= | lat= | long= | directions=Located next to the Channel Tunnel terminal. Junction 41 or 42 on the A16
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| address=
1001 Boulevard du Kent
| lat=
50.935174
| long=
1.80832
| directions=Located next to the Channel Tunnel terminal. Junction 41 or 42 on the A16
| phone= | tollfree= | fax=
| phone= | tollfree= | fax=
| hours= | price=
| hours= | price=
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* {{eat
* {{eat
| name=Friterie des Nations | alt= | url= | email=
| name=Friterie des Nations | alt= | url= | email=
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| address=
Parking
de
la plage
| lat= | long= | directions=
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| address=
Digue
Gaston
Berthe
| lat=
50.966502
| long=
1.84317
| directions=
| phone= | tollfree= | fax=
| phone= | tollfree= | fax=
| hours= | price=
| hours= | price=