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Calais
Also known as Saint-Pierre-lès-Calais (réunie à Calais), Dampierre-les-Dunes
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French major port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,585; that of the urban area is 144,488 (2022). Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only wide here, and is the closest French town to England. The White Cliffs of Dover can easily be seen from Calais on a clear day. Calais is a major port for ferries between France and England, The Channel Tunnel has connected Calais and Folkestone sin
AI overview
Calais is a major French port city located in the Pas-de-Calais department, positioned at the narrowest point of the English Channel directly across from England. It serves as a crucial transportation hub connecting France and England through ferries and the Channel Tunnel, and is strategically important due to its geographic proximity to Britain.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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Place details
- Locality
- Calais
- Region
- Hauts-de-France
- Country
- France
- Population
- 74,433
- Timezone
Travel guide
Understand
thumb|right|350px|Calais pier. Large warehouse supermarkets have sprung up on the outskirts of Calais just to serve the British "booze cruisers" who return to the UK with their car suspensions groaning under the weight of cheap alcohol and cigarettes.
Get around
Most people travel by car around the town, but there is a comprehensive network of buses running from the town centre to the suburbs and Cité Europe. The port is served by a special shuttle bus although via a footbridge the centre, and the harbour terminal are only 15 min apart.
Bus 5 is useful for reaching the large Auchan and Carrefour hypermarkets and the Cite Europe shopping mall and the 6 goes to Calais Frethun Eurostar station. Services run every 30 min during the day and costs about €1 (board through the front door and pay the driver) and all buses terminate outside the Gare D'Ville.
Do
Visit the Coast up to "Cap Blanc Nez" (White Nose Cap), Unesco Classified site. If you have no car, you can take the bus (double-decker) at the theatre or the station for €1 there along the see road. Really cool.
Buy
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). Lace: two places worth a visit:
Go next
To hitch-hike to Belgium or the Netherlands, if you leave the terminal, you must walk 500 m through a large car park, after which you will see roundabout and an on-ramp to the motorway. That is the place to hitch a ride: there is enough space even for a big lorry.
For a more 'traditional' experience of France, Saint-Omer is 43 km (26 miles) down the road from Calais. The Saturday morning market on the main square, the Place Foch, can be enjoyable. There are also good affordable restaurants and friendly bars, as well as interesting architecture.
Other options:
~41 min read
Article
35 sectionsContents
- Names and etymology<span class="anchor" id="Names of Calais"></span><span class="anchor" id="Etymology of Calais"></span>
- History
- Early history
- 14th–15th century; the Pale of Calais
- 16th century
- 17th century to World War I
- World War II
- 21st century – migration issues
- Geography and climate
- Demographics
- Economy
- Politics
- Notable landmarks
- Place d'Armes
- Hôtel de Ville
- Église Notre-Dame
- Towers
- Forts
- Museums, theatres and cultural centres
- Monuments and memorials
- Historic hotels
- Education
- Sport
- Transport
- Sea
- Rail
- Road
- Air
- Notable people
- International relations
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French major port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,585; that of the urban area is 144,488 (2022). Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only wide here, and is the closest French town to England. The White Cliffs of Dover can easily be seen from Calais on a clear day. Calais is a major port for ferries between France and England, The Channel Tunnel has connected Calais and Folkestone since 1994.
Because of its position, Calais has been a major port and an important centre for transport and trading with England since the Middle Ages. Calais came under English control after Edward III of England captured the city in 1347, followed by a treaty in 1360 that formally assigned Calais to English rule. Calais grew into a thriving centre for wool production, and came to be called the "brightest jewel in the English crown" because of its importance as the gateway for the tin, lead, lace and wool trades (or "staples"). Calais remained under English control until its recapture by France in 1558.
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On the map
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