Day Trip To France !

mcfisco

If you like seafood - drive down to Boulogne, they have the most wonderful restaraunts specialising in 'fruits de mer'
I'm sure you'll find plenty in Calais too but I thought Boulogne was especially blessed with lots of nice places.

malamala

We love seafood! Seems Boulogne is a place not to be missed as it is recommended by so many.

Do you order seafood platter or any recommendation?

Whether we are going or not will be depending on whether paper driving license is a must or not.

simongregson

Speaking pragmatically - I wouldn't bother with any of the extra safety gear they try and flog you at the port. It's an expensive rip off. Do buy headlamp adjusters IF you are going to be driving in the dark. The journey from the ferry port to the shops is almost all motorway, and the AA advise against using a warning triangle as it would be dangerous to set it up on the hard shoulder. As your car would be in full view, just turn on the hazard lights. The triangle is really only useful if your car is around a sharp bend or over the brow of a steep hill or something.

I don't expect many french people have high vis vests/spare bulb kits and the like, although they are probably supposed to!

Also, breakdown insurance. It is literally 15 minutes drive to cite europe from the ferry, even less from eurotunnel. I have an old knackered car and when we went for two weeks I did fork out for breakdown insurance, but for short trips I don't bother. If it starts making noises, get it to the ferry sharpish and get your usual breakdown people to collect from Dover!

Hope that helps.

furndire

One tip, check that you are not going on a French Bank Holiday, as a lot of the shops close. There are 3 coming up in May.

simongregson

Also forgot to mention - for seafrance and p and o go via https://www.quidco.co.uk to get cashback.

If you are going on seafrance, try and book on the beroliz or renoir which are their new big ferries, by far the best on the dover-calais crossing. Avoid the others which are old and manky & slower!

P&O charge a credit card fee, seafrance don't so factor that in if not paying by debit card.

I also like Seafrance as they are a French company and it gets you into a bit more of a French mood on the trip, the staff like it when you attempt to speak to them in French, however badly. They all speak English though.

shown73

Not trying to teach my Granny to suck eggs, but do bear in mind that France is one hour ahead, so if you sail at 08:00, arrive about09:20 or so, it's already 10:20 in France. The whole country shuts down between 12:00 and 14:00 for lunch, except the hypermarkets and restaurants.
It would be quite feasible to slip over to Bruges, in Belgium, for a while. Very touristy, but very attractive, well worth a visit. we've been several times, and nearly everyone that I know who has been goes back again. It's motorway, so only takes an hour or so.

malamala

Thanks for all your advice.

I have booked ferry ticket to Calais.

One more question: where can we get the sticker for headlight?

Thanks again!