Weekend break to France - Driving distance

heavenSE7

Hi all

Looking for a weekend getaway to France with the old man to escape the daily grind of London and have a bit of a break. Will be driving so don't want to spend too much on the Petrol if can be helped.

Any ideas of some places not too far from Calais which are nice to go and unwind with a few things to see and do? (Not forgetting some decent pubs / food!)

I've always thought this place was better than TripAdvisor for travel advice so fire away!

Shag

Le Touquet mate , about 45 minute drive . Coastal town with plenty of decent restaurants

Hastingsaddick

Arras....lovely town and in a handy position to visit some of the war sites, alternatively drive down to Normandy...maybe onto Britany. I'm sure you will get plenty of responses to this on here as quite a few posters have been over to France by car.

ShootersHillGuru

From Calais to Paris allow about four hours. Look at map and judge accordingly.

Shag

If he's looking to escape the daily grind of london , I don't reckon going to paris will cut it

DaveMehmet

Le Touquet and Arras are both well worth going to. St Omer is even nearer but not quite as much to do, nice place though. If you do go to Le Touquet, take the coastal road which is much nicer drive. Takes you through Etaples which has a WW1 cemetery nearby.

ForeverAddickted

Another +1 vote for Le Touquet... Lovely location only a couple of hours South from Calais

When I did a day trip to France a good number of years ago I went out to Azincourt which is a nice quiet area with its Battlefield

Charlton_Charlie

Le Touquet too...if you stick to the motorway, not as nice a drive, but 45 mins from Calais....

ShootersHillGuru

Shag said:

If he's looking to escape the daily grind of london , I don't reckon going to paris will cut it

Didn't mean for him to go to Paris. Was using the four hour drive to Paris as a yardstick for alternatives between Coast and there.

Jints

Le Touquet is nice. Also worth a try is nearby Montreuil.

Davo55

A little further south, but do-able and very worthwhile if you get an early start - Honfleur. A gorgeous Normandy coastal town, lovely old harbour, great seafood. About 170 miles from Calais so allow 2 hours plus each way.

Henry Irving

Normandy is good and easy to reach either via the Tunnel or a ferry.

The Ardennes or Belgium worth a trip but I really like the Vendee. Would take 7-ish hours but on the coast

JohnBoyUK

I rode Calais to Arras by bike a few years ago. Stunning scenery on the way through the countryside to Arras.

DaveMehmet

JohnBoyUK said:

I rode Calais to Arras by bike a few years ago. Stunning scenery on the way through the countryside to Arras.

And I bet you had a sore arras by the time you got there.

DaveMehmet

Davo55 said:

A little further south, but do-able and very worthwhile if you get an early start - Honfleur. A gorgeous Normandy coastal town, lovely old harbour, great seafood. About 170 miles from Calais so allow 2 hours plus each way.

Lovely place, as is Deauville a little further on.

Addickted

Head into Belgium - Ypres is less than an hour from Calais.

Some fantastic things to see and do - particularly World War One related.

stilladdicted

Addickted said:

Head into Belgium - Ypres is less than an hour from Calais.

Some fantastic things to see and do - particularly World War One related.

I had thought that as well. It would depend upon Dad's preferences though. Not everyone's cuppa.

heavenSE7

Great responses so far.

Who needs trip advisor!

Tunwellsaddick

Another vote for Honfleur. Lovely setting to enjoy moules frites under parasoles at the quayside restaurants.

Swisdom

Amiens is glorious - cracking cathedral and some great eateries

The_President

Belgium.

DaveMehmet

Even Calais isn't too bad. Granted it's far from brilliant but there are a couple of decent restaurants in the old part of town plus one or two decentish bars. There's a WW2 museum in the park and a couple of others a short drive away. La Coupole is an old V2 launch site which is now a very good museum.

pickwick

Brugges is an hour and ten away and is a lovely city with great bars

Joshuk87

Bruges or honfluer for me.

fatrob

Around Villedieu-Les-Poeles in lower Normandy is a great area but around 4 1/2 hours from Calais

AddicksAddict

If you want France and the coast, Le Touquet is the best choice for distance and quality. If you fancy the coast and great beer, head up into Belgium around Nieuwpoort - there's a tram that runs along the seafront so you can leave the car and get as hammered as you wish.

stilladdicted

Bruges is a brilliant place to wander around especially at night. You can wander from bar to bar sampling a variety of brews whilst eating liqueur cherries 'enrobed en chocolat'. I love the place, but you need to be in a hotel within easy walking distance of the old town to get the most out of it.

Stuart_the_Red

If you don't want to drive too far try the Hotel l'Atlantic in Wimereux, just the other side of Boulogne. They have an excellent restaurant called LA LIÈGEOISE.

Here's the link: atlantic-delpierre.com

Sevensix

Agree that the Hotel l'Atlantic's upstairs restaurant looking over the promenade is very good. Fancy a 7 course tasting menu for lunch?

There are also excellent restaurants in Montreuil, which is a beautiful walled town. After lunch you can do a tour along the walls and admire the views over the countryside.

masicat

Le Touquet. Stay at The Westminster and visit Montreuil which is the gastronomic centre of Northern France. If budget doesn't allow The Westminster, stay at The Red Fox which is basic but town centre position.

Elthamaddick

masicat said:

Le Touquet. Stay at The Westminster and visit Montreuil which is the gastronomic centre of Northern France. If budget doesn't allow The Westminster, stay at The Red Fox which is basic but town centre position.

pop in the casino over the road from the Westminister too