My wife and I will be crossing from Dover to Calais in early October on our way to vacation in Brittany. After reserving a rental car at the Calais Port, I have found out they will not be open when we arrive (2000 hrs). So, our revised plan is to simply stay the night around the Calais Ferry Port and pick-up rental car the following morning. Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent hotel close to the Port and the rental car offices?

"Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent hotel close to the Port "

No.

Ferries dock in a bleak industrial zone, plugged straight into the motorway system, a mile of so NE of the city centre. There are few hotels in the immediate vicinity, though I wouldn't want to stay there, and certainly some hire companies - like Hertz - don't really have an office near the port anyway.

You've two broad choices:

There's a fair few slightly faded, but tres typique, old-style French hotels in the centre. Get a taxi to one of them (I've fond memories of the Meurice - but it's a VERY long time ago). You're in the centre of what we all like to think in France's dullest town - but it's a real town, with bars you can walk to. Check where your hire office really is: it might be handier to the centre than you think

OR, there's an Ibis and a Campanile half as mile or so from the port. I like Campaniles as basic gaffs: Ibises are a tad further up the scale, though dull. They're both standard chains. Once there, though, you're sort of stranded. You'll need a taxi to the hotel, you're stuck there till morning (Campaniles usually have decent, reasonably authentic and cheap brasseries for supper) and you'll need a cab onwards the following day.

I'm sorry you're in this position. These days, most of us drive on to a nice Flanders small town and stuff ourselves on a plate of fruits de mer, or a disfhul of potjevleesch Which is why cabbing into town in the less worse option.

two suggestions:

1) follow flanner's advice and stay in central Calais - not a great place for sure but not ghastly/horrible . .

or

2) change your ferry/car bookings. That would be my choice if possible. You could change it to the next morning and stay in England that night, sail to Calais first thing in the AM and pick up your rental car. Or better yet IMO - change to an afternoon ferry, pick up your car, and head out. Both options would avoid Calais altogether.

I guess you only want somewhere to "lay your head". There are plenty of restaurants along the main street.

I'd agree with the above hotel notes. There are lots of faded hotels between the beach road and the town hall. I've stayed in Hotel Meurice several times - last time a couple of years ago.

Ibis is good because the reception stays open 24 hrs but the central Calais Ibis has now relocated.

Hôtel du Beffroi is close to the Meurice and is a Logis hotel with restaurant. I've not stayed in this one, but have had good experiences with other Logis hotels around France.

There is a list of channel port hotels here : http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/to...s-hotels-5.htm

Peter

Thanks for everyones input, I feel better after seeing a map of Calais and its proximity to the port. The Meurice shows up in a lot of strings, so think we will stay there.

Thanks again!