How to go: London to Calais?
 

I am flying to London with my husband and kids in July. We are planning to spend a few days and then go to Calais, France, rent a car there, stay in Bruges then on to see more of France. What is the best (most convenient/quickest)way to get from London to Calais? I hear the price of the chunnel can be the same as a plane ticket. There are 5 of us so I am not sure of this option. What about the hovercraft? Any advice or details about booking a trip to Calais from London would be appreciated!

The Eurostar train, taking about an hour and 20 minutes, is certainly the quickest and most convenient.

There are cheap flights from London to Paris; I have no knowledge of flights from London to Calais.

On the Eurostar, there are price reductions for children and price reductions for advance purchase.

I think that there is no longer any hovercraft service.

If you're set on Calais as your starting point in France, then I agree with <b>TM</b>, Eurostar is your best option.

There are over-the-water options, but you will have to get to Dover and by the time you add the cost and trouble of transfers, connections, it becomes just as, if not more expensive.

To check Eurostar prices:

<b>www.eurostar.com</b>

For other options:

<b>http://www.hoverspeed.com

http://www.seafrance.com/en/home/index.php</b>

Have a great trip!

Hovercraft don't operate on the Channel any more. Hoverspeed is now just another cross-Channel operator, using boring old Seacats.

The conventional sea ferries probably work out a lot cheaper than Eurostar: train to Dover, probably a taxi to the dock, then a walk-on fare. But it's very slow: allow 4.5 hrs from Victoria/Charing X to the Calais docks.

You might explore Le Swap https://www.hertz.com/byr/whyhertz/a...leeurope02.jsp). You hire a car from Hertz in the UK , drive to the Tunnel (Please. NEVER the Chunnel. Where did you pick this bizarre word up? Well, wherever it was, take it back there and keep it there), take Le Shuttle through the tunnel and collect a left-hand drive car at the French terminal.

How to go: London to Calais?

The adult return fare London, Calais, London is by Eurostar is 60 pounds. The single costs more, so you should buy return and scrap the second half of the ticket. I think you book online: take care to give only London address and phone number, as they like to raise fares for Americans. Trains now leave Waterloo at 0626 not Sundays, 0709 not Sundays, 0839, 0942, 1130 Saturdays and Sundays, 1239, and so on, and take an our and fifty minutes (not an hour and twenty minutes) to Calais. They go to Calais Frethun, which has local busses and trains the eight kilometers to Calais Ville station. As flanneruk says, you can take a Seacat catamaran in the connection London Charing Cross 0700 not Sundays, Dover Priory 0856, Dover Hoverspeed Terminal 1000, Calais High Speed ferry terminal, 1200 Calais Ville about 1230. For half an hour more you can have more space by boat at sea: London Charing Cross 0700 not Sundays, Dover Priory 0856, Dover Docks 1000, Calais Port 1230, Calais Ville about 1300. The adult single fare at ticket window number 8 in Charing Cross station costs about 45 pounds, and includes free busses at the two ports.

[email protected]

Thanks everyone for the helpful info. I will check out Eurostar.