Dover to Calais/Dunkirk

[Cathryn]

In the end I've decided I can't be having with stress about tight connections and ending up stuck in Dover/Portsmouth/Calais. So I've just taken an extra half day off and will go to Dover on the Thursday evening after work, crash in a Premier Inn and then work through until 12:30. Then it's an easy afternoon ferry to Calais, evening TER to Amiens and on to Paris and then Strasbourg on Saturday (I've booked a bike spot on one of LGV Est TGVs). Thanks to everyone for all the advice.

Just a quick one (as I'm late to the party) but cycling out of Calais port is fab - you get off last and there's a little truck which is waiting for you down the gangplank and you follow it safely out the port itself and onto a quiet lane. Really well thought out.

 

[teebs]

Just a quick one (as I'm late to the party) but cycling out of Calais port is fab - you get off last and there's a little truck which is waiting for you down the gangplank and you follow it safely out the port itself and onto a quiet lane. Really well thought out.

That's good to know, thanks. So far I've only done Harwich-Hook of Holland, which obviously has the delights of the Dutch cycle network.

Hopefully should be plenty of time to get away from Calais, ferry arrives at 16:55 and then there are trains to Amiens (might as well get halfway to Paris) at 17:40, 18:20 and 19:20 (ish). The first one is probably optimistic, but the 18:20 would be good.

 

[Brandane]

there are trains to Amiens

Avoid the Hotel Premiere Classe to the north of Amiens. Normally I quite like budget hotels in France, but that particular one was not pleasant at all.