Calais to Folkestone Eurotunnel

Calais Guide

The French town and major sea port of Calais is located in northern France and lies on the English Channel coast, around 21 miles across the English Channel from the English Port of Dover. On a clear day it is possible to see the White Cliffs of Dover, across the Strait of Dover. Calais' old town, known as Calais-Nord, is surrounded by canals and harbours and lies on an artificial island. The more modern part of Calais, known as St-Pierre, is located to the south of the old town.

Visitors to the town can take in the Tour du Guet which is situated in the Place d'Armes in the old town. Built in the 13th century, the structure was originally a water tower which was subsequently used as a lighthouse until 1848.

The port of Calais is well known to many visitors from the UK and is the 4th largest port in France, by passenger numbers. It is the main gateway into France for many UK visitors and is less than 3 hours by car from Paris, Brussels and London and is connected to several motorways. On average a ship departs from Calais every 30 minutes, with around 50 departures to Dover each day, with a crossing time of about 75 minutes.

Folkestone Guide

The town and port of Folkestone is located on the south east coast of England, in the county of Kent, and lies on the English Channel coast. The town sits at the southern end of the North Downs , where they meet the sea, and unlike the white chalk cliffs at nearby Dover, the cliffs at Folkestone are of Greensand and Gault clay. The Pent Stream which cuts through the cliffs at Folkestone provided the original haven for fishing vessels and cross channel boats. Part of Folkestone also falls within the boundaries of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the nearby Brockhill Country Park, to the west of the town, has a lovely lake and footpaths and links to the Royal Military Canal at nearby Hythe.

The town also has two important Battle of Britain landmarks. The first is the Kent Battle of Britain Museum which is the oldest Battle of Britain museum in the UK, and the second is the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne.

The town's harbour is now mainly used by the town's fishing fleet and also by pleasure boats.