First time trip to France - Getting out of Calais port?

wheeledwidewebb

Slightly silly question maybe, but.

In a couple of weeks it will be our first cycle trip overseas, only a couple of days down to Belgium from Calais, so nothing dramatic but we have one concern.

We have been to Calais ferry port many times in cars and on motorbikes but have no idea how you go about getting out of the place on a bicycle; making the quickest progress in the direction of Belgium whilst trying to avoid the busy roads and HGVs.

Is there an obvious exit that we should be looking for or do we just need to follow the motor vehicles?

Thanks for any advice.

suffolk rider

I don't have the map in front of me, but as you emerge from the port complex you want to take a lesser road off to the right (I think over a small roundabout), which will take you round the back of the town, and alongside a canal. If you follow this north it will take you up towards Belgium along a road that is not particularly busy.

wheeledwidewebb

Thanks for your help.

I think I have found the roundabout you mean, is this it?

jimmcdonnell

Yes, that is the right road. It's easy to miss frst time, but try not to because as you can see the penalty is you find yourself on what I'm pretty sure is the start of a French Autoroute - exactly what I did a few years ago; luckily it was at 4 in the morning so there were no lorries or other cars for the 5-6miles I cycled along le hard shoulder :shock: !

Don't assume you've gone wrong when you find yourself cycling through a pretty grim industrial area with very rutted roads, it's only for about 1/4 mile before you come out in Calais town not far from the train station.

suffolk rider

Yes, that looks like it to me.

Tourist Tony

That is the roundabout. It is signposted "Centre Ville" as you come out of the French passport control booths. If you look at the bottom of the pic, you can see another road which crosses the corner of the satellite pic. That takes you to a hump-backed bridge over the main road from the ferry port and gives you access to a great area of "white roads" on the way out to Gravelines.

Pennyfarthing

You could go via Dunkirk as an alternative. We just had four days in Ypres and apart from the first 2km coming out of the port there is very little traffic. We stopped at the side of the road and let most of the traffic from the ferry go past, after that it was quiet.
Hope you enjoy your tour, we did.