Day Trip from Calais/Coquelles

[Ectopic]

I did a day trip from Coquelles (the Channel Tunnel port) today. It was all short notice, and minimal planning. Booked a couple of likely-looking sports for coffee (Cassel) and lunch (Fauqembergues), hit 'avoid motorways and tolls roads' on Garmin Basecamp, and followed that route. As luck would have it, it turned out to be a very nice selection of roads and pleasant scenery, and a delight to spend a day riding with not much traffic and lovely smooth roads. About 4 .5 hrs riding in France

We caught the 06:37 shuttle out, and the 17:37 (local time) shuttle back. Worth bearing in mind that Eurotunnel have tightened up on their previous policy of allowing you to travel on any shuttle within an hour of your booking - they are explicit now that you are booked on your crossing and to change to an earlier/later crossing will involve paying again. (Unless, of course, you've stumped up the considerable extra for a flexible ticket when you made the original booking.)

The only minor FITO (fly in the ointment) was that on a Monday, only one café was open in Cassel, and nowhere was open for lunch in Fauquembergues! We found a nice enough restaurant called Chantauvent near Ledinghem on the way to Desvres.

.GPX file attached (I hope) in case anyone wants a simple idea for a gentle day trip.

(I imagine Wapping has already posted several alternative day trip routes! Mine will be just a bit better, of course.)

 

[Wapping]

Good one

 

[Loiq]

there's a couple of interesting V2 sites near calais "la Coupole" the blockhouse


if you like that sort of thing....

 

[Wapping]

The only minor FITO (fly in the ointment) was that on a Monday, only one café was open in Cassel, and nowhere was open for lunch in Fauquembergues! We found a nice enough restaurant called Chantauvent near Ledinghem on the way to Desvres.

The peril of Monday in France; a cunning trap, designed to ensnare the innocent British adventurer.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Abic8o9sK27NU4Xa8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

 

[Wapping]

If nothing else, Ectopic’s post, puts the lie to the oft spouted, “There are no decent roads in north east France. It’s all shite, take the motorway, mate”. It also shows that you don’t need to go very far, in order to have a good time.

 

[Hairnet600]

quite often do the from calais south to berck/le touquet across to hazebrouck head for kortrijk do ieper then either dunkirk or calais again

 

[Wapping]

Next time you go, Ectopic, try following the black line between Wulverdinghe and Cassel, superimposed on your route. Or the road above it:

 

[Ectopic]

Next time you go, Ectopic, try following the black line between Wulverdinghe and Cassel, superimposed on your route. Or the road above it:

View attachment 402072

Bizarrely, we did take the route (near enough) that you've imposed. We actually went through Merckeghem - I made a not of nice-looking Logis Hotel, the Hostellerie Saint Louis, at Bolezeele - but from Bollezeele onwards I think that was the route we rode.

As many will know, the pleasure of smooth, pothole-free roads and hardly any traffic makes the channel crossing worth it. Even on a Monday.

 

[Wapping]

I have stayed at the hotel three times. Quite a good restaurant.





There used to be quite a good cafe in Bollezeele, right opposite the decent sized car park and the large church. It was run by an elderly lady who was very deaf.

This is what it used to look like:



It then gained some stone cladding and has never been open each time I’ve passed:



Not far away in the small town, there is what looks to be another bar / bistro, very popular with Belgian blokes on motorcycles:



I have never tried it, but I took a note of the opening days and times. These might differ in the summer, I don’t know:





If the cafe / brasserie in Bollezeele is open, I prefer the place to the very busy town of Cassel. Why? The parking is much easier, especially if there is a number of you.

PS As Ectopic said in his opening post, restaurants / cafes can be a bit thin on the ground, unless you go into St Omer itself. I have taken up taking a packed lunch. There is though one (which I always mean to try) in Zoteux, which always seems to be very busy each time I pass:

 

[grantmac]

The Hostellerie St Louis in Bollezeele is indeed quite nice. Restaurant also perfectly fine.



We have also stayed here

Logis Hotel & Restaurant – Le Château des Tourelles​

with Richard (aka TimeandTide) which is a wee bit further south in the village of Le Wast, about 15 km due east of Boulogne. Also very nice with a good restaurant.

 

[Wapping]

I imagine Wapping has already posted several alternative day trip routes! Mine will be just a bit better, of course

It’s a fair cop.