A Day Out With A Difference

Fancy a day out but wondering where to go? Hop on one of our ferries from Dover and you could be in Northern France in less than two hours. Spend the day exploring the historic cities of Calais or Dunkirk then step back onboard and be arrive home the same day. Read on for more ways to spend your day in France.

A bike ride in a different country

Load up your bike and hit the open road – just remember to stay on the right once you get to France! With fantastic cycling routes close to our ports at Calais and Dover, you can cycle along stunning coastlines, gorgeous countryside and stop by a seafront café for some freshly caught seafood or warming French onion soup. If you fancy a bike ride with a difference, why not take a day trip across the channel?

Bring history to life

Discover the lace making heritage of Calais at The Lace Museum, find out about Dunkirk’s maritime and wartime history at the Port Museum and the monuments in the surrounding countryside and see for yourself the infamous landing beaches where thousands of soldiers arrived on D-Day back in 1944.

Taste the difference

Spend the day sampling the fruits of French gastronomy, including freshly caught seafood, fabulous cheeses, exquisite wines, freshly baked bread and much, much more. Be sure to stop by one of the large hypermarkets before you head home to stock up on more fine French food and drink!

Sightseeing

Visit the 19^th century lighthouse in Calais and climb the 271 steps to the stop for views across the channel to the white cliffs of Dover, grab a bite to eat at Place des Armes, a bustling centre square with a statue of former French President, Charles de Gaulle who got married in Calais in 1921 and climb the 75 metre high belfry at the Town Hall.

In Dunkirk, visit the gothic Église St-Éloi to see beautiful stained-glass windows, a 52-pipe organ and bullet holes which serve as a stark reminder of its role in WW1 and WW2. Pay your respects at Dunkirk British Memorial and find out more about the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk at Mémorial du Souvenir.

 A work of art

If you’re looking for an arty afternoon, Calais and Dunkirk deliver, with sculptures and paintings from the 14^th to the 20^th centuries.

In Dunkirk the Musée des Beaux-Arts holds a wide range of Flemish, Dutch, French and Italian paintings including Corot’s A Dune at Dunkirk.

If you’re looking for more modern art, LAAC (Lieu d’Art et d’Action Contemporaine) is located in a sculpture park overlooking Dunkirk beach and contains works from the 1940s to the 1980s.

In Calais in front of the Town Hall on the edge of the Parc Saint-Pierre is one of Auguste Rodin’s best-known works, the Burghers of Calais. The Musée des Beaux Arts de Calais houses French, Dutch and Flemish art from a variety of eras, including works from the Dutch Golden Age and more Rodin sculptures too.

Photo Credit: Cliff – Flickr

So there you have it, a list of ways to spend a day out with a difference across the channel. Hop on a return ferry crossing to France with DFDS from just £68 and enjoy a day in Northern France. See you onboard!