I think I enjoy the build up more than the actual riding, which always passes by in a flash. Calais was nicely decorated and I even managed to pick up a couple of TdF souvenirs
Accessing Calais port by bike
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
My wife likened watching the TdF to bad sex: you spend ages in the anticipation and the build up, but when the main event arrives, it's over almost before you know it's begun.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
Came through Calais this morning and this post is spot on, exactly my experience also for anyone else wondering. It was all pretty simple. The big lorries are pretty much kept out your way in their own set of lanes.pal wrote: ↑1 Jul 2022, 1:07pm Coming back into the port (from Calais town), you just stay on the main road and follow the ‘normal’ (ie: for cars) signs. There is a cycle path almost all the way to the port entrance, alongside the road; then it’s about another km of cycling though the various ticket and passport checks. It all felt pretty safe - there’s lots of space, even though there’s no cycle-specific route once you’re in the port - but definitely longer than the pace-car short-cut you take on the way out. (This was in May this year.)
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
You may want to refine your approach.
The build up should be good fun and the post race satisfaction/relaxation should be great too. The cobbles looked like a perfect day to test that approach on the r TdF.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
One other thing this and other Euro posts show is that you can still tour in Europe hassle free.
The scare stories in the Sun* etc were no more than that. Get out and enjoy yourself.
* Carnets, import tax, return ticket, insurance, cash, etc.
The scare stories in the Sun* etc were no more than that. Get out and enjoy yourself.
* Carnets, import tax, return ticket, insurance, cash, etc.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
I’ll admit I did have a return ticket sorted just in case I was asked, but nobody did. I recommend the DFDS Dover-Calais ‘premium’ ticket as it’s fully refundable as long as you cancel within three (I think?) days of departure
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
My previous comments were out as I have not visited since the new enormous terminal was constructed. It is a far way round lots of roads inside the terminal but I did get there in the end.
After calais port and town Dover is somewhat drab but my friend is keen to get back the what he thought was an u interesting part of France.
I loved the new cycle ways even only we learnt from our neighbours.
After calais port and town Dover is somewhat drab but my friend is keen to get back the what he thought was an u interesting part of France.
I loved the new cycle ways even only we learnt from our neighbours.
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MartinBrice
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Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
This is a very poor photo of the GPX track as we cycled from Calais town to board the DFDS ferry. This was last Thursday, July 21, 2022. I'm very familiar with Calais, as I've been in and out loads of times: no map that I have yet seen will show the very latest building work there, which has dramatically changed.
From the town we crossed the small bridge on the map then along the road heading eastwards towards the roundabout - it's a good idea to cycle on the pavement along here. We stayed on the pavement after the roundabout - the right hand side of the road but the pavement ends so we crossed to the other side, and went clockwise round the big roundabout - but this entails cycling on the grass.
On your left you soon see the former entrance to the port which is now graced by a high metal fence and locked gates. We then mistakenly followed a van into the port (hence the little red excursion shown on the GPX track) but were turned back by a man in a booth who told us to go round the roundabout - a suicidal idea I think.
We turned round at the booth and cycled towards the roundabout for maybe 20 metres then turned left on to a cycle lane that was protected from lorries by a concrete wall. Then we arrived in an absolutely enormous area for queueing, parking and waiting.
In previous years before the madness of brexit we went through the UK border first then the French border. But now we went through the French border first - after that we were not on EU territory, then we go through the UK border. The French are checking that you haven't spent more than 90 days in the past 180 inside the EU.
At the queuing area we were at the front of the queue so we'd - as normal - be first on the boat. This gave us a fine view of a brand new, enormous duty-free shop.
If you want I can email you a GPX of this track which might help. PM me.
Also - note: On the way off the boat we were stopped by someone with an electric van and followed that round the port and he took us through various gates then dropped us at the first roundabout that we met after we'd crossed the small bridge on the way out of the town.
From the town we crossed the small bridge on the map then along the road heading eastwards towards the roundabout - it's a good idea to cycle on the pavement along here. We stayed on the pavement after the roundabout - the right hand side of the road but the pavement ends so we crossed to the other side, and went clockwise round the big roundabout - but this entails cycling on the grass.
On your left you soon see the former entrance to the port which is now graced by a high metal fence and locked gates. We then mistakenly followed a van into the port (hence the little red excursion shown on the GPX track) but were turned back by a man in a booth who told us to go round the roundabout - a suicidal idea I think.
We turned round at the booth and cycled towards the roundabout for maybe 20 metres then turned left on to a cycle lane that was protected from lorries by a concrete wall. Then we arrived in an absolutely enormous area for queueing, parking and waiting.
In previous years before the madness of brexit we went through the UK border first then the French border. But now we went through the French border first - after that we were not on EU territory, then we go through the UK border. The French are checking that you haven't spent more than 90 days in the past 180 inside the EU.
At the queuing area we were at the front of the queue so we'd - as normal - be first on the boat. This gave us a fine view of a brand new, enormous duty-free shop.
If you want I can email you a GPX of this track which might help. PM me.
Also - note: On the way off the boat we were stopped by someone with an electric van and followed that round the port and he took us through various gates then dropped us at the first roundabout that we met after we'd crossed the small bridge on the way out of the town.
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Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
Hello - I know this is a bit late for the original poster but I just did Paris-Calais-Dover via TER and DFDS yesterday (01/11/22) and thought my experience might be helpful to others. TLDR: I did not find it easy to find my way to the bike passenger ferry check-in!
Firstly, for the train Paris-Calais Ville: I booked this easily by going directly to the TER Hauts-de-France website. Originally I looked on the main SNCF ticket site and it had refused to show the bike-friendly TERs for some reason.
The TER bike rack was a bit odd: you have to tie your bike to it using provided fabric straps with velcro. The straps on my bike rack were quite shabby and held on by threads in places. The rack itself was not suitable for my D-lock, but a chain lock would have worked.
At Calais-Ville I rode through the town centre to avoid the busy/fast main road to the port.
I personally found DFDS’s online bike arrivals advice pretty useless, and the signage in Calais is terrible.
Eventually I found a port worker who told me to follow the signs for CAR FERRY and then “Billetterie” (ticket office), and essentially just act as if I were in a car.
I had seen and used some of the bike paths but I saw no specific signs for bike passengers. I understand that they don’t get many of us, but I had been worried about accidentally ending up on a motorway or dual carriageway if I had blindly followed the car route.
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the boxy yellow basket-weave type port HQ building which will be to your left.
Just cycle through the check-in lanes by the yellow building, using the one marked for cars. After that it’s very simple, you keep going through the lane system to French passport control then UK passports.
At the first check in booth, DFDS will give you your ticket- a barcoded hanger type tag that would normally go over a car’s rear view mirror. On this you have a lane number, watch out for this after UK passport control and just take care as you cycle into your lane as HGVs are also driving around this area, turning into their lanes etc.
My ferry was delayed so I didn’t wait in my (uncovered!) lane. I took my bike into the duty free shop, where there were nice and helpful DFDS assistants who kept us advised about the departure/delay info. There are loos in there too, and a bit of a sad-looking waiting area with vending machines for drinks and snacks. There was nowhere to buy sandwiches or anything more substantial, so be prepared in case of delays.
For boarding: you’ll know it’s time because DFDS workers in hi-vis will appear by the boarding lanes. I and the other cyclist cycled up most of the boarding ramp, dismounted and walked for the final section as advised, then DFDS staff lashed the bikes with ties and we went up into the ferry. As others have said, note your deck no. and stairwell to find your way back.
Disembarking: go down when you hear the overhead speaker announcement. Again, a steward will tell you when you can disembark, and you can cycle everything except for the bit of ramp that connects the boat to the dock. Follow the red painted line to get out. You’ll come to a locked gate where you ring a bell to be let out, then follow the red line again out of the port.
Firstly, for the train Paris-Calais Ville: I booked this easily by going directly to the TER Hauts-de-France website. Originally I looked on the main SNCF ticket site and it had refused to show the bike-friendly TERs for some reason.
The TER bike rack was a bit odd: you have to tie your bike to it using provided fabric straps with velcro. The straps on my bike rack were quite shabby and held on by threads in places. The rack itself was not suitable for my D-lock, but a chain lock would have worked.
At Calais-Ville I rode through the town centre to avoid the busy/fast main road to the port.
I personally found DFDS’s online bike arrivals advice pretty useless, and the signage in Calais is terrible.
Eventually I found a port worker who told me to follow the signs for CAR FERRY and then “Billetterie” (ticket office), and essentially just act as if I were in a car.
I had seen and used some of the bike paths but I saw no specific signs for bike passengers. I understand that they don’t get many of us, but I had been worried about accidentally ending up on a motorway or dual carriageway if I had blindly followed the car route.
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the boxy yellow basket-weave type port HQ building which will be to your left.
Just cycle through the check-in lanes by the yellow building, using the one marked for cars. After that it’s very simple, you keep going through the lane system to French passport control then UK passports.
At the first check in booth, DFDS will give you your ticket- a barcoded hanger type tag that would normally go over a car’s rear view mirror. On this you have a lane number, watch out for this after UK passport control and just take care as you cycle into your lane as HGVs are also driving around this area, turning into their lanes etc.
My ferry was delayed so I didn’t wait in my (uncovered!) lane. I took my bike into the duty free shop, where there were nice and helpful DFDS assistants who kept us advised about the departure/delay info. There are loos in there too, and a bit of a sad-looking waiting area with vending machines for drinks and snacks. There was nowhere to buy sandwiches or anything more substantial, so be prepared in case of delays.
For boarding: you’ll know it’s time because DFDS workers in hi-vis will appear by the boarding lanes. I and the other cyclist cycled up most of the boarding ramp, dismounted and walked for the final section as advised, then DFDS staff lashed the bikes with ties and we went up into the ferry. As others have said, note your deck no. and stairwell to find your way back.
Disembarking: go down when you hear the overhead speaker announcement. Again, a steward will tell you when you can disembark, and you can cycle everything except for the bit of ramp that connects the boat to the dock. Follow the red painted line to get out. You’ll come to a locked gate where you ring a bell to be let out, then follow the red line again out of the port.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
Query about passport control (it's been about 15 years since I used the ferry to Calais!) . . . is there passport control at Calais,or is that handled before boarding at Dover (like Eurotunnel) .. and you just ride from the ship onto the road into Calais town?
Last few times I've been on on a ferry it was with Brittany Ferries and passport control is on arrival both ways.
Last few times I've been on on a ferry it was with Brittany Ferries and passport control is on arrival both ways.
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
All the French immigration formalities happen in Dover (before you’ve even bought the ticket, IIRC. When I remarked to the French official that this seemed a bit back-to-front, he laughed and said, ‘Yeh, like everything in England’.)
Off the ferry, the main exit leads straight onto the autoroute. For cyclists, there’s a wee van that says ‘Follow Me’, and leads you round the houses to a back gate, and the road into town.
Off the ferry, the main exit leads straight onto the autoroute. For cyclists, there’s a wee van that says ‘Follow Me’, and leads you round the houses to a back gate, and the road into town.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
Brilliant - that's precisely what I wanted to know. Thanks.nirakaro wrote: ↑18 Jan 2024, 11:17am All the French immigration formalities happen in Dover (before you’ve even bought the ticket, IIRC. When I remarked to the French official that this seemed a bit back-to-front, he laughed and said, ‘Yeh, like everything in England’.)
Off the ferry, the main exit leads straight onto the autoroute. For cyclists, there’s a wee van that says ‘Follow Me’, and leads you round the houses to a back gate, and the road into town.
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
I don't understand this - did you buy a ticket after passing through French passport control? - I've always had a ticket when I've arrived - or perhaps you got your boarding pass after French border control? - Why do you see this as "back to front" ?, the ferry company won't want to give you a boarding pass if you don't have permission to land in France.nirakaro wrote: ↑18 Jan 2024, 11:17am All the French immigration formalities happen in Dover (before you’ve even bought the ticket, IIRC. When I remarked to the French official that this seemed a bit back-to-front, he laughed and said, ‘Yeh, like everything in England’.)
Off the ferry, the main exit leads straight onto the autoroute. For cyclists, there’s a wee van that says ‘Follow Me’, and leads you round the houses to a back gate, and the road into town.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
Wasn't it the same coming back the other way, with the UK control on the French side? It's a while since I used the ferry, but it's that way with the tunnel.
Re: Accessing Calais port by bike
To the best of my recollection, French immigration was just about the first thing as I came into the port of Dover. I then went to the ticket office and bought a ticket. That’s definitely back-to-front to my mind.ANTONISH wrote: ↑18 Jan 2024, 2:25pm I don't understand this - did you buy a ticket after passing through French passport control? - I've always had a ticket when I've arrived - or perhaps you got your boarding pass after French border control? - Why do you see this as "back to front" ?, the ferry company won't want to give you a boarding pass if you don't have permission to land in France.