End of a Month-Long Motorhome Tour of France, Calais

That’s it for this trip, a month’s wandering around France has just reconfirmed our love for travelling this country by motorhome. It’s been a hot one, with it having been in August n’all, and we’ve found ourselves seeking shade in campsites quite a bit. Our favorite site was probably the one by the Lac de Serre-Ponçon, which had a laid-back feel, a lovely terraced layout and a summer holiday vibe. That said, we’ve stayed in our fair share of aires alongside a few nights free camping, memorably on the Col du Lautaret and on the slopes of Mont Ventoux.

Anyway, we’re currently in the car park for the Auchan supermarket in Calais and Ju’s stocking up on French goodies as I type. We’ve had a good couple of nights in the Camping-Car Park aire about 500m from the promenade in central Calais. Up until this year we were wary of staying in Calais due to the endless migrant crisis. Memories of the Sangatte reception centre and Calais Jungle are very old now. But when we arrive in (or leave) Calais and drive past miles and miles of high security fencing, it doesn’t make the place appeal.

That changed when we stayed at Camping Fort Lapin earlier in the year and really enjoyed it here. Calais knew it had a serious image problem a few years ago and spent a small fortune on the promenade and the giant dragon which patrols it. I’ve also read the police have been pretty brutal with migrant folks, ripping up tents and taking their belongings, even blankets. The efforts of the UK government to stop the small boats seems to have pushed folks away from Calais too, meaning they’re having to take longer and even riskier crossings.

Yesterday I accidentally ordered an entire bucket load of frites, asking for €5 worth thinking ‘we’re at the seaside, they’ll hardly give us any’. We were wrong, they gave us scoops and scoops full. With a view of the cliffs of England and a steady stream of ferries flowing back and forth, I couldn’t help wonder what the migrants must feel at this sight. England is so close, and so easy to get to if you’ve the right passport. Of course, the ferries won’t let them on board, whether they’re a doctor from Syria or a farm worker from Sudan.

The ferry company will be fined by the UK government for each person found to not be a ‘real’ asylum seeker (and how would the ferry staff know). So they don’t let anyone without paperwork on board. This forces migrants who can’t get a visa to the UK to choose whether to stay in France, go elsewhere in Europe or risk an expensive and dangerous overloaded rubber boat. Not a choice I’d relish, especially as I only speak English. It’s brutal stuff, I look at my British passport with renewed thankfulness.

Anyway, Calais isn’t the place it was. It’s clean, safe and a nice place to spend a night or two at each end of our trips to Europe. There are campsites, aires and lots of opportunity to free camp. It all feels safe, and reviews on park4night show no problems with thefts etc. It could well be Calais is much safer that many other cities, despite its historic reputation? The city has free buses throughout, so we can jump on one to get to the restaurants or out to the hypermarkets. Did I mention the dragon? Yeah, there’s that to come and stare at in wonder. Endless beach, beautiful dunes, historic sights. Plenty to keep us busy.

OK, Ju’ll be back soon and we’ll be off to get a full tank of diesel and head to the port. My sciatica seems to be settling down now, gradually improving since it kicked in a week ago. I’ll probably drive us home up to Notts, although we’re staying the night in Canterbury tonight, so we’ll be driving on a Sunday. Plans for the future? Dunno. We’ll get our AirBnB up and running again to earn us a few quid, get back into the gym and see our folks more. That aside we’re plan-less, for the moment at least.

Thanks to everyone who’s followed along and commented on here or Facebook (or hit the like button), much appreciated. Happy travels to you all and we’ll catch you next time.

Cheers, Jay (and Ju)