Visiting Calais

My tips for staying/shopping in Calais

 

 

Hotels

 

B&B Hotels  are very good if you are a family of four. Their top rooms have a double bed, ensuite and then two single beds on a mezzanine. They are quite basic but comfy and one of the few places where you can stay together if a family. 

 

Ibis Tunnel Sous la Manche has free parking and is just across the road from Cite de Europe which is great for eating out. The beds are very comfy and the ensuite is spacious with a large shower.

 

We don’t buy the breakfast at the French hotels as they are quite expensive but pop to the supermarket and buy meat/cheese/bread/croissants for the room. You’ll need a kettle as the French don’t do tea/coffee in the room.

 

 

 

Restaurants in Cite de Europe

 

Flunch - cheap and cheerful, good for kids as chips/veg are help yourself, great desserts and crepes.

 

Les 3 Brassieres - micro brewery 😊 you can have a paddle of four sample beers and their Flammekuech is yummy

 

 

 

 

WIne/Beer Shopping

 

Calais Wine Superstore - great wines, tasting machine - our favourites from here include St Jean de Monts SB and Merlot. A few other faves are Trivento, Ca’Lunghetta, Leapard’s Leap & Kiwi Cuvee. They have a great sister company in the UK - The Wine Reserve

 

 

Majestic - we like the fact you can buy just two bottles here to get the deal - we tend to but a couple of more expensive ones such as Brancott, Villa Maria and Roberstons. We often get our Nicholas Feuillatte here as it is often on offer, last time we bought a Brancott sparkler for under 4 Euro.

 

 

Pidou - great for standard brands such as Hardy’s, Jacobs Creek, Blossom Hill. We find Nick’s favourite Cellier de Dauphin’s Cotes de Rhone is cheapest here and they do have a great range of glasses and gift sets.

 

 

Auchan - our favourite supermarket for everything, not just wine but we pick up Tourraine SB, Muscat, Muscadet, Gamay, and of course my Sancerre.

 

 

In Cite de Europe there’s a great wine store Terre de Boissons - it used to be Tesco - they have a large variety of wine but a little more expsensive. They also have an extensive beer section and is the place to go if you want whiskey/malts.

 

 

Just outside Calais travelling south on A16 is Franglais - an Aladdin's cave with a real ‘cave’ of very expensive wines to drool over. We buy Saumar red and white and Vouvray from here. We also buy my beer Rince Cochon as it is cheaper. They have Calais Vin in Calais although we have not been there.