The details of public transport in, to and from Calais.
Arriving on Foot at Calais Port
If you’re arriving from the UK via ferry on foot, you should take the shuttle bus from outside the Ferry Terminal. They’re marked up “Terminal Car Ferry/Centre Ville” and will drop you in the town outside the main railway station. Don’t forget to have a few Euros with you for the journey.
The Tourist office is conveniently just across the road from the train station and you’re a minute’s walk from major sites such as the Rodin Six Burgers of Calais sculpture.
Buses in Calais
Buses run throughout the day except for French public holidays. You can buy a ticket on the bus – check at the tourist office for details of fares, times and routes.
There is a free mini bus service in Calais called Balad’in. These little yellow buses that operate a service around the town from 09.00 – 19.00, just hop on and off as you like.
Div’in – an open top double decker bus service which operates from Spring to Autumn from outside the Theatre in Calais to the Cap Blanc Nez tourist site. In good weather the bus opens up on top to give great views along the Opal Coast route from Calais to the Caps.
Trains in Calais
There are two train stations in Calais. Calais-Ville is in the town and Calais-Fréthun near the Channel Tunnel, the latter is the Eurostar station. Both stations are connected via a bus service Navette TER which is free if you have a valid train ticket to or from either station. If arriving on foot in Calais Port and you require the Calais-Fréthun station, take the bus from the ferry terminal to the Station in town and from there the bus to Calais-Fréthun.
Calais-Ville trains serve the local region on the TER networks to major towns such as Boulogne, Arras, Lille, Dunkirk and Amiens. You can also take a train from Calais station to Paris direct or by changing at Bolougne. The ticket office is manned and open from 6.30 to 20.30 except for Sunday. Remember to use the yellow machines at the platform entrances to stamp your train ticket (called “composteurs”), not doing so may get you a fine. If you don’t manage to do it in time, ask the conductor on the train to stamp your ticket for you as soon as you can.
Calais-Fréthun is the stopping point for the Eurostar station and for French TGV services – fast service to Paris and to destinations all over France and Europe.
Bike Hire in Calais
Vel’in is an initiative which allows you to hire a bike in Calais. The docking station is outside Calais Town Hall in the centre of town. Go online to check availability and set up an account first at www.vel-in.fr
You can hire a bike from Opal Bike Services which are located at 39 Boulevard Jacquard in Calais town. If you have your own bike and need a repair service – they can do that too and even run a mobile repair service if necessary.
Electric car Hire in Calais
From July to September you can hire an electric car in Calais with a capacity distance of 60km. Cars with 4 seats are available for hire at tourist information point located at Rue Paul Bert. To rent a vehicle, is simple: just bring your driver’s license with you to the tourist information office during business hours. A deposit is required and will be returned at the end of the lease, as long as there’s no damage.
Taxis in Calais
Ask at the tourist office for taxi services in Calais. Check the fare with the driver before setting off – especially on longer distances, there is a great road network in the region which means you can get everywhere really quickly even long distances which can be misleading and taxis are very expensive in France.
For things to do in Calais see:
Weekend in Calais
Day trip to Calais on foot
Day trip to Calais by car
Top ten things to see in Calais town
