Northern France _ Saint Valery sur Somme, Echappée en Baie hotel © CRT Hauts de France - AS FlamentNorthern France _ Saint Valery sur Somme, Echappée en Baie hotel © CRT Hauts de France - AS Flament
©Northern France, Saint Valery sur Somme, Echappée en Baie hotel |CRT Hauts de France - AS Flament

How to get to the Hauts-de-France region?

A complete change of scenery – literally just the other side of the Channel!

Because it starts at Calais, Hauts-de-France is likely to be the first region of France your feet hit the ground on, so close in fact that you can actually see it from the south coast of England!

As a result, it really couldn’t be easier to get to, and makes frequent weekend flits all the more feasible.

Unlike many regions in France, you don’t have to fly to get here (all good news for the planet!) and you can choose to cross the Channel either by ferry, tunnel or Eurostar.

So whether you’re with friends, family, solo or with your partner, a whole new world of landscapes, seascapes, cultural horizons and gastro highlights is just a Channel away, just 26 miles as the crow flies!

Northern France _ Amiens _ Hôtel All Seasons ©CRTC Hauts-de-France - Nicolas BryantNorthern France _ Amiens _ Hôtel All Seasons ©CRTC Hauts-de-France - Nicolas Bryant
©Northern France, Amiens, Hôtel All Seasons|CRTC Hauts-de-France - Nicolas Bryant

By Car

By car + ferry

Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries (crossing time: 90 minutes)

Dover to Calais with DFDS Ferries (crossing time: 90 minutes)

Dover to Dunkirk with DFDS Ferries (crossing time: 2 hours)

By car+ tunnel

Folkestone to Calais with Eurotunnel (crossing time: 35 minutes)

Self-drive routes

Once you’ve arrived in Calais, all manner of exciting destinations are within a short and easy drive, thanks to our efficient network of motorways (including the A16 towards Amiens, and the A26 towards Arras) including…

Within a 30-minute drive of Calais -> Boulogne-sur-Mer and the Opal Coast

Within an hour’s drive of Calais -> Le Touquet, Montreuil-sur-Mer, Saint Omer

Within a 90-minute drive of Calais -> Lille, Arras, The Somme Bay

Within 2 hours’ drive of Calais -> Amiens, Saint Quentin

Within 2.5 hours’ drive of Calais -> Chantilly, Champagne vineyards

The only major difference (apart from driving on the other side of the road!) is that you’ll find ‘péages’ (tolls) on our motorways, but they couldn’t be easier to use: simply take a ticket at the first barrier, then make an automatic bankcard payment when you leave the motorway network.

By train

You can book a Eurostar from London to Lille (1 hour 22 minutes), London to Calais-Fréthun (55 minutes) or London to Paris Gare du Nord (2 hours 16 minutes). From Paris, there are direct trains to most towns in Hauts-de-France including Lille, Amiens, Arras, Compiègne, Chantilly, Laon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Saint Quentin and Beauvais.

By air

Many UK airports operate flights to Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport (only a 20-minute onward drive to our region). There are also direct flights from Manchester to Paris Beauvais airport.

With your bike

The Hauts-de-France region is full of walking trails and cycle lanes to explore. Fancy going on an adventure on two wheels? Cycle through the new Vélomaritime velo route on the coast between Dunkirk and Brittany, or you might prefer cycling inland through the Voie Verte route that connects London to Paris. You could also explore the WW1 Remembrance circuit linking the memorials of the Somme.

The good news is that you can easily travel with your bike from the UK whether it be on the ferry or on the Eurostar (with additional cost). You can then easily take your bikes with you on regional trains (TER) in France (at no extra cost).

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