Calais - day trip with the kids?

[Pinkie Brown]

By the way, if you drive in France, check the regulations as they changed recently. Think as well as first aid kit, reflective triangle, believe you need to have a reflective jacket as well now!

You MUST have a reflective jacket for each potential passenger and they must be accessible & not in the boot.

PLUS the latest regulation which recently came into force over there: If you have a TomTom or Garmin that gives an audible warning when near a speed camera, that warning has to be isolated in France! The penalty is a fine up to e1500.

As everyone else has mentioned: Calais is an armpit. St Omer or Boulogne are much nicer.

 

[bennibenj]

My car got soaked on Christmas Day and needs a long run to help dry it out. The ECU light comes on and then after a longish drive goes off and the car drives normally so I was hoping to drive to Dover to give it a run go over to Calais on a non landing trip and buy my son some baccy then drive back. I hopefully gain by improving the car and he gains by buying his baccy cheap. Everybody is happy.

Superb, next time I need to get my car has the ECU warning light to suggest something isnt right with the engine management, I will take it for a quick spin to france. Top tip thanks. At the moment though its ok, so if you could, would you grab me some Twiglets and a bottle of french pepsi max, drop it in on your way back please thanks.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'm just looking into a half term day out with the young jnr Stats.

I'll probably end up with my original thought, Isle of Wight Zoo.

But in true bloke fashion it didn't take long for my train of thought to go:-

If we're going on a ferry, lets go to France!

So Calais, on foot, 5 hours, 2 kids (6 & 8)
Is it worth it?

When my kids were about that age, I'd always ask them where they wanted to go on holiday. They always replied, instantly 'Isle of Wight!'

Kids just love a boat trip. As do adults. I used to make all kinds of excuses to go and see my son in Gosport just so I could go on the Gosport Ferry!

Actually, come to think of it, a day out in Pompey/Gosport would be none too shabby as a recommendation. And Calais in the rain can be pretty grim.

 

[beorhthelm]

My car got soaked on Christmas Day and needs a long run to help dry it out. The ECU light comes on and then after a longish drive goes off and the car drives normally ...

genius. if this method of resolving the engine problem hasnt permanently fixed it, not convinced doing it again is going to. i'd try opening the bonnet and putting it in front of a radiator, or leave it to air dry on a windy beacon, or use a hair dryer to help dry out the engine.

 

[The Wookiee]

Distance wise, the Solent us the most expensive stretch of water to cross in the world apparently

 

[cloud]

I'm just looking into a half term day out with the young jnr Stats.

What did you decide in the end? We're thinking of doing a similar thing this summer, though still torn between a hovercraft to the Isle of Wight, and eating Crepes in France

 

[aldershot village]

Get a good value 1 day family rover bus ticket on The Island £22 for 24 hrs up to 4 people on it.ALL BUS TICKETS otherwise are single ticket only ,one way Sandown to Shanklin £3 50 Shanklin to Newport £4 they really rip you off .The Rover also includes all the open top buses which on a good day offer's superb views of The Island.

 

[Stat Brother]

What did you decide in the end? We're thinking of doing a similar thing this summer, though still torn between a hovercraft to the Isle of Wight, and eating Crepes in France

I can't remember what happened back in Oct to stop us doing anything.
We're certainly not doing much this half term due to finances, but the Isle of Wight is still very much on the agenda for May.

Mont St Michel would be nice, but in reality it'll be the IoW.