Booze cruises seem to be a thing of the past but, trust me, a quick trip across the channel to France is well worth it. I’ve done a fair few over the last 18 months so thought I would share my wisdom how to plan an epic day trip to France from Dover to Calais
Christmas 2023 my friend and I were looking for an alternative festive day out and happened across a £39 day return from Dover to Calais with DFDS. We both live in Sevenoaks, Kent and Dover is about an hours drive away so not too far at all. A return train ticket to London is about £20 each so we figured sharing the cost of the crossing for a day trip to France seemed reasonable.
Our first day trip to France we just went to the local Carrefour in Calais but since then we found Cite Europ and would definitely recommend it. Cite Europ is a large shopping center and, not only is there a big Carrefour but also a range of other shops and cafes.
Booking your day trip to France – a return ferry from Dover to Calais
We usually travel with DFDS but there are other ferry companies should you wish. For the £45 day trip which includes a car and up to 4 people click this link and click the “offers” tab at the top of the page.
We usually get a ferry at about 9am UK time and return at about 6pm or 7pm French time (don’t forget that France is 1 hour ahead of England) which gives us enough time to do a decent supermarket shop, browse the other shops and have a quick lunch. Obviously, you can choose a time that suits you! Please bear in mind that you should arrive at the port around an hour prior to departure during off peak times and two hours during peak times.
The crossing takes around an hour and a half. We head straight to the restaurant first as it can get very busy, then we hit the Duty Free shop. It is always worth checking the deals before you go as well as the prices on board ship as often they aren’t as good as in France or England.
What to buy from Duty Free or France during your day trip to Franee
If you are looking to find a bargain then alcohol and t0bacc0 are cheaper. I always buy wine in France as there are some decent options at about £5 a bottle and t0bacc0 is much cheaper on the ferry than in the UK.
I always stock up on our favorite French food too. Cheese, Haribo, pastries, croissants as well as things like beer and squash. We like grenadine and find it is much cheaper buying from France, by about half! At Christmas chocolate is a lot cheaper, if you like Lindt then France is a great place to buy it!
Just a selection of the beer on offer in Carrefour!
When to go on a day trip to France from Dover to Calais
If you want to go to the Supermarkets that rules out Sunday as they are either closed or only open for a half day.
Seasonal wise we have been on day trips to France most seasons. I would advise to avoid peak season, the summer holidays, as it will be very busy and you are likely to be held up at the port. We were held up for hours on our return from France last Summer which was bad enough after a week, but when you have only been over for a day ot isn’t what you want. Otherwise, the rest of the year is much of a muchness apart from Christmas, we went after Black Friday last year and the supermarket was absolutely heaving and far too peopley for my liking! But don’t let that put you off too much, a trip at Christmas is great fun and you can get some real bargains. You might also choose to go to a Christmas market while you are in France or even cross the border to Belgium for a Belgian Christmas market.
Preparing your car for a day trip to France
Something to bear in mind when you drive in France is that you will need to meet legal requirements. These include having headlight deflectors on your headlights, unless your car does this for you, having a UK sticker displayed in the back of your car (not GB since we left the EU) and having breathalisers.
Basic list of requirements for driving your car in France
- Full UK or EU driving License
- Proof of vehicle insurance – check with your insurers your level of cover for driving in France
- Proof of ID – you’ll have your passport on you in any case
- Vehicle log book – V5 certificate
- UK sticker
- Headlamp beam deflectors
- Warning triangle and reflective jackets in case of breakdown
- If you are travelling to certain cities you must display a Crit’Air sticker which you can apply for here – you’ll need your V5 doc handy for this. You currently don’t need this for visiting Calais supermarkets!
You can but the above on the ferry but you’ll find it cheaper if you buy locally, I get mine from Halfords.
Don’t be scared of driving in France!
I have driven in France LOADS of times (my partner, Monsieur Incidental is French of course!) and, although I have never driven in London, I am very happy driving in France. Although it is on the other side of the road, it feels more natural to me. Taking exits to the right instead of the left just make more sense!
Also, a lot people driving around Calais will also be from the UK! Just remember the road signs are in kilometers not miles!
I hope this has helped you to plan a day trip to France – let me know how you get on and if there is anything you would add.
