want to travel from Calais to Caen?

Question

My wife and I want to take Eurostar from London to Calais and then go to Caen where we will rent a car to tour Northern France.

What is the best way to go from Calais to Caen ?
Bus or train ? We do not wish to go through Paris.
At the end of our trip we want to take a ferry to Southampton England from the Caen area.
So we would prefer to rent a car in Caen and drop it off in Caen.
Or is renting a car in Calais and dropping it off in Caen a better idea ?
Do you have some advice. ?

Thanks in advance

Jay

Answer 1

It is posible to travel from London to Caen by train without going to Paris, but it going to take you a long time.
There are a few trains each day stopping on Calais Frethun, and from Calais it is posible to take local trains to Caen, but it is slow, will take a few changes, so not the best choice.
I searched the journey for you and the best I found leaves London 7.30 and arrives in Caen at 16.12, as far as I can see you will need to change 4 times.
Traveling via Paris, leaving at the same time, would get you to Caen at 14.09, changing into the metro and from the metro into the train in Paris.
And this is a connection that runs much more often, about hourly, so you have a wide choice in departure times.

If you can rent a car in Calais and drop it of in Caen you will have the best option, try to rent from a nation wide French company.

Maybe you can consider using the Caen-Southampton ferry both ways, takes longer, but might be easier on you.

I do not know about long distance buses in France, I never used any, nor have I heard from people using them.
You can contact the tourist information office in either Caen or Calais, and ask.
Caen: 12, Place St Pierre
14000 Caen, France
[phone]
http://www.tourisme.caen.fr/anglais/index.htm

Calais: 12 boulevard Clemenceau
62100 CALAIS
Phone / Téléphone : (33) (0)3.21.96.62.40
Fax : (33) (0)3.21.96.01.92
http://www.calais-cotedopale.com/modulosite2/fiche.php?fr=0&id=613&

French rail planner:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage?_DLG=SvHomePage&_CMD=cmdHomepageUK&WB=HP&rfrr=4685ac17fd2e7656e4918c53b246a3f7

Map of the French rail system:
http://www.bonjourlafrance.net/france-map/sncf-map-large.htm (it is a little down the page.)

Added:
I agree that traveling via Lille is more sensible, more trains, so likely better connections.
But again, via Paris will be faster.

Answer 2

Calais To Caen

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
want to travel from Calais to Caen?
My wife and I want to take Eurostar from London to Calais and then go to Caen where we will rent a car to tour Northern France.

What is the best way to go from Calais to Caen ?
Bus or train ? We do not wish to go through Paris.
At the end of our trip we want to take a ferry to Southampton...

Answer 4

Wouldn't it be easier to take your own car to either Calais or Caen, travel to wherever you want to go and the come back from the other port? Or is the point of the trip to go via Eurostar?
I don't know of a ferry operator that comes in via Southampton, but Portsmouth isn't very far away.
I am assuming that you are in the UK. It has suddenly dawned on me that you may be American and will be over here without a car.If this is so then forgive me, I am talking rubbish!

Answer 5

Why not just sail to Caen and return from Caen its a good ferry. The trip from Calais to Caen is boring. Don't forget to visit Pegasus Bridge & Cafe Gondree, first D-Day landings. [Between port & Caen]

Answer 6

The Eurostar will take you to Lille, not Calais.
Just rent a car from there and return it in Caen.
Any additional hire charge will probably be less than the train fares, and you can take your time driving over and visit a few places en-route.

Answer 7

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