In May we will be travelling by train from London and wanting to pick up a car when we get out of the chunnel. From what I have read, that is in Calais. Is the "Ferry Port" I have read about at the end of the Chunnel where we would get off the train? If not, where do we disembark the train and find a car rental booth. Thanks
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33842 posts
Calais is usually the wrong answer in this case.
Extremely important question:- where do you intend to drive after you get the car, and why is Calais important to you?
Posted by
OP
27 posts
As I see it now, we will take the train from London to the first place we can get off in France. We then want to rent a car and drive through northern France, Normandy and ultimately end up in Copenhagen, Denmark where we will board a cruise. We have 7 days to get from France to Copenhagen.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Agree with Nigel. Very few Eurostar trains (not 'chunnel') stop at Calais, and the few that do stop at Calais Fréthun, which is outside Calais and nowhere near anything. If you want to to pick up a hire car for touring northern France, do it at Lille. This is a big city, with things to see and car hire. See Eurostar timetable here: http://www.eurostar.com/sites/default/files/pdf/timetable/UK_timetable.pdf
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Just seen your second post:
We then want to rent a car and drive through northern France, Normandy and ultimately end up in Copenhagen, Denmark
Have you costed picking up a hire car in France and returning it in Denmark? There is usually a huge surcharge for one way car hire to a different country.
Posted by
OP
27 posts
Thanks Chris and Nigel. I will have to do much more research.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33842 posts
It is a fair way including a very expensive toll on the Normandie Bridge at Le Havre to Normandy.
The fare from London will be the same to Lille, Calais (for the very few that stop there) and Paris.
The fastest way, and probably cheapest, from London to Normandy is to stay on the Eurostar to Paris, go one stop on the RER to change stations and take the train to Caen which will put you right where you need to be for the Normandie beaches. Easy car hire just across the street from the station.
Check that drop charge. It will be huge. They have to pay a staff member to drive it all the way back to France because they can't rent it again in Denmark.
Who and how many is "we"?