Folkestone Eurotunnel to Calais???

We have done day trips to France several times while staying near Folkestone. There is no need to restrict yourselves to visiting Calais. We have travelled to Brugge, Gent, Ypres and Boulogne and other towns on day trips. Brugge and Gent are a little far, but there is lot to see in Ypres if you are interested in the First World War. If you have a rental car, make sure that it is insured properly and that the rental company approves of your taking the car overseas. Driving on the left with the steering wheel on the left is something the British do very frequently, just as other Europeans drive in Britain with their steering wheels on the right. Continental time is one hour ahead of British time, which means when you have crossed the channel and driven to your destination, it is time for lunch. The hour difference is in your favour when you travel back.

What Bob said. I'm writing this from Frankfurt where we have driven from Arnhem, from Calais, from home in the UK. We do it frequently, and for us driving a UK right hand drive is no real problem here, except in the tiniest villages with tight right-hand bends where I have to ask my wife co-pilot to look if traffic is coming. Do be sure to check with the rental place, or if you are (my memory says??) house swapping make sure the insurance is OK with it: you'll need the original logbook (registration document) and original insurance document for a private car, and a hi viz vest and distress triangle to drive in France and Belgium. Bruges is about an hour and 20 minutes, Ghent 20-30 more. Boulogne-sur-Mer is about half an hour. Plenty of scope beyond Calais. Calais, while ok, is like Dover in many ways, with a few more people wearing berets on bicycles with a string of onions around their necks, carrying a baguette under their arm, with a small white dog in the bicycle basket. (not) Seriously, I'd branch out beyond Calais. BTW - Eurotunnel have some seriously tasty 24 and 48 hour fares.

Thanks for the good information. I've always wanted to go to Bruges. We have to check to see if we are insured to go outside the UK.