Day Trip to Calais: See the Cap Blanc-Nez, The White Cliffs of Northern France

I showed you in a recent blog if Calais is worth a visit by making my first trip there. I was quite impressed with what I have seen there: from Calais’ beautiful town hall to its scenic beach. However, after a bit of research, I figured that there was a lot more to see. So, I quickly organized another day trip there as soon as I learned that a sunny day was coming.

In this blog post, I will take you on a day tour via Calais to the popular Cap Blanc-Nez, a scenic coast on the French’s Opal Coast which features white-coloured cliffs similar to the white cliffs of Dover on the other side of the English Channel in the UK.

Day Trip to Cap Blanc-Nez by Public Transport

If you’re like me who can’t drive and has no car, you will quickly realize how challenging it is to visit some nice places by public transport in France, in general.

Fret not on visiting the Cap Blanc-Nez, however, as I have confirmed that it is possible to go there by train and bus.

Like my previous trip to Calais, I first took a train from Lille. However, due to the time I arrived at Lille’s Lille-Europe train station, I took a TGV train instead that was headed to Calais Frethun station, located in the commune of Frethun on the outskirts of the Ville of Calais. As I haven’t used this route before, the question for me was how to get into Calais city centre.

How to get to Calais Ville from Calais Frethun station?

From Calais Frethun train station exit, I walked for about 10 minutes towards a parking lot and traversed it to reach the village until I reached the bus stop called Gare de Frethun TGV. This bus stop was easy to identify as there is a café at the corner called Cafe de la Gare.

From there, I hopped on a bus Ligne 6 which terminated just outside of Calais Ville, the main train station in the city centre of Calais. This bus trip took more than 30 minutes for me.

The good news to all is that all bus rides in the Ville of Calais are free all day, every day which is fantastic and unusual for a country where people complain about everything getting “payant” or chargeable. They are doing this primarily to encourage tourism and help businesses earn more money.

How to Cap Blanc-Nez from Calais Ville station by public transport?

When my bus arrived at the terminal located just outside of Calais Ville train station, I switched to a bus Ligne 5 which goes all the way to the commune of Sangatte. My idea was to take this bus and hop off at its very last stop and then start a hike to the Cap Blanc-Nez.

The bus Ligne 5 leaves Calais Ville for the commune of Sangatte where you can start your walk to Cap Blanc-Nez. I have learned that during summer, this bus even goes all the way to Cap Blanc-Nez. How convenient!

As per my prior bus trip, the Ligne 5 bus trip to Sangatte was free and was surprisingly a double-decker bus. So, make sure to take the front seat on the second deck of this bus to enjoy some fantastic views and lovely rural sceneries of the region.

Take the front seat on the bus Ligne 5’s upper deck!

The “normal” last bus stop of bus Ligne 5 in Calais. However, during summer, the terminus of this bus is extended all the way to the Cap Blanc-Nez. Unfortunately, I went there during Spring so I had to hike instead which was also good.

I chose to alight at the town hall of Sangatte instead of the normal last bus stop called “Descenderie” was I wanted to take a glimpse of the Sangatte beach.

In front of the town hall of Sangatte, near Calais, France.

This proved to be a great decision as there was a free public toilet there to empty my bladder, and a food truck (it was stationed in front of the mairie/townhall) where I bought a sandwich for lunch and some drinks prior to starting my hike to Cap Blanc-Nez.

Hiking to Cap Blanc-Nez from Sangatte

After having lunch, I started my hike from Sangatte town hall and walked through the town.

Walking through the commune of Sangatte. It was peaceful and felt very safe.

As soon as I reached the outskirts of the town, the views became very interesting and lovely. The hiking paths are well-marked and it is nearly impossible to get lost. I also saw many locals doing hikes with some with their dogs so you will know the general path to Cap Blanc-Nez.

Here are the photos and videos from my hike to inspire your trip there: