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Getting to France by Car

We often receive a number of questions regarding the practicalities of travel to France by car from UK. These include, ‘can I take my own car across the Eurotunnel?’, ‘how much to cross UK to France by car?’ and ‘how can I travel to France by car?’. Find out the answers to these questions here.

How to Get to France by Car

Taking your own car from the UK to France can often be the best way to travel. Whether you are towing the family caravan to the Mediterranean or just popping across to Calais to replenish the wine cellar, taking your own car can give you the ultimate freedom when travelling in France. You can take your car to France either by ferry or on Eurotunnel / Le Shuttle which is the car train that operates between Folkestone and Calais.

The cost of crossing over to France from the UK varies depending on your mode of transport, route, time of year of travel, size of vehicle, etc. The Eurotunnel quotes from £31+ per car each way while ferry companies can range in price depending on the operator and a number of other factors.

Travel to France by Car – Shuttle and Ferry Options

Le Shuttle

You’ll be hard pressed to find a simpler way of travelling to France form the UK than via the Eurotunnel. Simply drive your car onto the shuttle at Folkstone and relax during the 35 minute journey before driving off the shuttle onto French soil once you reach Calais.

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle logo

Direct Ferries

If you’d prefer to take a ferry than Le Shuttle through the Eurotunnel, Direct Ferries provide an excellent ferry booking service across all the cross channel ferry operators.


Calais

Calais is a brilliant landing point when travelling to France from the UK. Based on the Opal Coast (Cote d’Opale) that parallels the white cliffs of Dover, Calais is just a stone’s throw away from England with a thriving port. Popular destinations to reach from Calais include:

Paris – 293km

Normandy – 327km

Lyon – 789km

Bordeaux – 867km

You can travel to Calais from Dover via P&O Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 90 minutes.

Roscoff

For a relaxing break in Brittany, Roscoff provides a quaint French getaway. The nearby Isle of Batz is worth visiting and the surrounding Breton region is a popular tourist destination.

You can travel to Roscoff from the following ports:

Plymouth via Brittany Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 6 hours by day or 8 hours by night.

St Malo

This picturesque walled port town in Brittany is a beautiful spot for a getaway. The town is famous for its crepes and is near to popular hiking spots as well as Mont Saint-Michel.

You can travel to St Malo from the following ports:

Portsmouth via Brittany Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 7 hours by day or 11 hours by night.

Jersey via Condor Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Guernsey via Condor Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Poole via Condor Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Cherbourg

The port town of Cherbourg is a lovely holiday spot and just half an hour’s drive from Maison du Park Natural Regional Park. You can also drive to Paris in just 4 hours for an extended trip.

You can travel to Cherbourg from the following ports:

Portsmouth via Brittany Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 3 hours.

Poole via Brittany Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes.

Caen

Under 3 hours’ drive from Paris, Caen sits on the River Orne. With its rich Normandy, history, there is much to see and do in Caen.

You can travel to Caen from the following ports:

Portsmouth via Brittany Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 5 hours and 45 minutes by day or 7 hours and 45 minutes by night.

Le Havre

Le Havre is France’s second-largest port city and has become an architectural hotspot in recent years. Should you wish to explore further afield, Versailles is just a 2 hour drive away with Paris within an extra 30 minute reach.

You can travel to Le Havre from the following ports:

Portsmouth via Brittany Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes.

Dieppe

Known as the closest beach to Paris, Dieppe offers stretches of coastline while also being just a couple of hours from the capital.

You can travel to Dieppe from the following ports:

Newhaven via DFDS Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 4 hours.

Dunkirk

Immortalised by its WW2 poignancy, Dunkirk is a history buff’s dream destination. Not far from Lille, Dunkirk is also just over 3 hours’ drive from Paris.

You can travel to Dunkirk from the following ports:

Dover via DFDS Ferries with a crossing time of approximately 2 hours.

Now you have more information on how to get to France by car, check out our France Toll Tags page to guide you in the process of buying and fitting a toll tag for your trip to France.