Christmas market an 1-1.5 hours from Calais??
Discussion
Well you've answered your own question really 
We're doing Bruges this year (I'm a serial Christmas Marketeer).
There's one in Ypres that I know of too, and I suspect there will be one in Lille (though a. I've not checked and b. by the time you've messed about with getting there and parked you might as well go to Ypres/Brugge).
There is also one in Amiens, but it's not a patch on proper ones (it's a sort of strange French take on things - we couldn't even get a wurst last year
).
I'd go to Bruges or Ypres.
We're doing Bruges this year (I'm a serial Christmas Marketeer).There's one in Ypres that I know of too, and I suspect there will be one in Lille (though a. I've not checked and b. by the time you've messed about with getting there and parked you might as well go to Ypres/Brugge).
There is also one in Amiens, but it's not a patch on proper ones (it's a sort of strange French take on things - we couldn't even get a wurst last year
).I'd go to Bruges or Ypres.
O/T (I know I started it, sorry!) Xmas in just about any other European country is lovely, family-orientated, sedate, tasteful, and above all in December. In the UK it's horrific, chav, commercial, brash, inescapable... every tradition turned into a TV advert and a reason to spend, savings schemes for the poor to keep up (and be exploited in the process), plastic, glittery s
te on every surface... the worst bit being it started about a month ago and will carry on for another 12 weeks. Nearly 3.5 months of the worst thing ever. We spend over a quarter of a year on it now! It just starts earlier and earlier every year, like some kind of unwelcome addiction. We've even taken the German Xmas market idea and ruined it, the Manchester one being 3/4 booze now, and full of pissed angry chavs, crammed so close to one another you can't even take a sip of gluhwein without spilling it on yourself, and they have to have one-way sections for the thronging, horrible crowds. We should leave Europe not for our sake but theirs.
te on every surface... the worst bit being it started about a month ago and will carry on for another 12 weeks. Nearly 3.5 months of the worst thing ever. We spend over a quarter of a year on it now! It just starts earlier and earlier every year, like some kind of unwelcome addiction. We've even taken the German Xmas market idea and ruined it, the Manchester one being 3/4 booze now, and full of pissed angry chavs, crammed so close to one another you can't even take a sip of gluhwein without spilling it on yourself, and they have to have one-way sections for the thronging, horrible crowds. We should leave Europe not for our sake but theirs.I spent nearly 10 years living in Germany, and then 3 in France, and have always enjoyed a decent Christmas market.
What you will find in Lille is a market, but what you won't find there is one that's any good! I couldn't recommmend it if you want anything reasonably authentic.
Antwerp is always worth a visit, and I think (but don't know) that they have a Christmas market there. Bruges is nice, but if you've been there before I'd definitly recommend Antwerp as a good alternative.
What you will find in Lille is a market, but what you won't find there is one that's any good! I couldn't recommmend it if you want anything reasonably authentic.
Antwerp is always worth a visit, and I think (but don't know) that they have a Christmas market there. Bruges is nice, but if you've been there before I'd definitly recommend Antwerp as a good alternative.
Dan_1981 said:
Anyone ever done one of these by gulp coach?
I can't see the point - you can do a day trip to Bruges dirt cheap in the car.There are day trip offers for a car return via Eurotunnel for £40 at the moment. It's only an hour and a half from Calais.
Unless you like to have a few drinks, in which case get a cheap hotel and make a night of it!
Rosscow said:
Dan_1981 said:
Anyone ever done one of these by gulp coach?
I can't see the point - you can do a day trip to Bruges dirt cheap in the car.There are day trip offers for a car return via Eurotunnel for £40 at the moment. It's only an hour and a half from Calais.
Unless you like to have a few drinks, in which case get a cheap hotel and make a night of it!
I won't drive darn sarf unless it's really essential, so all our foreign forays are made Hull <-> Rotterdam/Zeebrugge - with the car it's quite expensive (300 quid upwards, which is still better than driving down south). However you get special "mini cruises" from Hull which are from 70 up to (this is our most expensive) 128 for two people, a night over in Bruges and a cabin there and back (total 3 nights). You get coached in to Bruges from the boat. Leave the car in Hull at the terminal. Not quite a full on coach trip.
On the upside for the return trip in the evening you don't need to drive, so no worrying how much Belgian beer you've quaffed in the daytime
Dog Star said:
Some of us live up north, you know
I won't drive darn sarf unless it's really essential, so all our foreign forays are made Hull <-> Rotterdam/Zeebrugge - with the car it's quite expensive (300 quid upwards, which is still better than driving down south). However you get special "mini cruises" from Hull which are from 70 up to (this is our most expensive) 128 for two people, a night over in Bruges and a cabin there and back (total 3 nights). You get coached in to Bruges from the boat. Leave the car in Hull at the terminal. Not quite a full on coach trip.
On the upside for the return trip in the evening you don't need to drive, so no worrying how much Belgian beer you've quaffed in the daytime
Class, This sounds like a full northerners cruise or sold to errr indoors as "will get tha baccy and booze in fa chrimbo".I won't drive darn sarf unless it's really essential, so all our foreign forays are made Hull <-> Rotterdam/Zeebrugge - with the car it's quite expensive (300 quid upwards, which is still better than driving down south). However you get special "mini cruises" from Hull which are from 70 up to (this is our most expensive) 128 for two people, a night over in Bruges and a cabin there and back (total 3 nights). You get coached in to Bruges from the boat. Leave the car in Hull at the terminal. Not quite a full on coach trip.
On the upside for the return trip in the evening you don't need to drive, so no worrying how much Belgian beer you've quaffed in the daytime
I was thinking of doing this at Christmas. The missus has been pestering for years.
Is Bruges any good? I was told dont bother going to Europe unless you are going to Germany. Cologne looks like a good shout but its a flight away which I really cant be bothered with.
Bruges is nice and close
Is Bruges any good? I was told dont bother going to Europe unless you are going to Germany. Cologne looks like a good shout but its a flight away which I really cant be bothered with.
Bruges is nice and close
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