Travellers’ tales: Exploring France by boat and bike
Where: France
Who: Chris Read
When: April 2025
Having travelled to France many times on large ferries, I never liked mingling with the traffic and the fumes on the car deck at the start and end of each trip. Wanting a short stay in France, I noticed a new ferry was starting from Dover to Boulogne.
It’s a sail-powered catamaran with a small crew that takes 12 passengers – as well as bicycles. I booked on the inaugural trip, coming back the next day.
Getting to the ferry was a five-minute ride from Dover station, with no hassle queuing for check-in. Border Force saw us off after passport checks, and once outside the harbour we used no engines, just sail.
The other passengers were all cyclists; one of them was continuing on to Italy. I took my Brompton for local cycling but will go further next time.
The crossing was smooth and sunny, with a very different perspective on the Channel compared with being on a large ferry. We made good time and arrived in just over three hours. After interviews with a French TV crew which met us, the police stamped our passports and we were off, right in the centre of Boulogne.
I cycled around the town that afternoon, enjoying the sunshine. The next day I did a trip to Wimereux, mostly on cycle paths and with a nice café stop. Having the Brompton made it easy to explore the coast, then return in the afternoon to sail back.
We arrived back in Dover after dark, having seen a nice sunset along the way. If you like smaller boats, this is a nice way to get to and from France, with a relaxing start and finish to a holiday.
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