Sitting in northern France at the narrowest point in the English Channel, only 34km wide, is the city of Calais- the largest city in the Pas- de- Calais region. Calais lies in a privileged position from which you can see the beautiful white cliffs of Dover from- due to its extreme close proximity to the UK. One of the most scenic points in the city is where the cliffs of Calais run parallel with the cliffs of Dover- on a clear day it is possible so see right across to the English mainland.
Calais is a main port for ferries to and from the UK, with the Dover to Calais ferry line one of the busiest routes across the channel- and it has been this way for centuries.
Calais has long been a town that travelers visit when en route to other areas, and due to the fact that the vast majority of the town was destroyed in world war two, there isnât actually that much that predates the 1940âs.
The weather in Calais is moderated significantly by the straits of Dover- however as it lies in northern France it is obviously cooler than parts of southern and interior France. The north Atlantic Drift brings warm waters into the region which has the effect of keeping winters much milder than places of similar latitudes in interior Europe. Because of the northern Atlantic drift Calais very rarely witnesses extreme cold. The climate in Calais is almost identical to the weather that prevails in south eastern England, though it is just a fraction warmer on average. The area around Calais is famed for its clean beaches, its picturesque green rolling countryside, the vast lovely wooded areas and scenic river valleys.
In the area the climate is best described as temperate, winter will see an average temperature of about 3 degrees before picking up to 16C in May. The best time to visit is July and August as you find the waters along the coast are beautiful and warm and day time temperatures can reach up to and above to mid 20âs- whilst rarely getting extremely hot.
Like south eastern England, the weather in Calais is changeable so whatever time of the year you visit you should come prepared with a raincoat and a sweater as the breezes off the Atlantic Ocean can often be quite crisp and bring rainfall with them- on average rainfall does pick up over the winter months.
Summer brings maximum temperatures of 21 degrees, while minimums fall to 12 or 13 degrees. The mercury begins to drop in about September before falling to average maximum highs of 16 degrees in October and further falling to 10 degrees in November.