Le Touquet or Calais ?

[GayTangle]

Hi, can anyone tell me which airport is the 'nicer' for a non-flying passenger, eg restaurant, friendliness, proximity to the town ?

Reason I ask is I'm taking the wife with me when I get a cross channel checkout next month and its a birthday pres for her 40th. Talk about getting people presents that you'd want yourself :) ...well, she'll see through this immediately - but even so, I'd prefer the destination to be nicer than the typical stretch of concrete and nothing to do.

Would appreciate some first-hand opinions.
Thanks, GT.

[eyeinthesky]

I haven't been to Calais, but Le Touquet is OK. It's a bit like a rundown version of some UK seaside resorts. Some good restaurants, however.

I would heartily recommend that if you can afford it or are brave enough you go across to Deauville and get a taxi into Honfleur. A pretty Mediaeval port with cobbled streets awaits your non-flying passenger, and there is a supermarket for the wine and some good restaurants around the port. Either go straight across from GWC (avoiding the Danger areas if necessary) or take the short sea crossing and then fly down the French coast. I suppose it depends on from where in the UK you will be starting.

[arrow2]

Its got to be Le2K. Nice restaurant on field but far better to walk into town through the forest - 30 minutes - don't bother with a taxi - on a sunny day it is superb. The town is upmarket and, IMHO, nothing like a tacky British seaside town! Plenty of good restaurants (try Perard for seafood)shope and a huge beach.

Calais airfield is friendly cheap landing fee and a cheap resto on the field. But a long way from shops etc. I use Calais if just needing to clear customs before travelling on into France.

Deauville beats them all!

A2

[GayTangle]

That's great thanks; 'le2K' it will be.

I'm coming from East Anglia, so I'll leave Deauville for another trip. I bet that's a good trip, along the coast to Cherbourg. Next time then.

I suppose Pooleys France guide is good, is it?
regards...GT.

[SlipSlider]

GayTangle, spooky rumble eh? ..... As I said on the phone, Le2K is better by far. Don't forget France is 1 hour ahead of BST so you will arrive for lunch later than you expect.
Bon appetit! :D

[Cusco]

Le Touquet has it hands down. Don't walk through the forest : it'll take you longer than 30 mins, you'll be knackered when you get there and after a fantastic seafood lunch chez Perard you'll face a walk back.

By all means try L'Escale restaurant at the airport: either the 'bar' where the British plebs eat or the restaurant where the locals come from miles (kilometres) around to eat: but much nicer to go into Le Touq.

Get a taxi,(~GBP5.00) get a card from the taximan, take your mobile phone and ring him when you're ready to go back. Works every time (been there done that....)


After lunch go for a stroll along the seafront, have a swim in Aqualud, a coffee down one of the side streets and pick up a few bottles on the way back. Run down British seaside resort: what cr*p! you'll love it.


Enjoy.


(which bit of East Anglia are you flying from and what A/C?

[GayTangle]

Oh boy, am I looking forward to this !
I'll be routeing from Norwich in a club PA-28 (G-BYKL, nice 'plane) from Apex FT, South to Jacko (12nm East of Clacton) to Le Touquet. So quite a long crossing of water (which is ok) - and I'll be insisting the life jackets are on before departure (cf the Le T article in Pilot).

Thanks all, I'll let you know what fun I had.
GT.

[DodgyFlyer]

GayTangle

I'm also a member at Apex and did my Cross Channel in Kilo Lima a couple of months ago. Whose the instructor going with you?

I wouldn't do the cross channel in any other aircraft as its got all the right equipment, VOR's, two Comms, etc

My route was clacton VOR, then onto the NDB at southend followed by DVR, mid channel, turn right at Cap Griz-Nez followed by the landing at Le Touquet and marshalled in by a bloke on a bike.

French ATC spoke better english than me, and I couldn't get over how easy it is just to hop over the channel.

Never been to Calais but was told by my instructor at Apex that Le Touquet was the better choice. When I went it was fantastic weather and the walk into town is quite a long one but very scenic and worth doing. In town lots of resturants to choose from, different things to see. Enjoy it!

Leave a message on how it went.

[Fuji Abound]

Dont forget if you are feeling lazy, bikes are readily available for hire at L2K - good for carrying the wine. A car can also be hired for the day pretty cheaply but watch because the office at L2K is sometimes unmaned - worth phoning first.

[A and C]

Le touquet is the best for a day out calais is the best for IMC training and for clearing customs troyes takes the prize with fuel a cold drink met and a flight plan in 20 min.

[Ace Rimmer]

Forget L'Escale head into town to the Pub StJean (at the end of a little arcade) on Rue St Jean (the main drag in Le2K) Great food at reasonable prices (a favorite of Mrs Rimmer and me, in fact we ate there twice last week).
Le2K a faded seaside resort? Bollocks!!

[WeatherJinx]

Eyeinthesky-

Le Touquet run-down? I think it must be a very, very long time since you've been there, or indeed seen the state of our UK resorts!

'Le Took' is a very affulent, clean and pretty place, who's population virtually doubles at the weekend as well-heeled Parisiens head there to forget about the working week..hence its other name 'Paris Plage' (Paris-by-the-Sea!)

WxJx ;)

[Bouncy Landing]

Had a fantastic 2 day 40th BD party at L2K last year - no way is it "faded" - its superb. Spoilt for choice of outdoor restaurants etc.

However I do echo the advice concerning contacting a taxi for the return - I forgot to and trying to make contact any other way was impossible even with a mobile & French spaking member of the party- in the end we stood in the road and forced an empty one to stop - making it home bang on closing time......

Have a great time!

[Wycombe]

I'm with the others, have been there many times and no way is LFAT run-down!

For a real treat, do what the wife and I did a few years ago (before kids etc) and stop for the weekend at "The Westminster"...this is the big Hotel on the right as you walk into town....very nice!

Cheers,
EGTB

[GayTangle]

Well great, thanks all.

Clearly, you have fond memories of the area and I'm looking forward to building a few of my own.

I'm getting ambitious now, so...further afield, where've you been ? Deauville sounds pleasant; what about Cherbourg ? And has anyone actually been to that Chateau that's in Pooley's UK guide (the France chapter, obviously) (haven't the book with me for the name, sorry) - sounds grand to me.

Thanks again, all.

PS, DodgyFlyer, the instructor will be Jason.

[arrow2]

GT,

Yep, been to all those you mention, including Chateau la Chassagne and many more. The Chateau is superb, but watch the wallet if intending to stay for more than a night or two. Also need to watch landing & T/O performance there. When you get more adventurous plan to go to Corsica - a superb trip.

Go for it! Touring is great fun.

A2

[DodgyFlyer]

GT,

Jason is a top instructor (also just recently got his IR), he's been over to LT loads of times, in KL and in the twin. Ask him and he'll take you to one of the nicer resturants in Le 2K

Post a message on how the trip goes.

[jayemm]

I agree that Le2K is best. Went there earlier this summer (PA28) and had a great day out. Do watch the time though, and remember that the french tend to take longer over lunch than us....it took a while to get served (very pleasant and relaxing) and then waiting for the taxi (we didn't have the mobile phone) made us late against the flight plan. All very friendly and very enjoyable. The experience of being in a foreign land, buying some wine etc. and being home within a couple of hours felt pretty neat.

On my return from Le2K I didn't get my call in until close to the English coast because there was so much traffic returning at the same time....it was a bit like the M4 on a Monday morning.

Cherbourg is ok as a stopping off point but there's not a great deal to do unless you pop into town which can take a while. Several weeks ago I flew from Blackbushe via Cherbourg to La Rochelle and on to Biscarosse (a small airfield towards Biarritz). La Rochelle is well worth a visit, and the experience of flying in France (just my second trip) was excellent. Pooley's for France is good, but spend some time studying it if you venture further than Le2K, because many airfields are particular about specific approaches. I had no problem with ATC, and crossing Rennes and Nantes was a doddle.

Have loads of fun!

[Cusco]

G T :

For an excellent run down of European destinations (some near, some much further) go to
www.higher.flyer.co.uk. (http://www.higher.flyer.co.uk.)

You'll find personal write-ups of shed loads of destinations by normal GA pilots not flying magazine journalists.

Then , when you'ye been to some of these exotic places you can post your views.

Have you been to LFAT yet?


Bons vols.

:p

[GayTangle]

Hi, well the flight to LFAT was to be last Wednesday so we got Notam'ed and didn't go. Oh well, there'll be other times. Thanks for all the advice - regards, GT.