Rent a car in Calais on a sunday

I am on a cruise that ends up inDover UK on a Sunday and had planned to take the ferry to Calais and drive to Normandy and Paris ( rather than pay the obscene almost $320.00 british departure tax pp)

Does any have a solution or know of any car agency that would be open inCalais ??? Silly me,with 46 ships a day into Calais one would think there would be an agency. Is It possible to rent a fench car inDover and pay to ferry it ???

Any ideas????

Suggestions

Does the United Kingdom charge Americans for leaving the country? I'm unfamiliar with this tax could you please explain, thanks :)

I'm not aware of anything, unless the OP means Air Passenger Duty.

When you fly in or out of Heathrow, they have an airport tax added to your fare. Most airports only a few dollars but Heathrow a couple of hundred.Even changing planes in Heathrow on the way to somewhere else as a destination, there is that charge.Last year was using miles to fly to Germany, paid $5.00 airport tax in NYC.and direct to Germany.

Flying with a stop in Heathrow would have added over $200.00 to my free ticket.

What a way to encourage our American friends to visit the United Kingdom :confused:

I suppose the lesson is to fly to another UK airport. I would suggest to the OP to board a ferry in Dover (for which there is no APD) hire a car through Hertz or Avis in Calais and fly home via CDG near Paris.

Avoid going to France and try Dublin, flights from there to the USA are usually very competitive. To avoid the airport tax fly to Dublin on a separate flight. APD the tax is calculated on distance from London to the capital of the country you are flying to.

PS rioting in Calais today

National Express coaches run a service from Dover to Paris CDG airport for approx $80 depending on your date and time of travel

Then a flight from CDG to JFK with XL Airways (France) from $580

When you fly in or out of Heathrow, they have an airport tax added to your fare. Most airports only a few dollars but Heathrow a couple of hundred.Even changing planes in Heathrow on the way to somewhere else as a destination, there is that charge.Last year was using miles to fly to Germany, paid $5.00 airport tax in NYC.and direct to Germany.

Flying with a stop in Heathrow would have added over $200.00 to my free ticket.

It's noot a Heathrow tax it's any UK airport

That's approx. $120 not the $320 the OP states, they must have inaccurate figures.

National Express coaches run a service from Dover to Paris CDG airport for approx $80 depending on your date and time of travel

 

Then a flight from CDG to JFK with XL Airways (France) from $580

OPs issue is flight from CDG is already booked and intention was to book car and extend trip in France. Bus service will get him to a car, at CDG ....slowly.

I checked Rome2Rio for other solutions...there appears to be a train solution to CDG also. A quick check of northern France cities didn't show any car rentals open. CDG would probably be the only place to rent a car....or perhaps one of the major train stations in Paris.

How about a night in Calais or Dover and an early Monday start? How much time were you planning on spending in Normandy? Perhaps the ferry and a train to a town in Normandy for a night and then rent a car on Monday there to see the sights?

another idea...what is the second to last port....can you jump ship there if it is near Normandy?

Renting cars in France on a Sunday is nearly impossible except at major airports and some very busy train stations. If you have never been to Dover we would suggest spending the night and taking advantage of the time to visit Dover Castle. We also wonder if your ship will be in another port the day before Dover. For example, when we have been faced with your problem we have disembarked a day early (we did this when in Le Havre). Most cruise lines have a simple procedure for those that want to get off the ship a day or two early.

Another option would be to simply take the Eurostar from Folkestone to Paris. There are a few options to get from Dove to Folkestone where you can catch the Eurostar.

Hank

What a way to encourage our American friends to visit the United Kingdom :confused:

 

I suppose the lesson is to fly to another UK airport. I would suggest to the OP to board a ferry in Dover (for which there is no APD) hire a car through Hertz or Avis in Calais and fly home via CDG near Paris.

While not as much, EVERY airport charges from a low of $200 in Manchester to Heathrow $320 per person !!!! In the Us the charge is $5.56 to you britts to leave... That's why I will fly into LHR ot BHX but never out...AMS/CDG all charge like $110 pp.... AND, if your traveling on a free or discounted ticket....it is not included in the fare.. you have to pony-up for the ex-checker!!!! like NOW!!!!

I love UK,many of my kin are britts or Welsh.... but the govt makesit dam hard to want to stay

That's approx. $120 not the $320 the OP states, they must have inaccurate figures.

the $120 is for flying economy.....its $320 if flying anything above the lowest economy...... I wish It were not so. And being 12 hours in coach to LAX is not a rational solution to me....

the $120 is for flying economy.....its $320 if flying anything above the lowest economy...... I wish It were not so. And being 12 hours in coach to LAX is not a rational solution to me....

Dan, the board will be interested in how you resolve this issue. Please let us know what you come up with....are you thinking of changing departure airports and going through Belgium to AMS? Interested, because my next O cruise has a similar plan ....ending in Southampton and doubling back to France to visit Normandy and flying out of CDG. Although, at this time I think we are going to change to substitute another cruise where the ports work a bit better for DIYing.

I'd be very nervous about going anywhere near Calais right now.