Day Trip Itinerary around Boulogne and Montreuil-sur-Mer:

Head straight to Boulogne from Calais - using the A16 which is toll free for this section (or take advantage of the new Boulogne fast-craft ferry) and look around the lovely old town; the lower part for shops and its excellent Saturday market, and the upper town where the ramparts, quaint cobbled streets and castle are well worth exploring. It is possibly a good idea to drive to this part of Boulogne as the walk from the lower town is fairly strenuous! In fairer weather an excellent option would be to buy a picnic from the local market stalls/shops and then enjoy lunch at the beach. Alternatively Boulogne itself has many restaurants to chose from.

Another option, if you prefer somewhere in the country, is to head away from the town out towards the pictureque Vallée de la Course. Take the N1 from Boulogne for 12km in the direction of Montreuil. At Samer head east on D52 towards Desvres, forking right onto the D127(E4) and right again onto D127 after 4 km. You are now following the River Course. If time allows stop off at the Chocolatier at Beussent and then pause for a leisurely lunch at the Auberge d’Inxent followed by a lazy afternoon strolling around Montreuil, a delightful town with cobbled streets and ramparts or Le Touquet on the coast (it is approximately 1 hour drive on the A16 from Le Touquet to Calais). If you fancy fitting in a spot of shopping there is a very large Auchan hypermarket just east of Boulogne. At Junction 31 of the A16 head east on N42 in the direction of St. Omer for a couple of kilometres. This tends to be less busy than the supermarkets in the Calais area.