Highlights
- Calais old town
- Rodin's Burghers of Calais statue
- Guînes castle ruins
Stage conditions
| Section | France |
|---|---|
| Water on route | Abundant |
| Shade | Partial |
Practical notes
Getting there and away
Foot passengers on P&O are bussed from the ship to the terminal, where a shuttle bus runs into Calais and stops at the railway station; it does not run after 7pm from Monday to Thursday, and the walk in is about an hour. Calais-Ville station has TER Hauts-de-France trains to Boulogne, Amiens and Paris (K16), Hazebrouck and Lille (K71) and Arras (P54), plus a shuttle to Calais-Fréthun for TGVs. Guînes has no station but is inside the Calais bus zone: Imag'in/SITAC lines 6 and 13 run between Guînes (Mairie, La Bien-Assise) and Gare de Calais. The Pihen-lès-Guînes halt on the Amiens–Abbeville–Calais line lies west of the town.
What the season does
The stage data allows April to October here. This is flat marsh and farmland with only partial shade, and the same Channel wind that batters the Dover cliffs blows across the Calais side, so a shell layer earns its place even in summer. The official GR145 takes a longer coastal line by Wissant before turning inland to Guînes, and its beach and dune sections are best in settled weather; this direct stage avoids them. From mid-September the hunting season opens across most French departments, and the marshes and copses around Guînes see shooting until the end of February, chiefly at weekends.
Safety on this stage
The stage data flags busy road crossings leaving Calais: the port roads and the ring of dual carriageways around the town are built for lorries, so use the signed crossings and pavements and do not shortcut across slip roads. Beyond the town the route is on quiet lanes and farm tracks with no real hazard beyond traffic on the D-roads, where you should walk facing oncoming vehicles. Waymarking in Pas-de-Calais is the red-and-white GR flash, sometimes with a small pilgrim symbol. Once in Calais itself the Confraternity says walking is as safe as anywhere in town.
Water and food
Water is abundant on this stage. Calais has every kind of shop and café between the port and the station, so fill bottles and buy lunch before leaving; the flat farmland to Guînes has no fountains. Guînes is a small town with shops around the mairie and the Pays d'Opale offices, and the Château de la Bien-Assise campsite at its edge is a landmark bus stop. There is a picnic table in the Forêt de Guînes just beyond the town, for those starting the next stage early.
Where pilgrims sleep
Calais has the deepest bed stock on the French section. Our directory lists the Auberge de Jeunesse / Centre Européen de Séjour (hostel), a long run of hotels including HECO Calais Centre-Gare, Hôtel Meurice, Ibis Styles and Hôtel de la Plage, chambres d'hôtes such as Le Cercle de Malines, and campsites including La Bien Assise, which is actually at Guînes. In Guînes itself, Pèlerinages de France names the Auberge du Colombier and the Bien-Assise campsite as pilgrim stops. Credential stamps are given at the Pays d'Opale community offices, 9 avenue de la Libération, Guînes.
Sources: Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome — Dover to Calais as a foot passenger · P&O Ferries — Travelling as a foot passenger · Wikipedia — Gare de Calais-Ville · Mairie de Guînes — Mobilité (Imag'in / SITAC buses) · Commune de Pihen-lès-Guînes — Halte ferroviaire SNCF · Pays d'Opale — Via Francigena · Pèlerinages de France — Renseignements pratiques Via Francigena · Wikipedia — Via Francigena · Le Montagnard — Calendrier chasse France 2025-2026 · Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome — Walking the Via Francigena
Common questions
How long is the Calais to Guînes stage?
It is 18.0 km (11.2 mi) and takes about 4.5 hours of walking, from Calais to Guînes.
How hard is Calais to Guînes?
It is rated easy with 80 m of ascent and 60 m of descent over mixed terrain.
Is there water on the Calais to Guînes stage?
Water is abundant along this stage.
How do I get to Calais and away from Guînes?
Foot passengers on P&O are bussed from the ship to the terminal, where a shuttle bus runs into Calais and stops at the railway station; it does not run after 7pm from Monday to Thursday, and the walk in is about an hour. Calais-Ville station has TER Hauts-de-France trains to Boulogne, Amiens and Paris (K16), Hazebrouck and Lille (K71) and Arras (P54), plus a shuttle to Calais-Fréthun for TGVs. Guînes has no station but is inside the Calais bus zone: Imag'in/SITAC lines 6 and 13 run between Guînes (Mairie, La Bien-Assise) and Gare de Calais.
Where do pilgrims sleep in Guînes?
Calais has the deepest bed stock on the French section. Our directory lists the Auberge de Jeunesse / Centre Européen de Séjour (hostel), a long run of hotels including HECO Calais Centre-Gare, Hôtel Meurice, Ibis Styles and Hôtel de la Plage, chambres d'hôtes such as Le Cercle de Malines, and campsites including La Bien Assise, which is actually at Guînes. In Guînes itself, Pèlerinages de France names the Auberge du Colombier and the Bien-Assise campsite as pilgrim stops.
Walk this stage
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