In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Dunkirk via Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nez, Boulogne and Montreuil to the sandbanks of the Somme Bay and, optionally, on to Amiens: around 340 kilometres on which the wind and the tide table write the day’s plan.
The spirit of the route
On the Opal Coast the light is the real guidebook: within an hour it shifts from lead grey to milky green, and on clear evenings the white cliffs of Dover stand so sharply above the Channel that you can count the ferries. Between the two capes the D940 ducks through pasture with hedges, fence posts and the remains of bunkers; Audresselles smells of brown crab, Wissant of salt and neoprene. Further south the coast turns flat and wide: pine forests around Le Touquet, dunes to the horizon, then the Baie de Somme, where the sea disappears for kilometres twice a day and seals lie on the sandbanks. From your sliding door you hear oystercatchers and the whistle of the steam railway. This route rewards a slow pace: short stages, a bicycle instead of driving through town, a tide table instead of a watch.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Dunkirk to Wissant (via Calais and Cap Blanc-Nez) (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- From Dunkirk take the toll-free A16 past Gravelines to Calais, then from Sangatte onto the D940, the Opal Coast’s route touristique. Beyond Sangatte the road climbs in wide curves onto the chalk plateau of Blanc-Nez and drops steeply to Escalles; after that it runs narrow through pasture to Wissant. Around 1.5 hours of pure driving time, with heavy lorry traffic on the port approaches at Calais and Dunkirk.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Dunkirk: the broad beach at Malo-les-Bains and the Dunkerque 1940 museum – Operation Dynamo told in a bastion at the harbour.
- Calais: Rodin’s “Burghers of Calais” in front of the town hall with its UNESCO-listed belfry, and the mechanical dragon at the harbour.
- Cap Blanc-Nez: a chalk edge about 130 m high with the Dover Patrol obelisk, views over the Bay of Wissant and, in clear weather, as far as the cliffs of Dover.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Wissant the Camping municipal “De la Source” sits on the edge of the village, with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities and service points; the Camping des Érables in Escalles is smaller and has a view of the plateau. If you prefer a motorhome stopover: the aire on the D940 in Wissant with waste disposal, or the private aire at the Ferme de l’Horloge in Tardinghen between the capes (electricity and service for a fee). Check season dates and prices in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The capes are protected as a Site classé and form part of the Grand Site de France Les Deux Caps; wild camping is prohibited here. The small car park at the top of Blanc-Nez has height barriers and cannot be entered by most motorhomes; overnight stays in the walkers’ car parks are checked. In Dunkirk the city offers motorhome spaces on the Rue des Chantiers de France, and in Calais a stopover next to the beach campsite.
- Insider tip for campers
- If you arrive from Britain by ferry or rail shuttle, fill up with fuel and top up your water before the first stage: between Calais and Boulogne there are few petrol stations directly on the D940, and the village streets of Escalles and Wissant are narrow. On summer weekends, head for the summit car parks at Blanc-Nez before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
2Stage 2: Wissant to Wimereux (via Cap Gris-Nez and Audresselles) (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- Take the D940 via Tardinghen to Cap Gris-Nez, then via Audinghen, Audresselles and Ambleteuse to Wimereux. A short but winding stage through the hinterland of the capes, with many cyclists and pedestrian crossings; the turn-off to Gris-Nez is a narrow dead-end road. Pure driving time is under an hour – the day belongs to the walking trails.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cap Gris-Nez: lighthouse and sea rescue control centre at the point in France closest to England; a circular walk over the cliff to the beach at Les Gardes.
- Audresselles: a fishing village with flobarts – flat beach boats – in front of the houses, and crab and lobster straight from the fishermen.
- Ambleteuse: Fort Vauban (Fort Mahon) at the mouth of the Slack, and the dunes of the Slack, a nature reserve with boardwalks.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping municipal L’Olympic in Wimereux, close to the town centre and the seafront promenade, with electric hook-ups and sanitary facilities. Alternatives: Camping L’Églantier in Ambleteuse or the Aire Les Ajoncs near Ambleteuse. In high season, call early – small sites on the Côte d’Opale fill up quickly.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Gris-Nez, an order issued by the Pas-de-Calais département on 24 February 2023 governs the Haringzelle reception car park (as far as we know without an end date and not repealed): the area for cars is limited to a height of 2.10 m, vehicles over 2.10 m may only park from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in a separate zone, and camping and caravanning are prohibited across the whole site. At the car park on the Rue du Fort in Audinghen, too, motorhomes may not park at night (8 p.m. to 8 a.m.); according to the sign and users’ reports a €135 fine is possible, but we have no official figure.
- Insider tip for campers
- Arrive early: from mid-morning on fine days the spaces for tall vehicles at Gris-Nez are taken. The Atlantic Wall museum in the Todt Battery near Audinghen has its own car park. In Wimereux the town centre is tight and the Digue is not made for motorhomes – leave the vehicle at the campsite and go on foot.
3Stage 3: Wimereux to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (via Boulogne-sur-Mer) (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Follow the coastal boulevard to Boulogne, then take the D940 via Le Portel and Équihen-Plage through the dune and woodland landscape around Hardelot, crossing the Canche at Étaples to reach Le Touquet. Boulogne has heavy traffic at the harbour and steep lanes up to the upper town; south of it the road is well built. Around one hour’s driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Nausicaá in Boulogne, the French sea centre with one of Europe’s largest aquariums – book tickets online; car parks are near the harbour.
- Haute Ville of Boulogne: a walk along the medieval ramparts, the belfry and the dome of the Basilica of Notre-Dame.
- Le Touquet: a district of villas in pine forest, the red-brick La Canche lighthouse and the sandbanks at the Pointe du Touquet.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Le Touquet has motorhome spaces at the Base nautique on the Baie de Canche in the north of the town, with service points; the aire at the Parc équestre is quieter but further out. You will find well-equipped campsites to the south in Cucq and Stella-Plage. Check length limits and current charges on site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Le Touquet and the neighbouring resorts do not allow motorhomes to stay overnight on the seafront promenade or in the villa streets; many beach car parks have height barriers or signs with a crossed-out motorhome. This is not a blanket municipal ban but a sum of individual parking rules – in practice the legal route is via the aires. In Boulogne there is a municipal aire on the coastal boulevard towards Wimereux.
- Insider tip for campers
- In the upper town of Boulogne the gates have height and width restrictions; park the motorhome down at the harbour. In Étaples the fish market on the quay is worth a visit for sole and prawns. The best way to explore Le Touquet is by bicycle: the cycle network through the forest is dense, and the car parks in the centre are pay-and-display and scarce for large vehicles.
4Stage 4: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Montreuil-sur-Mer (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- Through Étaples and up the Canche valley inland on the D939 or D917 to Montreuil. Flat, well-built roads; the approach to the upper town is steep, cobbled and narrow. About 30 minutes’ driving time – a quiet day to catch your breath.
- Highlights & must-sees
- A rampart walk of around three kilometres round the upper town of Montreuil, with views into the Canche valley.
- The citadel and the lanes around the Place Darnétal, a setting in Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables”; in summer there is an open-air spectacle based on it in the evening.
- The Charterhouse of Notre-Dame-des-Prés near Neuville-sous-Montreuil, seen from outside across the Canche meadows.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Montreuil has a municipal aire at the foot of the ramparts with water and waste disposal; if you want electricity and showers, choose the Camping La Fontaine des Clercs on the river below the town, a steep walk up to the upper town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The upper town is protected as an ensemble, and within a 500 m radius of monuments historiques camping behaviour is not permitted; overnighting outside the aire is not tolerated. In the Canche valley you will find a few farm pitches on park4night, for example in Brimeux – ask about the conditions beforehand.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not drive into the upper town in a motorhome: the lanes and cobbles are narrow and there is nowhere to turn round. Saturday is market day on the Place Darnétal. For the next stage, check the tide table for Berck and the Baie d’Authie beforehand – you see seals at low water.
5Stage 5: Montreuil-sur-Mer to Le Crotoy (via Berck, Baie d’Authie and Marquenterre) (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- Take the D917 via Verton to Berck-sur-Mer, then the coast road past the south end of Berck, across the Authie to Fort-Mahon-Plage and Quend and through the dune hinterland to Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont. Continue via Rue to Le Crotoy. Flat, often with crosswinds, and 30 km/h zones in the resorts. Around 1.25 hours’ driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Berck: a long seafront promenade, the international kite festival in April, and seals on the sandbanks of the Authie bay at the Pointe du Haut-Banc.
- Parc du Marquenterre near Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont: a bird reserve with observation hides in the Grand Site Baie de Somme, most rewarding on a rising tide, when the waders come into the pools.
- Rue: the Gothic Chapel of the Holy Spirit with its Flemish late-Gothic façade, and the belfry.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Le Crotoy has a large aire on the Chemin des Digues with up to 100 pitches, service points, electricity for a fee and usually a 72-hour maximum stay (access by number-plate recognition, check the conditions in advance); a second aire is at Tarteron. With full service: Camping Le Ridin north of the town. In the summer holidays and on long weekends, arrive early.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Between Berck and Le Crotoy lie dunes of the Conservatoire du littoral and the Réserve naturelle of the Baie de Somme – free camping is out of the question here, and many beach car parks have height barriers. Legal alternatives: the aires at Fort-Mahon-Plage and Quend-Plage, or simple motorhome spaces on the south side of Berck.
- Insider tip for campers
- At Marquenterre, leave the motorhome in the large visitor car park and take binoculars – rental ones are also available on site. Dogs are not allowed in the bird park. At Berck, watch the seal banks only from the shore: keep a good distance and never walk between the animals and the water.
6Stage 6: Le Crotoy to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (approx. 15 km)
- The drive
- Go via Noyelles-sur-Mer and the D940 round the bay to Saint-Valery – or leave the motorhome parked and travel by steam railway or bicycle. A short, flat stage across salt meadows with flocks of sheep; in Saint-Valery the approach to the upper town is steep. Around 20 minutes’ driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Chemin de fer de la Baie de Somme: the metre-gauge heritage railway from Le Crotoy via Noyelles to Saint-Valery and Cayeux, in part with a steam locomotive.
- Saint-Valery: the Courtgain quarter with colourful fishermen’s houses, the upper town with the Porte Guillaume and the Chapelle des Marins above the bay.
- A guided walk across the bay at low water – only with a certified guide; at big tides a small tidal bore (mascaret) runs along the quays of Saint-Valery.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: The aire at Saint-Valery is on the Rue de la Croix l’Abbé above the town: over 100 pitches on gravel, water, waste disposal and a few electric hook-ups; about €12 a night was reported most recently (check the tariff on site); it is around 1 km to the centre. Campsites with full service: Le Walric on the edge of town or Camping de la Baie towards Pendé.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Saint-Valery overnighting is not tolerated on the quays and promenade, and on the salt meadows of the bay even parking off the tracks is prohibited. The aire is the only practical solution in town.
- Insider tip for campers
- At low water the bay dries out for kilometres, at big tidal coefficients the water returns faster than you can walk, and channels and quicksand are treacherous – never go out on the flats alone. Check the steam railway timetable in advance: according to the railway, Le Crotoy–Saint-Valery runs in 2026 from roughly February to November, and to Cayeux only from April to mid-September, in each case only on timetabled days. If you travel by bike, follow the Vélomaritime (EuroVelo 4) around the bay.
7Stage 7: Saint-Valery-sur-Somme to Ault (via Le Hourdel and Cayeux-sur-Mer) (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- Go via Lanchères to the Pointe du Hourdel on the southern edge of the bay, then along the coast road to Cayeux-sur-Mer and on to Ault-Onival. Narrow roads behind the shingle bank, often with a strong westerly wind; the dead-end road to Le Hourdel ends at a small harbour that is full in summer. Around 45 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pointe du Hourdel: lighthouse, fishing harbour and the sandbanks on which harbour seals and grey seals rest at low water; according to counts, the Baie de Somme is home to the largest French colony of the common seal.
- Cayeux-sur-Mer: the long boardwalk behind the shingle beach with hundreds of colourful beach huts.
- Ault: the chalk cliffs of Picardy begin here, and the steep coast visibly breaks away; a path leads from the Bois de Cise to the beach.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Cayeux-sur-Mer has several aires (Brighton, Centre, Les Galets de la Mollière) with service points, mostly paid by card; in Ault-Onival the Camping municipal d’Onival lies above the sea. Check the opening times of the municipal sites in advance – some close in winter.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Le Hourdel parking space is scarce and designed for day visitors; overnighting is not provided for. The point is part of the protected area around the bay – do not approach the seals, and keep dogs on a lead.
- Insider tip for campers
- The best time to see seals is two to three hours before low water, from the beach at Le Hourdel – use binoculars or a spotting scope rather than approaching. At Ault the chalk coast is constantly crumbling; take barriers and warning signs seriously, do not walk beneath the chalk wall, and ask the commune about current closures of the shore road.
8Stage 8: Ault to Amiens (optional) (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- Go via Friville-Escarbotin to Abbeville, then either on the A16 (toll) or more leisurely on country roads through the Somme valley via Long and Picquigny to Amiens. Wide, flat roads, and dense city traffic in Amiens. Around 1.25 hours’ driving time; if you want to stay on the coast, end the route at Ault.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Abbeville: the late-Gothic collegiate church of Saint-Vulfran.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral of Amiens, the largest Gothic cathedral in France and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a coloured light projection on the façade on summer evenings.
- The Hortillonnages: around 300 hectares of floating gardens between canals, to be explored by boat or on foot along the bank paths in the summer half-year; also the Saint-Leu quarter by the water.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Parc des Cygnes in the north-west of Amiens lies on the Somme, with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities and its own motorhome aire; get to the centre by bus or by bike along the riverside path.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Outside the campsite, Amiens offers no tolerated overnight spaces in the city centre; standing by the roadside at night is neither pleasant nor advisable here.
- Insider tip for campers
- Amiens Métropole has set up a low-emission zone (ZFE): carry a Crit’Air sticker and check the classes currently in force on the Métropole’s website before you drive. On Saturday mornings, market gardeners from the Hortillonnages sell produce on the Place Parmentier. For the boats through the gardens, come early in the day in season.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- In France a motorhome may park like a car wherever parking is allowed (for a maximum of 7 days in the same place), provided no municipal order says otherwise. Camping behaviour – stabilisers, awning, table and chairs, draining water – is prohibited outside campsites and aires.
- The capes of Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nez are Sites classés in the Grand Site de France Les Deux Caps; wild camping is prohibited there, and at Gris-Nez a 2023 order of the département additionally limits vehicles over 2.10 m to parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and expressly bans camping and caravanning. At the car park in Audinghen, too, parking is prohibited at night; users report a €135 fine according to the sign.
- In many resorts between Wimereux and Cayeux, height barriers and signs restrict motorhomes on the promenade and in residential streets; the rules apply commune by commune and car park by car park. Blanket bans across an entire municipal area are open to legal challenge in France, but the checks are real – plan on aires and campsites.
- Dunes of the Conservatoire du littoral, the Réserve naturelle of the Baie de Somme and the marine nature park of the Picardy estuaries are off limits for overnight stays; wild camping is in any case prohibited on sea shores. Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact, plus the aire pages of the Pas-de-Calais and Somme tourist boards.
Waste disposal & supplies
- The coast is densely served with aires; service points work with a card, coins or tokens from the tourist office. Many sites belong to networks with a barrier and card payment – have a credit card with PIN ready.
- Empty grey water and cassette toilets only at the service points; any discharge in the dunes and on the salt meadows is prohibited and punished as an environmental offence.
- Tap water is drinkable; at aires the service point is marked “eau potable”. In high summer the taps at popular aires such as Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery are heavily used – fill up in the morning.
- Gas: French exchange cylinders (butane, preferably propane in autumn) are available at supermarkets; foreign cylinders are not exchanged. LPG pumps for refillable tanks are thin on the ground, so bring an adapter (Dish/Euronozzle). When travelling by rail shuttle through the Channel Tunnel, separate rules apply to gas cylinders – check with the operator beforehand.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t and combinations up to 3.5 t gross train weight as for cars: motorway 130 km/h (110 in rain), expressways with separated carriageways 110 (100), country roads 80 (or 90 where signposted), built-up areas 50. Motorhomes over 3.5 t up to 12 t: motorway 110, expressways 100, country roads 80, built-up areas 50, with a speed disc at the rear. Combinations over 3.5 t: motorway and expressways 90, otherwise 80.
- Vehicles over 3.5 t, expressly including motorhomes, need the “Angles morts” stickers on the sides and rear; without them a fine of €135 is possible.
- Tolls: the A16 is toll-free between the Belgian border, Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne, and toll-charged further south towards Abbeville and Amiens, with conventional toll booths. Class 2 applies to two-axle vehicles over 2 m and under 3 m in height up to 3.5 t, class 3 to two-axle vehicles 3 m or more in height or over 3.5 t, class 4 to vehicles with three or more axles. If you return via Paris and Normandy: the A13 and A14 operate “Flux libre” without barriers – pay online by number plate within 72 hours, otherwise a flat-rate surcharge of €90 applies.
- Low-emission zones: the ZFE remain in place after the Conseil constitutionnel overturned their nationwide abolition on 21 May 2026; each Métropole sets the classes itself. Check the current levels in advance for Amiens and if you arrive via Lille. Foreign vehicles also need the Crit’Air sticker; order it only via certificat-air.gouv.fr.
- The alcohol limit is 0.5 per mille, 0.2 for novice drivers; phones at the ear and headphones at the wheel are prohibited. A high-visibility vest within the driver’s reach and a warning triangle are compulsory. If you are crossing to Britain, check storage compartments and rear-mounted carriers before check-in – the ports check for stowaways.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- A tide app or printed tide table for Boulogne and Saint-Valery – seals, Marquenterre, the bay and beach car parks all depend on the water level.
- Binoculars or a spotting scope: seals at Le Hourdel and in the Authie bay, as well as the birds at Marquenterre, can only be seen from a distance.
- Storm-proof guy lines and awning clamps – on the open sites between Wissant and Cayeux the westerly often whistles with gusts above 60 km/h; always retract the awning when you are out.
- Wellington boots or wading shoes for Le Hourdel, the Pointe du Touquet and guided bay walks.
- Bicycles with a lock: the Vélomaritime (EuroVelo 4) links Le Touquet, Berck, Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery, and many town centres are barely accessible by motorhome.
- Crit’Air sticker and a credit card with PIN for aires with a barrier and for the toll booths on the A16.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
