What is the drive like from Calais down to Europa Park? I’m in the North East and just trying to work out the most cost efficient way for a family of four to get to the park and I’m thinking that going through the tunnel might be the best way (the price of the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry is astronomical). My wife would be driving as I don’t drive but she’s a little bit worried about driving a UK car on the other side of the road in Europe, so how straightforward is the drive? Also is it pretty simple to add on a trip to Phantasialand as well in terms of driving and sticking to motorways rather than going through towns?
I think Dan has summed it up quite nicely, but I just wanted to add that I was anxious the first time, but once your on the French motorway, your wife will be fine. I think my wife gets more anxious in the passenger seat than I do driving these days.
There is plenty of services on the French Motorways, so if your wife wanted to do a short stint, take a break, and then carry on, that is possible.
I would say the hardest thing about driving in France is sticking the stickers on the front lights in the correct place. Luckily my car allows me to change them in the settings, so I don't need to worry about that anymore. If your using CarPlay or Android version, you can update the settings to use KMs as well.
Coming from the North East, it might make sense to stop in a hotel near Folkstone and then get an early train so your wife is driving for the first time in the daylight rather than night time.
I would recommend getting one of the toll tags, which means you don't need to mess around with paying at the tolls, and can skip the queues if there is any, and it does save around 20-30 minutes from your journey.
