Castles & Palaces
Château de Chantilly
A grand estate north of Paris housing the Musée Condé, the second largest collection of antique paintings in France after the Louvre.
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Road trip route · France
Paris to Calais drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 3 hr 9 min
- Distance
- 288 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €38
- Tolls (est.)
- €19
The Paris to Calais drive
The drive from Paris to Calais covers 179 miles (288 km) and takes about 3 hr 9 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €38 one-way plus roughly €19 in motorway tolls. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
Best stops between Paris and Calais
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Parc Astérix
French theme park north of Paris based on the beloved Astérix comic book series with Gallic-themed rides and shows.
Racetracks
Autodrome de Linas-Montlhery
Legendary 1924 banked concrete speed bowl south of Paris where dozens of land-speed and endurance records were set; its steep bankings still host classic-car festivals like Les Grandes Heures Automobiles.
Castles & Palaces
Château de Pierrefonds
A fairy-tale castle restored by Viollet-le-Duc, its turrets a magnet for filmmakers and dreamers.
Castles & Palaces
Château de Compiègne
A vast imperial palace of Napoleon and Napoleon III, set beside one of France's grandest forests.
Landmarks
Canadian National Vimy Memorial
Twin soaring pylons crown a WWI battlefield of preserved trenches and craters above the Douai plain.
Museums
Louvre-Lens
A luminous glass-and-steel satellite of the Louvre rising from a former coal-mining town.
Paris to Calais FAQs
How long is the drive from Paris to Calais?
Driving from Paris to Calais takes about 3 hr 9 min nonstop, covering 179 miles (288 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Paris to Calais?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €38 one-way. Expect around €19 in motorway tolls. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Paris to Calais in one day?
Yes, at about 3 hr 9 min of driving, Paris to Calais is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
What are the best stops between Paris and Calais?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Château de Chantilly, Parc Astérix, Autodrome de Linas-Montlhery: see the full list of 7 stops on this page.
More drives from Paris & Calais
London → ParisParis → AmsterdamParis → BarcelonaParis → BordeauxParis → BrusselsParis → GenevaParis → LyonParis → MarseilleParis → NiceParis → Strasbourg
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free France road trip planner, or read the driving in France guide.