Hitchhiking from Gravelines
Hitchhiking to Gravelines
Recent reviews mentioning Gravelines
50.92347, 2.22839
Not a great spot but if youre stuck out here this might get you to st omer. Lots of cars are driving too fast to stop though.―Gdapain
50.82611, 2.58559
Almost completely deserted. NO lorries will stop in the Calais radius of 150 km apart from out of cigarette desperation. Arrived around 6:30pm and realised I messed up (though there's almost no possibilities coming from Lille...). Should have gone with the original Luxembourg idea for getting across to UK, or the reliable Jabbeke (though same situation with lorries).Try to avoid stopping here. Was saved by a guy who wanted to see the sea and didn't read the news.
A group of guys were trying to get into people's vans/cars. Not the best hitch friendly environment.
―whisperingofthestars
51.0038, 2.30409
This is my "waiting" time not including sleeping. I got there at around 11pm, sketchy time to arrive [no lorries/trucks will be stopping anyway in this area - I would say at least 100km away, maybe more due to the situation..].This makes it a bit tricky for people to trust you. When I was there, there was a small camp of paperless folk (you really understand your privileges being in this area).
If you stop here, you absolutely need to talk to people. While a lot of people can be damn rude, you should find someone eventually. I got a camper van (what?! They almost never stop...we'll...this was rented) going across to UK at Dunkerque...I explained them the process of needing to add me to their ticket, but we got to the office and they said that it was already fine. Does it depend on the company? This was DFDS.
Got a little nervous at passport control when they asked how we knew each other - you should do a better job than me - they're not the biggest fan of hitchers...but it would be ridiculous to go past ticket control and be kicked out there.
Careful not to get out at Dover - it sucks. Get out if you need to on the first services on the motorway, or M25 services :-)
―whisperingofthestars
50.94025, 1.93891
Ok, this was not great spot south, if you are heading south I would discourage you from going here, but it was kinda nice spot towards Belgium. Be aware a lot of migrants are lurking around after dark, we had two of them jump on top of our truck and drove them to Belgium (they were not happy about that and banged on our roof). It was definitely one of my crazier stories, but it was kinda fun. Just to be aware of that. (Normally I would sleep around here, but I would never sleep in this place, it was not safe, therefore I went back north to Belgium)―martih
50.65553, 5.70854
This is a good spot for Brussels. Also lot of British people here are going back to Britain for the weekend. Just ask around, and you can easily get a ride to Calais or to the coast. Just be aware, do not go to Calais late in the evening, there are migrants all around. I learned that the hard way.―martih
51.0038, 2.30409
Was trying to get across the ferry. There is not a lot of cars here. Had no luck, asked even the cars with the french licence plates. Then i got a ride to the port, but not across it, because the people got the cheaper ticket where you cant change the amount of passangers.―stepanfoj
51.18787, 3.10561
Was heading to the UK. I was stupid and got in the first car that stopped that took me to the next gas station. BAD IDEA. There is lots of traffick heading to callais here, so do not go further.―stepanfoj
50.95517, 1.9092
―Anonymous
50.95514, 1.91015
―Anonymous
50.95517, 1.9092
Calais to Belgium, Paris or England. This place is a parking and petrol station only for truckers. Around 30 trucks sleep here everyday before or after taking the ferry. On June 2008 this place was being reformed, despite of that It was still open and busy. Might be helpful to be droped here when you get a lift to Calais only, or when the driver doesnt want to take you to the docks. I asked around 10 lorries here before I moved to the roundabout, because I was going to Paris, and most of them were heading either to England or Belgium.―Anonymous
51.0038, 2.30407
Hola. Nice spot to get a lift to UK. The petrol station is located in the right side of the high way only (direction to Calais). Try to get a lift at least to the M25 (highway around London), other wise if they dont go as far as the first petrol station in England, you will have to ask a lift in Dover (is not nice, too much traffic). You can also change the vehicule in the ferry. If you try this, my advice is that you do it inmediatly after parking inside, or even better in the queue waiting for the ferry after the tickets control. Good luck my friends. April 2008.further questions to danielodv(at)gmail.com―Anonymous
50.9556, 1.90488
From Calais to Paris, to Lille or to Belgium. Cars coming from the city or Lorries coming from the parking-petrol station near by. My cat and me we found it very busy at 7.00 in the morning on a Friday. It took us around 30 minutes with light rain falling. We were standing at the acces of the motorway, down the roundabout. The night before a tracker droped us here, and we slept at the fields. Its hard for cars to stop without disturbing the trafic, and even harder for trackers.―Anonymous
50.95514, 1.91015
I second Danielo's oppinion. A very good place from Calais to England. Also possible to hitch a ride to Poland as there are quite a lot of trucks going that way. I actually managed to get a ride to Frankfurt, but I had to wait 6 hours, because the traffic decreases A LOT during the early morning hours.―Anonymous
50.95552, 1.90514
Terrible. 5 hours, freezing cold. Several people gave me the finger and other lewd gestures. I was clean and tidy and just standing there with a grin and a sign.―Anonymous
51.0038, 2.30407
I arrived here 4pm on Christmas Even 2011, waited almost 3 hours and only caught a ride as far as Calais. There was good traffic on the road, but not much passing through the petrol station.―Anonymous
51.0038, 2.30407
Got a ride in about 30 minutes to Calais, many people were going to the UK but did not want to take us across the boarder.―Jxroussel
51.0038, 2.30407
Yes this service station is good, nearly everyone stopping here is going across the channel via Dunkerque or Calais. If you get stuck in Dunkerque town you can get bus 7 to Grande-Synthe and walk a couple km to this station. 25.8.11―Anonymous
51.0038, 2.30407
Not a good spot it you want to go further towards Abbeville―Anonymous
50.9556, 1.90488
Absolutely no place for cars to pull over. As a driver, I wouldn't stop.―Globestoppeuse
50.95552, 1.90514
Depends on the time of day. I couldn't get a ride after 7pm in May, so camped below the road, but in the morning, I got a ride within 30 minutes at 6:30am.―Lukasc