How to spend your holidays without a car in the Boulogne area

After taking part in the multiple activities proposed by Nausicaá during your visit of the aquarium, set out to discover the Boulogne area without using a drop of petrol. The vast majority of the region's sites of interest can be accessed without a car, and there is no shortage of means of transport for getting there and visiting: train, bus, bike, on foot or even by boat, everything's possible ! Visit the Boulogne-sur-Mer town centre, discover the Deux-Caps site, escapades in the Caps et Marais d’Opale Regional Nature Park…, the possibilities for exploring the Boulogne area's most beautiful spots on foot, by bicycle or using public transport are multiple. Nature lovers will love the hiking paths and bike trails allowing them to immerse themselves in the surrounding countryside and come into contact with the rich biodiversity.

The Nausicaá aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer is ideally situated between Paris, London and Brussels. From these towns, it's just two and a half hours by road to get to your destination. However there are many other practical ways for coming to Nausicaá without a car. From the stations in Paris (Gare du Nord), Brussels, and the big towns in Hauts-de-France such as Lille or Calais, you've just got to hop on a train to get to Boulogne-Ville station. Once you've arrived, you have two options:

• coming to the aquarium from the station will take you just half an hour on foot;
• or you can take an F-line bus to get to Nausicaá in 10 minutes.

Travelling on public transport is a responsible act in favour of the preservation of the environnement. Setting out on a journey in France without a car in fact means contributing to reducing pollution and decongesting the roads. Committed in favour of the environment, notably with its In the eye of the climate exhibition, Nausicaá also encourages its visitors to come to the aquarium by train and, for this, it proposes a TER pack (regional express train) giving you the right to reduced prices. This pack includes a return train trip from any station in Hauts-de-France, an urban transport ticket that can be used for 72hrs on the Marinéo network as well as an admission ticket for the aquarium. A great way to save money on your journeys and get even more out of your holidays without a car in the Boulogne area!

And if you're lucky enough to have a boat, bear in mind that the Boulogne-sur-Mer marina is just a few hundred metres from Nausicaá and proposes a 10 % reduction offered to yachtsmen who have an annual contract. You can therefore moor your boat there and come to the aquarium on foot.

What could be better than discovering a region by exploring it by bicycle? The Boulogne area does its best to welcome cyclists and make their lives easier thanks to its many cycle tracks and its bike parking facilities dotted around key sites. Cycle tourists can therefore park their bikes with complete peace of mind in the town centre, the fortified town and also at Boulogne-sur-Mer beach. You can come to Nausicaá by bike without the slightest problem before or after your escapade in town. The towns of Portel, Condette, Outreau and Wimereux also have a large number of bike parking facilities and tracks to allow their cyclist visitors to enjoy their car-free holiday to the best. Don't miss out on the magnicient Deux-Caps site, a must in the Boulogne area, which proposes a number of discovery trails by bicyle or on foot. Travelling without a car is an excellent way of soaking up the scenery and natural heritage of this magnificent region!