Calais to Bruges by Car: Route, Tolls and Arrival

By The Travel Fieldbook October 5, 2026 October 7, 2026

The Belfry stands above Bruges’s historic centre. (Gotta Be Worth It · Pexels License · Edited)

From Calais, the onward drive to Bruges follows the A16 and E40 via Dunkirk and Veurne, with an underground arrival at ‘t Zand before you continue on foot. If you already have a car, driving keeps luggage together and avoids several train changes.

Calais Town Hall and Bruges’ Market Square are the central reference points here. Your Channel crossing comes before this journey. If you arrive at a terminal, join the motorway from there rather than detouring through central Calais.

Driving or taking the train

Taking your existing car from Calais Town Hall to the Market Square

Pros

Drive about 114 km to ‘t Zand in about an hour and a quarter, then walk about 750 metres in about 10 minutes. Combined travelling time: about an hour and a half, before rest stops, congestion and parking.
Keep luggage and children’s equipment in the car rather than carrying them between platforms.
Budget roughly €12–20 one way for fuel per car, assuming consumption of 6–8 litres/100 km and fuel at €1.70–2.00/litre.

Cons

You still have to drive after the crossing, find a parking space and pay for parking in addition to fuel.
Rail lets you avoid further driving: walk about 5 minutes to Calais Ville; take SNCF TER to Lille Flandres in about an hour and a quarter, then the SNCB/SNCF cross-border service to Kortrijk, averaging 37 minutes; continue by SNCB IC to Bruges in about an hour and a quarter, changing at Ghent St Peter’s; walk about 20 minutes to the Market Square.
Rail means changes at Lille Flandres, Kortrijk and Ghent St Peter’s. Travelling time is about 3 and a half hours before boarding and connection waits.

Choose rail if avoiding another drive matters more than keeping your belongings together. For an evening journey, leave time to board and change trains at each interchange rather than combining the departures below into a late connection to Bruges.

The A16 and E40 route

From Calais Town Hall, head for the A16 towards Dunkirk, then continue onto the E40 through Belgium via Veurne. The French A16 and Belgian E40 labels describe the continuing motorway journey, not a change that requires leaving the road at the border.

If you are arriving through the LeShuttle terminal at Coquelles, join the A16 towards Dunkirk directly from the terminal approach. Vehicles leaving the Port of Calais ferry terminal also join the A16 towards Dunkirk. Neither arrival requires a visit to Calais Town Hall.

The Eurotunnel Shuttle terminal building at Coquelles, with the Cité Europe shopping centre behind it. — The Eurotunnel Shuttle terminal at Coquelles, near Calais.
*DimiTalen · CC0 · Edited*

For the Bruges approach, take E40 exit 8, signed Brugge (Bruges), onto the N31, then the Brugge turnoff onto Bevrijdingslaan towards ‘t Zand. Stay with the car-park approach rather than aiming for the Market Square itself.

Allow a rest after the crossing if you are tired, and leave room for congestion on the approach to Bruges. The moving time is not a guaranteed arrival time. If you are still choosing your crossing, getting to Bruges from the UK covers the earlier part of the journey.

Tolls and road signs

On the A16/E40 route just described, an ordinary passenger car pays no motorway toll between Calais and Bruges. The French A16 toll at Herquelingue, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, is south of Calais, not on this northbound drive. Belgium’s kilometre charge applies to heavy goods vehicles, not ordinary passenger cars.

Fuel and destination parking remain separate costs even though the motorway route is toll-free. You do not need to leave the continuing motorway for a separate border stop.

Drive on the right in both France and Belgium. Speed signs use kilometres per hour. On direction signs, Dunkerque means Dunkirk. Follow Veurne and then Brugge towards the final approach. Stay on the continuing motorway as its numbering changes across the border.

‘t Zand and the walk to the centre

‘t Zand initial period: First hour free
Charging unit thereafter: Quarter-hour
Normal visitor tariff, 2 hours: €4.30
Daily cap: €17.10, reached at 8 hours; unchanged through 24 hours

From Bevrijdingslaan, the underground Centrum ‘t Zand car park gives you a place to leave the car before exploring the historic centre on foot. After the third set of traffic lights, its entrance is about 200 metres ahead, via the tunnel under Koning Albertlaan. Ordinary visiting passenger cars can use this approach.

Bruges has no low-emission-zone requirement for private cars, but that does not give you unrestricted access to its central streets.

Once parked, continue to the Market Square on foot for the Belfry and the square’s historic buildings. Take what you need for the visit and leave bulky luggage in the car if you are returning to it. A central hotel has its own final walk and may require the access arrangements above.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: key figures, services, and fares and charges.