Free buses to go to the beach all this summer in Pas-de-Calais

Every summer, the Pas-de-Calais department sets up the “Summer Wednesdays” operation. It is a system that allows residents of communities far from the coast to fully enjoy the pleasures of the beach thanks to free coaches.

On the Aire-sur-la-Lys square, around fifty people are waiting for the bus. Parasol, cooler, folding chairs or racket games, they have all the equipment to spend a day at the sea. It’s normal, it’s Wednesday and like every Wednesday, they go to the beach thanks to the transport service free set up by the Pas-de-Calais department. The operation is called “Summer Wednesdays”. It allows residents of municipalities located inland to go to the coast.

Alice came with her cousin and their five children. Destination of the day: Berck-sur-Mer. “It’s the first time I’ve been to Berck!” enthuses the mother. “We have already been to Wimereux and Le Touquet, but this will be a discovery.” Régine, for her part, has been a loyal customer for years. This retiree who no longer dares to use her car for long journeys has found the right compromise to go to the beach despite everything. “It’s our vacation, one day a week.”

The “Summer Wednesdays” operation has now existed for 10 years. “We realized that people did not go on vacation, did not go to the sea step by step, some even discovered the sea“, explains Jean-Claude Dissaux, the vice-president in charge of transport at the department. “Thanks to this system, they are taken care of in their community and are taken directly to the beach. This is still an advantage. It also saves fuel because they do not take their car. Some elderly people do not Sometimes they can no longer afford to drive and they are very happy to have this mode of transport.“

Every summer, nearly 13,000 people use these coaches. All generations use it: retirees, families, young groups of friends. Fourteen itineraries are offered every Wednesday from around thirty towns in Pas-de-Calais and the destination changes every week, the opportunity to discover a new seaside resort on the Opal Coast each time. The pleasure of the sea without the inconvenience of driving, fatigue or parking problems.

On the coach, everyone keeps busy in their own way: playing cards, knitting or simply resting. An hour and a half journey later: Berck, finally! Alice’s children rush to the sand to build their first castle. Alice is amazed by the long stretch of sand. A Wednesday at the seaside with a holiday taste.

Summer Wednesdays continue until August 21. To take advantage of it, simply register until the day before departure on the Pas-de-Calais department website.