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Voykit pocket guide · France
Montreuil-sur-Mer
Half a day is enough to walk the ramparts and see the citadelle; one night if you want to explore the chocolate workshop or use it as a base for the Opal Coast.
Montreuil-sur-Mer is a small walled town on a hill in Hauts-de-France, famous as the setting for Victor Hugo's Les Misérables and as the British GHQ during WWI. Its main draw is the 16th-century citadelle and the rampart walk with views over the Canche valley. Most visitors spend a few hours here on a day trip from Boulogne, Le Touquet or Arras.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (cold, many places closed)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- Police 17 · Fire and ambulance 18 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–3 |
| Baguette sandwich | €5–8 |
| Restaurant lunch (plat du jour) | €12–18 |
| Beer (pint) | €5–7 |
| Citadelle entry | €7.50 (check) |
| Chocolate workshop tour | €2.80 (check) |
| Parking in the centre | €1.50–2 per hour |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LTQ · Le Touquet–Côte d'Opale
- About 20 min by taxi; limited flights
- BVA · Beauvais–Tillé
- About 1.5 h by car; budget airlines
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- About 2.5 h by car or train via Lille
Typical fares
- Le Touquet airport → Montreuil
- about €25–35 by taxi, 20 min (check)
- Boulogne → Montreuil by car
- about 25 min via A16
- Parking in the centre
- €1.50–2 per hour
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The historic centre is compact and walkable. For the chocolate workshop at Beussent you need a car or a taxi.
See and do
Known for
- Citadelle and ramparts
- Victor Hugo connection (Les Misérables)
- British WWI headquarters
- Saturday market
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Le Touquet | Car via D940, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| Boulogne-sur-Mer | Car via A16, about 25 min | About 30 min |
| Calais | Car via A16, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Arras | Car via A16 and A26, about 1 h 10 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Amiens | Car via A16, about 1 h 20 min | About 1 h 30 min |
| Lille | Car via A16 and A25, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 40 min |
Sleep
- Within the ramparts
- Historic centre; most hotels and B&Bs are here.
- Outside the walls
- Cheaper options along the D150; you'll need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbohn-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| How much? | Combien ?kohm-byen |
| Where is the citadelle? | Où est la citadelle ?oo ay la see-ta-dell |
| I would like… | Je voudrais…zhuh voo-dray |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-syon, seel voo play |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Ramparts have no guardrails: keep children close and avoid after dark.
- Parking in the centre fills up on market day (Saturday).
- Many restaurants close on Sunday and Monday outside summer.
Montreuil-sur-Mer is very safe. The only real risk is the unguarded ramparts: watch your step, especially with children or after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Montreuil-sur-Mer yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Citadelle and ramparts
- Victor Hugo connection (Les Misérables)
- British WWI headquarters
- Saturday market
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Montreuil-sur-Mer (official): www.ville-montreuil-sur-mer.fr
- Wikivoyage: Montreuil-sur-Mer, revision 4888323 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4888323
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Montreuil-sur-Mer
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has an embassy in Paris; the nearest consulate is in Lille (check). Other nationalities: check your embassy in Paris.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/montreuil-sur-mer). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.