Calais hovercraft port

Costing £600,000 and opened on the 1st April 1969, Calais hoverport was located just north-east of the ferry terminal at Calais, France. The Dover to Calais cross channel route is the quickest way to cross the channel between two populated and easily accessible areas, at 24 miles (40 km). Dover to Calais is not the shortest distance between England and France, however, as (with the exception of the Channel Islands), the closest points to each other in England and France are the tip of the Admiralty Pier, Dover and Cap Gris-Nez respectively, just south-west of Calais, with a distance of 19.91 miles (32.04 km). However, Cap Gris-Nez is merely a headland, and therefore not accessible for traffic.