help! ferry information

[wishbone]

Need help we are off to france end of feb for a reci of Aquitaine area looking for a new house and possible mooring for 40'yacht, we are escaping gordon at long last....travling down from yorkshire whats the best ferry route from and to. ....Noooo not the chunnel the only time I like being under water is with me scuba gear!
Many thanks

 

[FullCircle]

My vote goes to the tiddlers in Dover, Speedferries.com
Its a Cat which is speedy, goes to Boulogne, which is nicer than Calais, and doesn't charge stupid amounts for their Tea and (good) sandwiches. In addition to this, they have a fixed low fare strategy of between 50 -110 quid return including 5 people and a car, for more than 5 days.
We have used it, and it comes recommended.


Jim

 

[Sybarite]

I used to go regularly to London on business by car and always took the overnight boat from Le Havre - Portsmouth.

Advantages : You get a proper night's sleep getting on the boat at approx 10 pm and arriving at 6 - 7 am. There was a good restaurant on board too. You can get a suite with double bed, bathroom, TV and breakfast in bed and it is (was) cheaper than flying and the Eurostar (maybe not anymore).

Le Havre means an hours less drive to the Paris area rather than by going via Calais and it's quicker to get from London to Portsmouth than to Dover on the other side.

John

 

[Sea Devil]

I used to use the ferries a lot every year for years - now with the cheap airlines it is frequently cheaper - less tiring - more user friendly to fly close to where you want to be and rent a car for a week or two. (steering wheel on the correct side)


Remember the cost of the ferry trip - petrol if you come the short dover - calais route or the £60 cabin for two overnight! ~Then the cost of paege (road tolls) and the extra hotels and meals - I nearly always end up flying either Ryan air or flybi....

 

[Cornishman]

From where you are to where you are going I would think Plymouth - Roscoff by Brittany Ferries (big new ships lately) would make more sense. Motorway and dual carriageway all the way to Plymouth and you disembark a lot nearer to SW France.
pm me if I can be of further help

 

[jonjo]

There is a middle option via the Portsmouth St Malo route. According to the journey times estimated at www.theAA.co.uk the Plymouth Roscoff route adds an extra 1 hour and 20 minutes on both the English and French sides.

 

[Sybarite]

On further investigation - using Bordeaux as the destination :

Le Havre 726 km typical driving time 7h04
Roscoff 669 km 6h53
Ouistreham 659 km 6h28
Cherbourg 694 km 6h55
St Malo 534 km 5h23

The advantge of St Malo is that you also have a relaxed 10.5h overnight passage and so, if the dates suit, this is probably your best option if driving. All depends then on the time spent in getting to a channel port on your side.

The péages can add up to 45 euros depending on your route.

http://www.wanadoo.fr/bin/frame.cgi?service=utile_et_pratique&u=http://wanadoo.mappy.com/accueil

John

 

[Cornishman]

Further to my suggestion above, there is a regular Plymouth - Santander ferry also operated by Brittany Ferries, and the Express Route to Bordeaux is only 436 km! I have not used this service, but others who have speak very highly of it. Takes about 24 hours I believe, but you do arrive totally refreshed.

 

[DreamyLady]

Peage only 23 Euros from Roscoff or St Malo all the way to Spanish border. Probably no more than 15 Euro to Bordeaux.