A discussion about crossing the channel

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Locky_McLockface
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A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Locky_McLockface »

I wondered what everyone's preferred method of cross-Channel transportation is.

As a frequent visitor to France, I have travelled Portsmouth - Cherbourg, Dover - Calais, Dover - Dunkirk and Folkestone - Calais on the train.

We're going twice this year. At Easter, we are travelling on the tunnel, whilst in the summer, and staying in Normandy, we are taking the Fastcat to Cherbourg.

If we're going anywhere other than north-west France (Normany, Brittany, Vendee), my preference has to be the tunnel. Much cheaper than Brittany Ferries, and much quicker than P&O/DFDS. My family & I have always said we'd never do a Dover ferry again, although we were forced to last summer, partly because of the immigrant situation, and partly because Eurocamp royally screwed up our tunnel booking. It broke up the journey quite nicely.

Overall, though, Eurotunnel is our preferred method.

What about you lot?
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Pompey1985
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Pompey1985 »

Plane but I live up north.
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Selsey Bill
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Selsey Bill »

Tunnel all day long for me. I'm going skiing with my family during half term week, along with three other families. We are all driving to the same resort in the French Alps. 2 families, including mine, are using the tunnel and the other two the ferry so that they can have a proper meal to set them up for the journey. Tight wad here taking sandwiches to eat on the go :)
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Portchester PFC
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Portchester PFC »

Tunnel for me, not that bad a drive to get there and easy enough to drive South from Calais. Saying that, I do enjoy the overnight ferry to St Malo.
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by BlueinPLtwenty »

We regularly travel to France. We live about 15 miles from the FerryPort in Plymouth, so Brittany Ferries to Roscoff is easiest for us. We have however over the years used most crossings to France including the Tunnel. Last year we did go from Portsmouth to Ouistreham on one occasion and back twice. We, from last year, belong to the `Brittany Ferries Club Voyage` which can give us up to 30% off a crossing. We saved more than the cost of joining on one trip in the summer. For us driving to the tunnel is over 300 miles each way. We prefer to drive in France, the roads are less congested outside large population areas. We are visiting Paris at Easter and will drive from Roscoff in Brittany (about 350 miles) after an overnight crossing from Plymouth. If you travel from Portsmouth to Ouistreham (Caen) the motorway system starts at the ring road around Caen. It`s 100 miles to the outskirts of Le Mans; 150 miles to Tours at 80 mph! Food for thought!
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by brian lewis »

I'm another regular visitor. If we're going for the weekend we'll use the tunnel as we'll be staying within 1.5 hour drive from Calais. The flexibility, i.e. turn up early at Folkestone get across early, is handy.However used the tunnel to start summer holiday last year... 'tunnel incident' delayed us for 3 hours. Not good. :(
Other than last year we always overnight to Caen/Le havre. Bit pricey I know but as we travel a long way south it gives us an early start frenchside. Return on an afternoon 'cruise' from the same ports.
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by BlueinPLtwenty »

Over the years we have also flown & hired a car in France. Although we have flown to Girona in Spain and driven up to where we were staying; in addition we have flown to Geneva several times. At Geneva Airport there are two points of arrival & departure, one in Switzerland the other in France. When hiring a car we choose the French side because it is less expensive for the same car. We have also flown to Nice, Marseille, Nimes, St Etienne, Paris CDG, Nantes & Beziers usually Ryanair or Easyjet; Flybee tend be be rather expensive ( be prepared to drive further to another Airport it can save you lots) If you watch for the offers you can fly for very little. When booking accomodation try the Gites-de-France website they seem to be much cheaper than the British Companies. Hotels tend to be less expensive in France, use Booking.com or the direct Hotel sites `Accorhotels` & Louvre Hotels which have a range of different priced & styled hotels. As you can deduce we have travelled tens of thousands of miles in France & Italy for that matter, if anybody wants any help or advice PM me please.
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Locky_McLockface »

Portchester PFC wrote: Saying that, I do enjoy the overnight ferry to St Malo.
We're wondering about going to the Dordogne next year, and my good lady wife is trying to persuade me that the overnight to St Malo is the best idea. My concern is not getting a decent night's sleep in a strange bed, then having a long drive south whilst still knackered.

That said, when we to the Vendee in 2014, and indeed Bavaria last year, we had to get up early (3am-ish), so hardly a decent night's kip then either.
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by BlueinPLtwenty »

[quote="the_lock_man"][quote="Portchester PFC"] Saying that, I do enjoy the overnight ferry to St Malo.[/quote]

We're wondering about going to the Dordogne next year, and my good lady wife is trying to persuade me that the overnight to St Malo is the best idea. My concern is not getting a decent night's sleep in a strange bed, then having a long drive south whilst still knackered.

That said, when we to the Vendee in 2014, and indeed Bavaria last year, we had to get up early (3am-ish), so hardly a decent night's kip then either.[/quote]

If you are not happy about sleeping on the Ferry, take the afternoon Ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, drive to a hotel on the outskirts of Caen. The following morning drive south on the motorway system south to Poitiers, then take the turning towards Angouleme [which is either motorway or dual carriage way]. From there depending where you are in the Dordogne take the appropriate route to Nontron onwards

.http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes?

You will get a good nights sleep, it will be less expensive for the hotel than the cabin on board and the Ferry crossing will be cheaper. Distance wise there is very little in it
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Number 1 Jasper »

I walk across .
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Re: A discussion about crossing the channel

Post by Lost in Transportation »

Number 1 Jasper wrote:I walk across .
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