2015 Spa channel crossings

[phillpot]

Anyone booked anything yet?


I'm looking at Direct Ferries, Dover / Calais. This is coming in at £81.60

Outbound 21 May 14.45

Inbound 25 May 14.20


What do "the Team" think


ETA ... AA Routeplanner puts return journey as 200 miles, just over 3 hours by the most direct (Motorway) route.

Edited by phillpot on Tuesday 17th February 08:51

[Longers]

That's good news Mike - I'll not be arriving at the hotel until 21.30 so you can have a cold one waiting on the bar for me

I'm on the tunnel, 19.50 out on 21st and 13.50 back on 25th.

[glenrobbo]

phillpot said:

Anyone booked anything yet?


I'm looking at Direct Ferries, Dover / Calais. This is coming in at £81.60

Outbound 21 May 14.45

Inbound 25 May 14.20


What do "the Team" think


ETA ... AA Routeplanner puts return journey as 200 miles, just over 3 hours by the most direct (Motorway) route.

Mike,
I think you'll find that doesn't include 3 hours parked on the M25 and the new toll payment confusion at the Queen Elizabeth Thames Bridge crossing.
Joe and I are planning to stay on an extra day or two, perhaps visit Ypres and/or Bruges.
Anybody else up for that? If so, let us know quick so we can book hotel etc.

Longers, some of us are having trouble with the TMT website. Can't access payments, outstanding balance ( no options ) or their query facility. ( when you click on the query box, it just hides underneath the title banner.
It's not just me.....
So I'm just off to the bank to do a transfer..... it's the easy way for me.

[Alan461]

glenrobbo said:

Joe and I are planning to stay on an extra day or two, perhaps visit Ypres and/or Bruges.
Anybody else up for that? If so, let us know quick so we can book hotel etc.

Aye, that sounds like a good plan

[bluezeeland]

Hi Mike,

We'll be at Spa too, hope to meet !

Regarding Ypres; I've got a ready made tour on file (we hosted 2 years ago) which will take you from Nieuwpoort (Mouth of river Yzer) at the marina via Tyne Cot, Ypres, Kemmelberg, Cassel and so onwards to the Mway to Dunkirk/Calais (its a days tour, about 6/7 hours, dependent on stoppages at sites) Its in point and arrow format....

We won't be able to join on Monday after Spa, but your welcome to my files

If interested pm me

Frank

[v8s4me]

Thanks Frank

Alan461 said:

Aye, that sounds like a good plan

Great! Thats three of us then, so shall we try and get the dates firmed up so we can book ferries and hotels? Then if anyone else wants to join us they are welcome to and adjust their return plans as appropriate.

[TurboTony]

I am not going on the Spa trip but I have visited Ypres three times in the last couple of years.

I have a little guide book to the various WW1 memorials which you could borrow ( I could bring it to SCH) and have stayed in a couple of hotels there if you want any help.

[Scoobimax]

I've booked euro tunnel (only £10/£20 difference to DFDS)

21/05 outbound 16:20
25/05 return 13:50

Looking forward to this trip

Max

[glenrobbo]

The plans for our extension are almost finalised:

Monday 25th May, head for Brugge, stay overnight in hotel recommended by Tinks. ( For all we know, it could be a Mini caravan
Taxi into town to sample the delights of "the Venice of the North".
"I've never been there, but the brochure looks nice" - Allanis Morissett?

Tuesday 26th. nice leisurely breakfast, drive down to Ypres, visit the battle sites & cemeteries, ,explore the museums, attend the Menen Gate Last Post ceremony. Evening meal at a nice restaurant in the town, return to hotel for a nightcap.


Wed 27th. Another lovely breakfast, drive to our ferry / hole in the groundand return to dear old Blighty.

Anyone else fancy joining us?

[phillpot]

Excuse me, this is the "what ferry crossing thread", so far eight replies and non about ferries! ..... go start your own "extra days thread"

[v8s4me]

So that's us told then

[glenrobbo]

Ooooooh get him! :handbags:

We go a little bit OT, he goes completely OTT!

Phillpot, we can't decide on ferry times until we know what we're doing and when.

I'm off now to our new thread, so there! :flounce:

[glenrobbo]

phillpot said:

Anyone booked anything yet?


I'm looking at Direct Ferries, Dover / Calais. This is coming in at £81.60

Outbound 21 May 14.45

Inbound 25 May 14.20


What do "the Team" think

I think your 14:45 outbound sailing from Dover to Calais ( with DFDS I presume ) is perfick Mike.
It means we can get to the bar and drink all the beer before Longers & Co. arrive.
Fare comes up at £37.60 one way single on Direct Ferries website.


Return Ferry for us dirty stop-outs:

I'm looking at Dunkirk- Dover on Wednesday 27th May with DFDS again, sailing at 12 Noon, arrive Dover 13:00 hrs.
Price at the moment is £32.10, makes a total of £69.70 return.

I did look at returning via Le Tunnel but they wanted £85.80 of my beer money! The underground wombling bandits!
The price for speed these days is prohibitive.

Edited by glenrobbo on Thursday 19th February 14:10

[glenrobbo]

Booked as above ^^^^^

Now I'm off to the pub to celebrate & get some practise in

[v8s4me]

Ditto Glen

[v8s4me]

glenrobbo said:

...It means we can get to the bar and drink all the beer before Longers & Co. arrive.......

Reality check here boys. The hotel is in France! If they have any bier at all it will be a bonus. Don't expect glasses, or your change in anything larger than 10c coins.

glenrobbo said:

... Dover on Wednesday 27th May with DFDS again, sailing at 12 Noon, arrive Dover 13:00 hrs...Price at the moment is £32.10, makes a total of £69.70 return.....

Mine was £71.20. They probably logged my post-code and added a bit for the "Home Counties Supplement".

[glenrobbo]

v8s4me said:

Mine was £71.20. They probably logged my post-code and added a bit for the "Home Counties Supplement".

Yep, I paid that amount Joe.

When I originally checked the prices it was as single one-way fares.

When I revisited to book as a return package, the price had inexplicably rocketed by £1.50.

You would think it would be cheaper because of the saving in e-paper, but it seems not. What a rip-off eh? I blame the French.

[phillpot]

phillpot said:

I'm looking at Direct Ferries, Dover / Calais. This is coming in at £81.60

Outbound 21 May 14.45

Inbound 25 May 14.20

Booked it and price is now just £58 on a P&O ferry

[glenrobbo]

phillpot said:

phillpot said:

I'm looking at Direct Ferries, Dover / Calais. This is coming in at £81.60

Outbound 21 May 14.45

Inbound 25 May 14.20

Booked it and price is now just £58 on a P&O ferry

So there's a £23.60 surcharge for the early booking discount?
Doesn't make much sense to me

Perhaps it's because the Euro has plummeted, and when we get there the beer will be €1.50 a demi-litre.....
If they've got any.

Edited coz the formatting went a bit wonky.

Edited by glenrobbo on Tuesday 3rd March 11:29

[SJS357]

Yep.
Booked at £58

Outbound 21 May 14.45
Inbound 25 May 14.20

Cheers Mike.