First time taking the ferry to France then to the Pyrenees
Discussion
Planning a solo trip for early October and although I’ve driven in Europe many, many times, I have never taken the ferry and have never been to the Pyrenees.
Curious as to what the process is when boarding? Last time at the tunnel in April there was no EES checks. What’s the deal at Portsmouth now? Are all checks done from your car like at the tunnel or do you park up and go somewhere else?
Would you bother getting a cabin for a 6 hour crossing or are there enough distractions on the ferry to stay occupied?
I’m thinking priority entry/exit for the car and a WiFi package or is there 4/5g in the channel?
Haven’t chosen overnight stops or sights to see on the way yet so any recommendations appreciated.
Curious as to what the process is when boarding? Last time at the tunnel in April there was no EES checks. What’s the deal at Portsmouth now? Are all checks done from your car like at the tunnel or do you park up and go somewhere else?
Would you bother getting a cabin for a 6 hour crossing or are there enough distractions on the ferry to stay occupied?
I’m thinking priority entry/exit for the car and a WiFi package or is there 4/5g in the channel?
Haven’t chosen overnight stops or sights to see on the way yet so any recommendations appreciated.
Just done Portsmouth to Santander and then across the bottom of France. Now by the coast at Perpignan
Portsmouth - no EES and just a simple check in, security and on to the boat. We were towing so bottom deck.
Santander - because the port does not have two exit /loading ramps the upper deck could not unload until the lower deck was clear. That will take 45 mins. A few priority cars with us. Then it’s to 15 portacabins, well managed and you are directed to which one is free, park, jump out scan passport, finger prints and photo, then back to car and head for security. We were not stopped and waved through, so straight out to the motorway.
As the crossing for us was 33 hours a cabin was needed.
Portsmouth - no EES and just a simple check in, security and on to the boat. We were towing so bottom deck.
Santander - because the port does not have two exit /loading ramps the upper deck could not unload until the lower deck was clear. That will take 45 mins. A few priority cars with us. Then it’s to 15 portacabins, well managed and you are directed to which one is free, park, jump out scan passport, finger prints and photo, then back to car and head for security. We were not stopped and waved through, so straight out to the motorway.
As the crossing for us was 33 hours a cabin was needed.
Sounds like you're planning to cross to Caen. In order to get priority disembarkation you need to book a premium cabin. If you're doing an "overnight" crossing, then you really need a cabin. If you're crossing in the day then you can manage without. However, for October this year, you'll be very lucky if there are any premium cabins available.
If you're going to Caen, which is France, then AFAIK there is no EES there yet. If you are going to Spain, then it is as described above.
If you're going to Caen, which is France, then AFAIK there is no EES there yet. If you are going to Spain, then it is as described above.
omniflow said:
Sounds like you're planning to cross to Caen. In order to get priority disembarkation you need to book a premium cabin. If you're doing an "overnight" crossing, then you really need a cabin. If you're crossing in the day then you can manage without. However, for October this year, you'll be very lucky if there are any premium cabins available.
If you're going to Caen, which is France, then AFAIK there is no EES there yet. If you are going to Spain, then it is as described above.
Caen or Cherbourg would work. Thought about Spain on the way home but I ll try 6 hours on a ferry before committing to 30+If you're going to Caen, which is France, then AFAIK there is no EES there yet. If you are going to Spain, then it is as described above.
Edit to say I checked the Brittany Ferry site and for Caen it allow to book priority disembarkation as a stand alone at £15 e/w
Edited by DeuceDeuce on Wednesday 19th August 18:58
France trip veteran here - 3 or 4 trips per year for the past umpteen years, away again on Sept 6th for a few weeks.
If you've never been before, both Caen-Ouistreham and Cherbourg are easy to drive out from. Le Havre, Roscoff and St.-Malo slightly less so, but still not difficult. Cherbourg is the shortest crossing.
Cabin - overnight or early morning crossing, definitely.
If you've driven a distance to get to Portsmouth for an early crossing, a cabin gives a chance for an undisturbed kip to catch up.
Mid-day crossing probably not (we have Club Voyage membership so we get mostly free cabins anyway, but had many years without this bonus).
WiFi on board isn't brilliant, we never bother. Coming out of Portsmouth, there is 4G/5G all the way down the Solent until the Isle of Wight is out of sight, then a few hours of peace/eating/music or podcasts on headphones until mainland France is within sight. Be careful to turn mobile data OFF when you get to sea or the Maritime Internet will kick in and potentially cost a fortune.
Our usual stop-off point from Caen or Cherbourg for coffee or lunch (depending on timing) is Bain-de-Bretagne which has some nice cafes, boulangeries and restaurants. The E3/N137 runs a long way South through France and quite easy to follow.
Hotels en route that we have used include the Campanile at Le Mans Sud, Arnage (basic, cheap, nice lakeside setting), Hotel Kyriad Saumur Centre (city centre, parking outside), Le Coligny at Brantome (lovely historic town with a good selection of restaurants) and (on the way back up to Cherbourg) Logis Hotel de la Croix D'Or at Avranches.
If you've never been before, both Caen-Ouistreham and Cherbourg are easy to drive out from. Le Havre, Roscoff and St.-Malo slightly less so, but still not difficult. Cherbourg is the shortest crossing.
Cabin - overnight or early morning crossing, definitely.
If you've driven a distance to get to Portsmouth for an early crossing, a cabin gives a chance for an undisturbed kip to catch up.
Mid-day crossing probably not (we have Club Voyage membership so we get mostly free cabins anyway, but had many years without this bonus).
WiFi on board isn't brilliant, we never bother. Coming out of Portsmouth, there is 4G/5G all the way down the Solent until the Isle of Wight is out of sight, then a few hours of peace/eating/music or podcasts on headphones until mainland France is within sight. Be careful to turn mobile data OFF when you get to sea or the Maritime Internet will kick in and potentially cost a fortune.
Our usual stop-off point from Caen or Cherbourg for coffee or lunch (depending on timing) is Bain-de-Bretagne which has some nice cafes, boulangeries and restaurants. The E3/N137 runs a long way South through France and quite easy to follow.
Hotels en route that we have used include the Campanile at Le Mans Sud, Arnage (basic, cheap, nice lakeside setting), Hotel Kyriad Saumur Centre (city centre, parking outside), Le Coligny at Brantome (lovely historic town with a good selection of restaurants) and (on the way back up to Cherbourg) Logis Hotel de la Croix D'Or at Avranches.
If we are doing any day crossings from St. Malo or Caen, we always get a cabin. There not expensive and it gives you the chance to have a sleep and properly refresh.
On the night sailings, I never sleep that well in the cabins so would typically limit my next day driving to 300 miles. This isn’t bad as it allows you to get as far as mid west France from St. Malo.
On the night sailings, I never sleep that well in the cabins so would typically limit my next day driving to 300 miles. This isn’t bad as it allows you to get as far as mid west France from St. Malo.
We usually overnight ferry to/from Portsmouth but this spring we did day ferries each way. We didn't have a cabin on the way out and regretted it, booked one for the return trip and slept most of the way back. Even booking reserved seats would give somewhere you could relax a bit.
I'd question the value of priority boarding/disembarking at a time I imagine the ferries are pretty quiet anyway; we were on the outbound ferry about two minutes after the first people and third out of the gate on the other end. If it's an afternoon ferry to Caen the B&B Hotel Ouistreham is convenient and automated so getting into your room is a breeze, perfect when tired.
I'd question the value of priority boarding/disembarking at a time I imagine the ferries are pretty quiet anyway; we were on the outbound ferry about two minutes after the first people and third out of the gate on the other end. If it's an afternoon ferry to Caen the B&B Hotel Ouistreham is convenient and automated so getting into your room is a breeze, perfect when tired.
DeuceDeuce said:
I'll try 6 hours on a ferry before committing to 30+
The Spain crossings are nice, take a good book and relax. I prefer the crossing from Plymouth as it is only 24hr. I've seen whales from the deck at dawn and for me the Bay of Biscay has always been calm, though can be spicy I hear!tog said:
DeuceDeuce said:
I'll try 6 hours on a ferry before committing to 30+
The Spain crossings are nice, take a good book and relax. I prefer the crossing from Plymouth as it is only 24hr. I've seen whales from the deck at dawn and for me the Bay of Biscay has always been calm, though can be spicy I hear!DeuceDeuce said:
Thanks for the replies. Very helpful. Will get a cheap cabin and pass on the WiFi. It ll be the 8am Portsmouth to Caen crossing.
I m taking the 08.00 Portsmouth-Caen in a couple of weeks. After considering cabin or not, I decided not and to try their CClub lounge for £36 on the basis that it includes some food and drink and I can hopefully nap in the decent-looking seats. Will update after my trip!Rob 131 Sport said:
Haven t travelled on Brittany Ferries for 3 years. What is the food like now. In my experience going back 20 years the food was always good.
Mostly bloody lovely. We eat onboard almost every trip. Fish & chips - excellent. Pork fricasee - tasty. Beef Bourgingnon - lush. Chicken curry - gorgeous.
Not sure on return.littleredrooster said:
...not in our experience - the last one was a 'definitely never again' trip. I'm a good sailor (SWMBO isn't...) and I've never felt so ill, complete lack of sleep, neither of us could eat. Dreadful. I'd far rather drive down through France.
In the early 80s I took a ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg, Denmark (doesn't run anymore, which is a shame). Winter and a hell of a stormy sea.Didn't bother me, to my surprise, so had my evening meal and a few beers before retiring to my cabin shared with 3 strangers.
I was thrown around my cot all night and once dawn came and the sea had settled I ventured out for breakfast.
There were piles of sawdust everywhere soaking up liquids and you had to mind where you stepped.
Breakfast was very Scandinavian, lots of fish and oaty cereals. I tucked in with relish and commented to the guy I was sharing the table with that this stuff was delicious.
He looked at me, went puce and ran off to throw up.
Nought to do with this thread but your mention of the stormy Bay of Biscay just brought back the memory
I've done the Spain to Canaries ferry, 2 days each way, in the winter and that can get stormy but luckily it was plain sailing going down and just a bit of a swell on the way back.
It's a very institutionalised crossing. You are put in Grupo Uno, or Grupo Dos, and you are called to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
I was in Group 2 but quickly learned that I had to sneak into Group 1 in order to get the better food that was not cold
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff