Ferries again...
Discussion
Just been considering my travel arrangements and wondered if I could get an opinion (still being a relative newbie to Le Mans planning!)
I need to be there by early evening on the Wednesday (ideally at the track by say 6pm latest, earlier is fine) and I'd like to leave before most people get up on the Monday. I don't really want to get up at silly o'clock either morning (I'm only two hours from Dover), so I was thinking sailing at roughly midday on the way out and something like 1pm on the way back?
Specifically looking at ferries, Seafrance seems to be the best so far:
Out 11:25 BST (arr 13:40 CET) - £30
Back 13:10 CET (arr 13:40 BST) - £30
(As far as I can see there are no extra taxes or anything, so it's £60 in total - half the price of the tunnel)
Okay, the journey out might put me a little close to rush hour (checking in about an hour beforehand would mean I'd have to leave around 8am I reckon from North London), but it's not silly early. Likewise I figure I should be able to do the French leg in a relatively relaxed 4.5 hours if I leave before the race traffic builds up on the way back. That'd mean leaving about 7:30, which is fine.
What do you rekcon? All sound logical?
...Don't suppose anyone has any promotional codes for Seafrance? I did do a search to no avail.
I need to be there by early evening on the Wednesday (ideally at the track by say 6pm latest, earlier is fine) and I'd like to leave before most people get up on the Monday. I don't really want to get up at silly o'clock either morning (I'm only two hours from Dover), so I was thinking sailing at roughly midday on the way out and something like 1pm on the way back?
Specifically looking at ferries, Seafrance seems to be the best so far:
Out 11:25 BST (arr 13:40 CET) - £30
Back 13:10 CET (arr 13:40 BST) - £30
(As far as I can see there are no extra taxes or anything, so it's £60 in total - half the price of the tunnel)
Okay, the journey out might put me a little close to rush hour (checking in about an hour beforehand would mean I'd have to leave around 8am I reckon from North London), but it's not silly early. Likewise I figure I should be able to do the French leg in a relatively relaxed 4.5 hours if I leave before the race traffic builds up on the way back. That'd mean leaving about 7:30, which is fine.
What do you rekcon? All sound logical?
...Don't suppose anyone has any promotional codes for Seafrance? I did do a search to no avail.
Simply if you land in france at 1.40, you're not going to be off the ferry and on the road until 2pm at the earliest.. - 4 hours to get to Le Mans, and trackside is pushing it IMO - esp if there is any traffic, (which there will be around le mans i'd have said getting there at that sort of time 
)
)Rolls said:
Simply if you land in france at 1.40, you're not going to be off the ferry and on the road until 2pm at the earliest.. - 4 hours to get to Le Mans, and trackside is pushing it IMO - esp if there is any traffic, (which there will be around le mans i'd have said getting there at that sort of time )
Fair point. Never been on a ferry (at least not while I've been driving/planning the trip) and based it on driving straight off the tunnel. )Somehow I managed to completely avoid the traffic arriving around that time on Wednesday last year.
I don't have anywhere specific to be, and I probably won't bother heading to the track on Wednesday (I'm staying out in the sticks a few miles east of the circuit); I'm just aiming to be there in time to sort a couple of things out before grabbing some dinner.
The next earliest ferry departs 9:55, which means check-in 9am in round figures. That brings me closer to rush hour, so Enfield to Dover could easily be 3 hours, leaving at 6pm. Quite an early start for a long day.
Edited by Chris71 on Tuesday 4th May 17:21
Pc Pires said:
Off topic I know, but are you the owner of a 3 series already stickered up that I see whilst up your way??
Nope. In terms of vaguely 'PH' cars I've got a slightly tatty blue Caterham, but I'll be bringing a stickered up (otherwise very boring) silver Focus to Le Mans I'm afraid as it's partly a business trip and I need to carry a few bits. It seems I do have plans that evening now, so I think I'm going to opt for the earlier (9:55) Seafrance crossing.
By the time I'd stopped deliberating and actually gone to book it the Seafrance fares had shot up. b
ks, if only I'd done it before I left last night. As it was it was over £100 and hence approaching Eurotunnel levels. With that in mind I said sod it and decided to opt for shorter check-in times and a much shorter crossing. I'm now heading out at 10:50 on the 9th and returning on the 14th at 14:20 if anyone else finds themself on either of those.
Rolls said:
Simply if you land in france at 1.40, you're not going to be off the ferry and on the road until 2pm at the earliest.. - 4 hours to get to Le Mans, and trackside is pushing it IMO - esp if there is any traffic, (which there will be around le mans i'd have said getting there at that sort of time )
And Rouen, if you end up hitting that at around 4:30/5pm. )My recommendation would be to get an earlier ferry so that you can take it a bit easier, enjoy the drive, have a couple of stops on the way down, and not annoy plod.
E36GUY said:
Chris,
send me your email address and I will sort you out a special ferry code for Norfolk Line.
Appreciate the offer, but I went ahead and (perhaps somewhat hastily) booked myself in for the tunnel. send me your email address and I will sort you out a special ferry code for Norfolk Line.
Cost aside, I can't wait. Really looking forward to returning to Le Mans after my first trip last eyar. It's just a shame I don't have something a bit more interesting to travel down in.
James_N said:
I was just looking at crossings for the classic. Its £12.50 each way 
Who with? We haven't discussed our transport yet, and that does sound like a good deal.A word of warning about SeaFrance though - they may not be in existence by the time of Le Mans - http://lloydslist.com/ll/news/struggling-seafrance...
[quote=turbo-ww]£84 return in the tunnel for me - Wed to Sun./quote]
Really? When did you book?
Mine cost me over £140 for Wednesday to Monday (admittedly travelling at more or less peak times because I can't be arsed to get up early).
As for the ferries, I knew one of the companies was having problems, but I thought it was LD Lines not Seafrance, apparently I was wrong...
Really? When did you book?
Mine cost me over £140 for Wednesday to Monday (admittedly travelling at more or less peak times because I can't be arsed to get up early).
As for the ferries, I knew one of the companies was having problems, but I thought it was LD Lines not Seafrance, apparently I was wrong...
BoRED S2upid said:
bigdh79 said:
Thats interesting.... I'm booked on SeaFrance. Best check the travel insurance will cover it if they go tits up.
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