I spoke to P&O on Saturday, the Hull Zeebrugge crossing was in fact £279...hey ho. we'll enjoy.
Ireland to France is silly money, I know.
Well we can have a reasonable nights sleep, some nice food, decent bottle of Fizz from our local wine retailer in Ilkley (they are the sole importers of Claude Cazals Vintage BRUT in the region). Well worth going to their vineyard nr Epernay at Mesnil St Pierre.
------------- CAT
Favourite site:
Camping Nanzel, Limone, Lake
Garda..perfect for MTB, Kayak, SUP and fell running training.
Favourite areas: Provence, French Alps, Savigny (as a stop over for Southern France: Rhein valley as a stop over for Italy. 78
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We are on Pompey - Caen overnight on Friday night returning a couple of weeks later on the Sat night crossing.
Arm and 2 legs but did it last year and well worth it.
I posted about this a couple of months ago. In the end it is about personal choice and whether you can and are prepared to pay for your preference.
I would do Hull - Zeebrugge definately if we were travelling down the east side of France. I am happy to do the short crossing if the timings work and that's what we choose.
We do the overnight ferry as it breaks the journey nicely, we can keep moving while sleeping so no time wasted there then! If going to the western side of France then the western crossings save you driving time and this end, in my own experience, Pompey is easier to reach from Yorkshire than Dover. You still have to factor in 5 - 6 hrs of Uk driving but it may take less than 4 to any of the south coast ports from us.
It's also an ever changing dynamic with our kids as they get older - at the moment a 5+ hr drive in the UK followed by overnight ferry and then between 5-7 hr drive in France works. We stay rooted for 2 weeks and then reverse the journey. That wasn't the case a few years ago and probably won't be the case in another few years.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I don't think the prices for Hull-Rotterdam are too bad if you book well in advance. But I guess its the same for all ferry routes, the earlier you book, the cheaper.
------------- Marieke
--------------------------------
De Waard Jan van Gent, Goudplevier and Tweestoks Stern
www.dewaardforum.nl
We did exactly the same as grumpysimon this year. I don't like driving all that much so it definitely is not part of the holiday. (I like flying even less which is why we don't go to the Costa Packet or anywhere else as salubrious.)
Looks like we may break even here........instead of Brugge, Lille, Dijon, Geneva,Chatel. Plan B is Brugge, Luxembourg (cheaper petrol than France), Brussels, Metz, Nancy, Besancon, Lausanne, Montreux, Chatel: Cheaper petroluem, fewer toll charges, and possible a more scenic route through the Jura.
Hey ho...in an ideal world we would have booked February, but one cannot book anything until one knows one can have the time off work. Unfortunately we rely on employment to fund these trips.
Thursday is blast off, lets hope we leave the rain behind in the UK.
------------- CAT
Favourite site:
Camping Nanzel, Limone, Lake
Garda..perfect for MTB, Kayak, SUP and fell running training.
Favourite areas: Provence, French Alps, Savigny (as a stop over for Southern France: Rhein valley as a stop over for Italy. 78
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Hi BobCat: good luck with the holiday. Not long to go now for us either ... 12 days and counting ...
Have you done that route down to the Alps before? I did it last year in reverse and found it a bit knackering. You're right on the cheap tolls front so that's all good, but something I hadn't factored in was that the Belgians drive like nutters (apologies to all Belgians out there). It felt like driving on the M25 for hundreds & hundreds of miles - I actually quite like driving on the M25, but I'd really had enough of it after a few hours. If you're up for it though I'd say you can definitely save a few pennies going this way.
I have to agree with bobcat, we live 40 min from Hull ferries and I have just come back from doing Luxembourg, Germany and France (2500 miles total) and we crossed at Dover, if I crossed at Hul the ferry for 2 adults, 2 children, car and van was going to be just over £600 before you add food, crossing at dover was £160.....
I used £100 on fuel, stoped over night at CC Black horse camp site £36 and a meal out £40 - total £176
thats a £264 saving, that could be spent on the rest of the holiday or a service for the car + tyres...lol
what really gets me is that when you land in europe there is only 30/40 mins between the ports so there is nothing to be gained on the other side.....
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Ferry Crossing Costs
... 12 days and counting ...
