Honestly believe that BF are shooting themselves in the foot with their pricing and timetables for the Poole - Cherbourg sailings next summer.
Just been online to book with them and am now thinking that Dover to Calais or Eurotunnel maybe a better option.
Car + caravan, outward sailing 14/08/23 and return two weeks later is £711 (that's more than £100 than I paid this year, then to make matters worse, the return sailing leaves Cherbourg at 1815 and socks in Poole at 2145, (that's 1hr 15 mins later than it was this year) by the time you clear customs, you're probably looking at getting on the road at 2300hrs, no chance of finding a camp site for the night, so if you live in the Midlands or further north you have a choice of a) sleeping on the port. b) driving through the night or c) sleeping in a layby or service station.
Needless to say, I'm pretty certain I won't be traveling BF next summer
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Have a look at Newhaven Dieppe as an alternative. Especially if you are over 60 as you get a 20% discount on crossings if you phone the given telephone number. We paid just £112 RETURN for each of our two crossings this year - no caravan as we store in France.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 08/11/2023
The problem of late arrival could surely be sorted out either by staying in a Club site's late arrival area or pre arranging with a CL or CS?
However the complaint seems to be focussed on the cost of using BF.I can remember paying under £600 for the crossing with a twin axle and 3 dogs plus two humans and that was about 6 years ago.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I can’t help with costs, but all sorts of variations of timing are possible if you look at homeward crossings on other BrittanyFerries routes - for example returning from Cherbourg toPortsmouth rather than to Poole . Or consider whether returning from Caen or StMalo would suit you better. Mix and match.
We have used Poole to Cherbourg for quite a few years now, I don't ever recall docking back in Poole any earlier than 10pm. Timings look the same to me. As for options once docked - we have a peaceful traffic free drive back to the Midlands at that time of night - another reason for us to use that crossing. Friends who live further north park up by the customs shed and get an early morning departure or they have in the past booked a CL as Mrs Bonce suggests.
Price wise it's either something you accept or go elsewhere as Val says try Newhaven.
------------- Grahame
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quote: Originally posted by jaiash on 08/11/2023
We have used Poole to Cherbourg for quite a few years now, I don't ever recall docking back in Poole any earlier than 10pm. Timings look the same to me. As for options once docked - we have a peaceful traffic free drive back to the Midlands at that time of night - another reason for us to use that crossing. Friends who live further north park up by the customs shed and get an early morning departure or they have in the past booked a CL as Mrs Bonce suggests.
Price wise it's either something you accept or go elsewhere as Val says try Newhaven.
We travelled with them a few years ago and the sailing time from Cherbourg was 1530hrs, the departure time this summer was 1700hrs and next year it is 1815hrs
I travelled back this summer in June and September and the departure time 1815,I have used this Xing for the last 20+ years at least twice a year and I can never recall it leaving at 1530!
saxo1
Quote: Originally posted by Paul and Nikki on 08/11/2023
Quote: Originally posted by jaiash on 08/11/2023
We have used Poole to Cherbourg for quite a few years now, I don't ever recall docking back in Poole any earlier than 10pm. Timings look the same to me. As for options once docked - we have a peaceful traffic free drive back to the Midlands at that time of night - another reason for us to use that crossing. Friends who live further north park up by the customs shed and get an early morning departure or they have in the past booked a CL as Mrs Bonce suggests.
Price wise it's either something you accept or go elsewhere as Val says try Newhaven.
We travelled with them a few years ago and the sailing time from Cherbourg was 1530hrs, the departure time this summer was 1700hrs and next year it is 1815hrs
August 27th this year departure was 18.15. (we were on it).
I too would find that one ship a day arrival time at Poole inconvenient, but Brittany Ferries has ships arriving at Portsmouth at 0615, 0700, 1330, 1600, 1820, 1930 , and 2130 on their various routes. Plenty of choice of timing, but sadly all are expensive.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Pre-Brexit when the government was booking ferries for freight space, BF changed the return time of the Cherbourg to Poole ferry, arriving in Poole around 7pm, leaving about 3.30pm, which was so much better for us. Unfortunately they changed the timings back again once the crisis had passed.
Quote: Originally posted by Paul and Nikki on 08/11/2023
Quote: Originally posted by jaiash on 08/11/2023
We have used Poole to Cherbourg for quite a few years now, I don't ever recall docking back in Poole any earlier than 10pm. Timings look the same to me. As for options once docked - we have a peaceful traffic free drive back to the Midlands at that time of night - another reason for us to use that crossing. Friends who live further north park up by the customs shed and get an early morning departure or they have in the past booked a CL as Mrs Bonce suggests.
Price wise it's either something you accept or go elsewhere as Val says try Newhaven.
We travelled with them a few years ago and the sailing time from Cherbourg was 1530hrs, the departure time this summer was 1700hrs and next year it is 1815hrs
August 27th this year departure was 18.15. (we were on it).
Odd as this is the copy and paste of our sailing two days later
Depart:
29 Aug 2023, 17:00, Cherbourg
Arrive:
29 Aug 2023, 20:30, Poole
Also looked at our summer 2019 sailing and it was indeed a 1530 departure with arrival at 1900 into Poole
Quote: Originally posted by bofs on 08/11/2023
Pre-Brexit when the government was booking ferries for freight space, BF changed the return time of the Cherbourg to Poole ferry, arriving in Poole around 7pm, leaving about 3.30pm, which was so much better for us. Unfortunately they changed the timings back again once the crisis had passed.
This makes sense as I've just checked my previous sailing times, it was indeed Summer 2019 that we were on a 1530 departure from Cherbourg
Quote: Originally posted by Netherton on 10/11/2023
There still is a 1530 departure from Cherbourg - but it goes to Portsmouth (on Tuesdays)
Will have a look at Portsmouth, we stayed at Poole Harbour this year when our ferry docked, we were luckily one of the first off the ferry and cleared customs pretty quickly, UK border force told us they were having issues with their systems and were expecting a late night as they had almost 1000 people to process, we were having a coffee in the car park about 90 minutes later watching the queue of cars still trying to clear customs, felt really sorry for them, especially those with small kids
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Brittany Ferries Poole - Cherbourg
via mobile 07/11/2023 at 10:59pm
