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Sorry, I know this comes up all the time. Looking for inspiration, we do this every two years (San Sebastian - N.Wales and back) the same way, schlepping all the way to Calais with one driver, and overnight stop in a camping aire.
Looking at the options, there's loads. Roscoff, St Malo, Cherbourg etc, which cut some driving time and I guess avoid the M25 too? Are they all much of a muchness? SWB campervan, me and the boy, no pets/bikerack or anything.
Pretty much discarding Bilbao, 30 hours on a boat might be the end of me.
We've just done Portsmouth to Cherbourg overnight. Started from Chester so similar to you - Portsmouth drive isn't too onerous (we actually go M6 > M5 rather than M6 > M40.
Overnight is fine (literally the slowest boat you'll ever go on!) and you get a full day in following it (we were just going to Le Mans though)
Is this generally cheaper than eurotunnel?
Have done Plymouth Roscoff before. Get on board, it's pretty much bedtime, wake up and it's time to get off. Roscoff is furthest West so you'd be well positioned to then just boot it down the west coast. Roscoff is nice enough little town to get some breakfast when you disembark, especially if the market is on.
We always go to Caen, less driving than Cherbourg, and it starts you off on the motorways to Le Mans, Tours etc. This always seems like a good direct route to me. Roscoff would feel a bit out the way if I was heading all the way down.
The comparison to the tunnel depends on many things, ferry to Brittany is probably not cheaper but how do you value time and hassle of M25 and the longer drive from Calais. I do the tunnel if I'm heading to the Alps or south east, anything else its Portsmouth/Caen crossings.
From Pau to the Midlands I've found the best compromise pain:cost has been Caen - Portsmouth with Brittany Ferries. Lest pain being St Malo but that's often significantly more expensive and doen't save much time, it just replaces driving with sitting on a boat.
We always go to Caen, less driving than Cherbourg, and it starts you off on the motorways to Le Mans
We've done that before and it probs is a little easier but the drive [in France] is one of the features of the trip so a bit further isn't really an issue for us.
We’re going out Newhaven to Dieppe this year, then coming back Santander to Plymouth (which I think is about 20h). Will report back…
okay, convinced to try Bretagne this year then. Looking at a map it's weird how I've always done the chunnel without question. Poss coz it used to be pretty cheap in comparison, but it's not cheap now. Even stuff like the pub we used to stay at coming back, right near the terminal, which used to let you camp out the back for free if you bought a meal, is now charging.
We are going to the Pyrenees/SW corner of France in two weeks. Postmouth-Santander out, Bilbao-Porstmouth back.
As regular users of the Hull-Rotterdam route, it wasnt too much of a stretch to do the 'big one' to Spain (probably the longest scheduled car ferry route out of the UK?)
Pretty much discarding Bilbao, 30 hours on a boat might be the end of me.
I hear you but its basically replacing two days of driving. Probably depends on age of kids and if you have a proper camper van aswell. I happily sleep in mine, but its not a 'camper'. For us, it would mean 1 night on the south coast and 1 night in a 'Le Premier Inn' and the thoroughly average experience that entails.If im gonna do that, I may as well stay in one cruising along at 20knots with the potential for a better view when I@m having my coffee!
Finally, as per many above, I'm coming down the M1 so I want to turn right/SW and head that way... I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than do half a lap of the M25 and deal with the potential/likely mayhem at Kent/Dover/Operation Stack in the first week of the big holidays!
Good point, and I didn't know the Santander route was shorter. I probably shouldn't jinx it but as we are going the opposite direction to the main holiday traffic going to the south of France it's not a bad drive up. If I were to do it last week of August, I'd get 20km from home before spending an hour in the queue to get across the border at Behobia and then there's the scrum at every peage booth. We tend to set off at about 4am and we're past Bordeaux by breakfast time.
I suspect it's going to come down to cost, I'll have to do the maths of 1800km of diesel and tolls up and down France Vs return plus cabin from Spain.
Portsmouth - Caen .
Overnighter, so on the road for stupid 'o' clock. 👍
The Bilbao and Santander are near as dammit the same travel time, but the departure and arrival times can be different which alters the total time on the boat.
I don’t mind the 30hr crossing as (I think) it leaves late, and you get 2 nights on the boat, so it saves hotel costs on the way, so f you’re in a camper it may not matter.
last time I did the sums, it worked out cheaper to do the Spain ferry by the time you’ve allowed for diesel and tolls and saved 2 days of driving, obviously replaced with a day sat on a boat reading a book and watching the world go by.
The Bilbao and Santander are near as dammit the same travel time
From Portsmouth yes. Plymouth-Santander is a bit shorter.
Pretty much discarding Bilbao, 30 hours on a boat might be the end of me.
We did Plymouth to Santander last year and really enjoyed the crossing. The kids played in the pool, the wine was reasonably priced and the food decent. About 24 hours I think so a fair bit quicker than Portsmouth.
It's expensive but it meant we could camp and take our own car so a big saving there. We stayed in a place called Orio, near San Sebastian.
I really enjoyed the crossing out to Santander on the boat, time to properly slow down at the start of the holiday, sat up on deck in the breeze watching the coastline disappear and generally unwind. On the way back from Bilbao I really liked it too and it had a better restaurant on that boat, but it was pretty bouncy in the bay of Biscay. I slept like a baby but the wife didn’t sleep at all and by all accounts (though I’m sure she’s exaggerating) had to hold on to the edge of the bed to stop rolling out.
We stayed in a place called Orio, near San Sebastian.
Where did you stay in Orio, out of interest? I work in a village about 5 mins from there, and probably ride through it about 5 times a week!
Well I did a bit of rough and ready maths for anyone interested. San Sebastián -> Caernarfon via:
Caen-Portsmouth 20h*, 1400km, €830 one way (diesel, peage & crossing)
Calais-Dover 18h*, 1620km, €610
Santander-Plymouth 29h, 790km, €765
Times based on an optimistic 100kmh average, driving straight onto boat, France diesel prices.
The costs aren't wildly different, and neither are the times since the Santander crossing includes two (?) nights' sleep, *and the other crossings need to have at least one night on an Aire factored in.
It would be really cool to get off the boat in Santander on the way home, and only have a 2 hour drive...
We’re coming home via Santander in Aug and IIRC it’s something like 1500 departure and 1100 into Plymouth the next morning, so one night.
As above the Portsmouth routes are slightly over 24h
We used the Santander route twice now.
It feels slow and a bit.frustating on the return ,but its relaxing and sets you up for the next leg of the journey
Bonus dolphin spotting as well!
From Portsmouth yes. Plymouth-Santander is a bit shorter
Ah, right. I live in the Midlands so usually discount the idea of driving to Plymouth rather than leave from Portsmouth.
We’re in the NW so it’s as long as it’s broad (slightly further to Plymouth but not enough to make the Portsmouth sailing faster)
I'm surprised your Dover Calais estimate is faster, when I've done that I've sometimes spent over an hour at walking pace to get over the Dartford crossing and suffered slow traffic through Rouen depending on road works.
My only contribution is that last year we landed in Cherbourg Friday evening and found a place to stay in town. Unusually for us we weren't in a mad hurry to rush south and we found Cherbourg absolutely charming both Friday evening and Saturday morning. The Saturday market was especially good, and if you ever wanted a bright yellow chicken for your dinner, (and weren't planning to stop in Bourg en Bresse) then it's the place for you.
I'm surprised your Dover Calais estimate is faster, when I've done that I've sometimes spent over an hour at walking pace to get over the Dartford crossing and suffered slow traffic through Rouen depending on road works.
Good point Ed. We returned on the 06.22 Le Shuttle last Sunday to avoid the shit-show that is the Dart crossing.
I realise it's too late for you now Bob but Brittany ferries have some really cheap mid-week tickets if you book early. Last year we bought in April for a July crossing and it was 68e single for a car and passengers. We buy early on the bassis that it's so cheap it doesn't matter if we don't go.
last time I did the sums, it worked out cheaper to do the Spain ferry by the time you’ve allowed for diesel and tolls and saved 2 days of driving, obviously replaced with a day sat on a boat reading a book and watching the world go by.
I’d also factor in the wear and tear on the van and how you handle unexpected breakdowns in France and gassing in the aires 🙂
I just find France is just very expensive to travel thru compared to Spain.
IMHO it’s a fair old trip and I just don’t think there’s much of a saving in driving thru france to make it worthwhile.
I think the gassing thing is a myth perpetuated on the UK campervan forums because I asked the mam of one of my students how feasible it would be to put the occupants to sleep without escalating it to murder. Probably don't need to report her reply here, but she's the head anaesthetist of the big hospital here...
Given the drinking habits of Brits on aires it would be easier and safer to offer them a drink laced with GBH than gas them. 😉 If you think France is expensive, dudeofdoom, wait till you get to the UK. 🙂
TBH I thought it was an urban myth(and still do) but I have had someone tell they were gassed and the high profile stories do still circulate.
I just think it’s a lot of hassle when they can just mug you at knife or gunpoint tbh.
Explaining that your Rolex/wallet was nicked because you were gassed would probably be less embarrassing than saying you were either so drunk or drugged up at the time.
It's just a leap for me. Last time I got burgled, I was at work but they did the upstairs flat too and the guy worked nights and was asleep. Didn't know he'd been robbed until he got up and found his kitchen knife on the bedroom floor. They'd had the wallet out of his jeans which were hanging about 2ft from his head. No gas, no booze just some good old fashioned stealth.
Anyway, I've booked Santander to Plymouth. Price went up a lot since I costed the crossings a couple of days ago, 850€ for a campervan, one adult one child and the 2 berth cabin on July 31.
We've just done Portsmouth to Cherbourg overnight. Started from Chester so similar to you - Portsmouth drive isn't too onerous (we actually go M6 > M5 rather than M6 > M40.
Overnight is fine (literally the slowest boat you'll ever go on!) and you get a full day in following it (we were just going to Le Mans though)
I'm pretty sure on the Caen/St Malo route from Portsmouth the overnight ferry is slowed down. Same ferry during the day does it in pretty much half the time...
More to the point - why are you going to Wales? Get up to the Lakes and stop pretending you are a Taff! 😛
Might be useful to some but P&O ferries is quite often in the 'cashback extras' ofa Halifax bank account, a decent %age saving too I think.
And then Brittany Ferries have a similar discount if you book through your AA membership log in.
Don't bother with a cabin just take a sleeping mat and sleeping bag for the floor of the big chair room. More sociable!
And on the other point burglars aren't gassing anyone. Why would you risk getting it wrong and face a murder charge when you could just threaten someone with a hammer or wave a big knife about.