Brittany Ferries

Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Posts
12,002
Likes collected
20,303
Location
Manchester UK + Javea/Xabia Spain + Abu Dhabi
Funster No
7,543
MH
HYMER B644
Exp
2004
I have long been a fan of Brittany ferries. That and I have recommended them a lot on forums. Mainly based on speed and costings to get to Spain fast. In particular when traveling by car with family.

When we first bought a motorhome. One trip we were the ONLY motorhome on the crossing to Spain. The Captain was on the car deck and after the crew parked me up against the Bow door. The Captain came over wagging his finger and said "You are first off in the morning - do not be late". I appreciate now how popular motorhomes and BF have become on the Spanish Crossings. Especially since they started to operate the routes all year, after P&O closed the POB Bilbao Route.

We could leave Manchester in our minibus, 4 hour drive to Portsmouth, Ferry overnight to Bilbao, drive down to the med in one day. No Hotels Required.
Using the Tunnel option in a car with children, entails lots of hours of driving, enduring the miserable stressful motorway jaunt down to Folkestone, long boring and expensive French tolls and usually two hotel stops. *

First thing, we really do not like the Chinese Sisters they have leased from Stena RoRO. As well as the additional travel times and departures.

But when their system crashed this year when releasing Spanish crossings, I got a bit peed off .

First time I got on, crossing prices was £167 but crashed. 2nd time, £196, third time £225. That and the cabins I wanted had sold out.

When the schedules and crossings were released, it was a free for all for non members to get online and book routes up. Even some of those CDV members who were lucky to get on, in and booked then publicised the fact, distributing codes on forums. Days before may of us received an official email from BF to let us members know.

As someone mentioned on here, BF need to employ a decent IT team, to the standards of say Amazon. To offer BF members first opportunity to book using a FULL membership code.

I have not complained to Brittany Ferries, as their customer service has gone from the Best in the Industry to just about acceptable.

I cancelled an existing crossing and decided to drive through France. I have not bothered to book the usual 4 Spanish crossings that we normally take.

*I will keep the CDV membership for the time being, only for if and when we take family in the Car. As you may know, we have a home in Spain. But as I mentioned to Mrs. ET. When we traveled back this time, we were in our Motorhome.

We could live with the cancelations, especially if BF could get their act together. But we had more time to take the trip and probably will have again next time we use the motorhome.

By the time we had driven west from Castejon to Santander, 3 1/2 hours and 300km. We could have been in Bordeaux. Add the three hours waiting on the port, checking in and loading, we would probably be heading towards Poitiers. Probably looking to book a crossing from Dieppe to Newhaven with DFDS.

Made me wonder what others think of BF in the current travel market.

Many have never liked BF, the crossings, the seas or prefer to drive through Holland and France.
Others may be converts, now preferring the Bay Of Biscay and less driving ?

Thoughts Appreciated
 

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