Just booked 20% off P&O North Sea Hull-Rotterdam for less than LeShuttle

[EuroTrotters]

I know some of you are boycotting POSL.

But for me, to get to the Tunnel is an 4rse in the world of a place. Along with at least a 6 hour , 275 mile Journey on crap congested motorways and Dartford crossing or go anti-clockwise, with more traffic.

We can get to Hull in 2 hours, 100 miles.

Overnight relaxing on-board the ferry. Wake up, nice breakfast and hit the roads.

Hull-Rotterdam also saves us 200 miles on our route on the other side. That and €200 in French Tolls Saved and less W&T on the Moho.

So if any of you fellow northerners are looking to travel. might be worth looking at the 20% off offer.

I paid £400 return including cabins. 7m Motorhome, 2 adults

 

[Neilh]

Thanks.
I second that, great option, no tolls for miles, pit stop for lower cost diesel in Luxembourg.
I’m coming g the other way tomorrow evening, with my new van

 

[Neilh]

But watch out for the well fed Hull ladies dressed in leopard skin outfits

 

[MisterB]

But watch out for the well fed Hull ladies dressed in leopard skin outfits

Aren't they actually Tigers from Hull ?

 

[Brains]

It never ceases to amaze me that the North Sea routes are not more used by us Motor homers.

Unless you are going to northern or Western France or Spain/Portugal, then from almost anywhere in the UK (Including Kent and the West Country) it is faster and cheaper to cross into the Netherlands from Harwich or Hull.

To go to Italy for example it will save you a day in each direction, plus £200 in tolls and about the same in fuel costs.

I can see the reason to use the tunnel if you have dogs or nervous passengers, but I fail to see why anyone would use the Dover/Calais ferries. They have no advantage, not time, not cost.

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[DavidG58]

Totally agree , this is our go to route now we don’t have a dog

We upgrade to Club cabins with mini bar, proper bed, kettle and TV , it only adds about £100 return and totally changes the trip for us

Off to check prices myself now

 

[suavecarve]

It never ceases to amaze me that the North Sea routes are not more used by us Motor homers.

Unless you are going to northern or Western France or Spain/Portugal, then from almost anywhere in the UK (Including Kent and the West Country) it is faster and cheaper to cross into the Netherlands from Harwich or Hull.

To go to Italy for example it will save you a day in each direction, plus £200 in tolls and about the same in fuel costs.

I can see the reason to use the tunnel if you have dogs or nervous passengers, but I fail to see why anyone would use the Dover/Calais ferries. They have no advantage, not time, not cost.

Surrey Hants border here.

For starters, the price of £400 return is about £150 more than I pay for a ferry return from Dover
It then takes me 2.5 hours longer and 150 miles more to get to Hull before I then have a 4.5 hour longer ferry to be 15 minutes quicker to Luxembourg (and I dont use tolls but motorway all the way)

For us it is about £190 more expensive and a minimum of 7 hours longer in comparison. We intend to go Northern Germany later in the year and still it doesnt even come close on costs and time

 

[lorger]

This is our favourite route especially when we were working as it saved the drive south and the M25, it’s certainly ideal for Germany, Italy and eastern France. We haven’t decided yet where we’re hein April but might just book the ferry of decent discount is on offer, even going to somewhere like Benidorm from Rotterdam is only about 150 or so miles further than Calais.

 

[DavidG58]

Cant get down to your price but have declared 8m long 3m tall

The club cabin upgrade is still fantastic value but you have to remove the standard cabin or the price looks bonkers

 

[lorger]

Just had a look for same size of van and 2 adults out on a Tuesday in April and back a Tuesday beginning of June and it’s over £500, more than I was quoted last week. We normally upgrade the cabin but this is standard 2 berth.

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[EuroTrotters]

View attachment 1005136

Cant get down to your price but have declared 8m long 3m tall

The club cabin upgrade is still fantastic value but you have to remove the standard cabin or the price looks bonkers

Just had a look for same size of van and 2 adults out on a Tuesday in April and back a Tuesday beginning of June and it’s over £500, more than I was quoted last week. We normally upgrade the cabin but this is standard 2 berth.
View attachment 1005139

Yes, it went up from £330 for us as I was dithering

Still not bad prices. I bet DFDS Newcastle is over £1,000.

IF you can be flexible, playing around with dates can bring the prices down.

 

[lorger]

Yes, it went up from £330 for us as I was dithering

Still not bad prices. I bet DFDS Newcastle is over £1,000.

IF you can be flexible, playing around with dates can bring the prices down.

Years ago the Newcastle route was just slightly more expensive but worth it in certain circumstances, for some reason it shot up and is now at least double the price of Hull.

I tried all different dates and it got even more expensive, the ones I posted are the cheapest for 1st 2 weeks in June. Still a decent price but now we don’t have to rush to the ferry port it’s not as good as it was.

 

[JockandRita]

Surrey Hants border here.

For starters, the price of £400 return is about £150 more than I pay for a ferry return from Dover
It then takes me 2.5 hours longer and 150 miles more to get to Hull before I then have a 4.5 hour longer ferry to be 15 minutes quicker to Luxembourg (and I dont use tolls but motorway all the way)

For us it is about £190 more expensive and a minimum of 7 hours longer in comparison. We intend to go Northern Germany later in the year and still it doesnt even come close on costs and time

Totally agree from our perspective too.

Well put.

Jock & Rita.

 

[hja]

When we lived in Gtr Man and were going to mainland europe it was our crossing of choice. One great advantage was on the return journey - disembark about 8am, back home well before lunch. Easy unpack in the afternoon. Still feel like you have had a holiday whereas when we were in the Midlands, and sometimes in the North, if we travelled from the south coast we just found it stressful and it wiped out the relaxing holiday.

 

[Brains]

Surrey Hants border here.

For starters, the price of £400 return is about £150 more than I pay for a ferry return from Dover
It then takes me 2.5 hours longer and 150 miles more to get to Hull before I then have a 4.5 hour longer ferry to be 15 minutes quicker to Luxembourg (and I dont use tolls but motorway all the way)

For us it is about £190 more expensive and a minimum of 7 hours longer in comparison. We intend to go Northern Germany later in the year and still it doesnt even come close on costs and time

You need to do the maths again.
We go to Germany most years (family).

We live in SE London/Kent border.
Dover is just over one hour away. We never use it.

We nearly always use Harwich/Hoek of Holland.
It saves us a day in each direction as we sleep on the boat.
We can get to Dusseldorf before lunch.
We have done Berlin in one day, in daylight with one driver.

If you leave home at the end of a work day, can you be in Dusseldorf with only 6hrs in total driving via Dover ?
We can via Harwich.

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[suavecarve]

You need to do the maths again.
We go to Germany most years (family).

We live in SE London/Kent border.
Dover is just over one hour away. We never use it.

We nearly always use Harwich/Hoek of Holland.
It saves us a day in each direction as we sleep on the boat.
We can get to Dusseldorf before lunch.
We have done Berlin in one day, in daylight with one driver.

If you leave home at the end of a work day, can you be in Dusseldorf with only 6hrs in total driving via Dover ?
We can via Harwich.

If I were to leave at the same time as you (say 1700 hrs) I would be on a ferry at say 20-2100 hrs and be in Bergues to overnight then 3 hrs 30 to Dusseldorf (before lunch)
If I were to leave at the same time as you and go to Hull I would estimate getting there about 2200 hrs........ Have I missed the ferry and have to wait 24 hours as well as being £190 out of pocket ?

If i were to leave at my normal time of aiming to catch 0800 hrs ferry (after a night shift) I would be in Dusseldorf the same night from Dover, but if I were to go via Hull it will take me 24 hours longer (and £190)

 

[WESTY66]

Ok for me 15/6/25-28/6/25 setting off from Newark show
P&O hull £700.40
Stena harwich o/night £528
Stena day crossing £276.40
Eurotunnel £345

For convenience I think we’re going on the train

 

[suavecarve]

Ok for me 15/6/25-28/6/25 setting off from Newark show
P&O hull £700.40
Stena harwich o/night £528
Stena day crossing £276.40
Eurotunnel £345

For convenience I think we’re going on the train

You forgot this one

Which would make it about £300+ saving

 

[Minxy]

I fail to see why anyone would use the Dover/Calais ferries. They have no advantage, not time, not cost.

Cost is a major reason, I live near Hull so if they were more competitively priced I'd be tempted but upgrading to a pet friendly cabin takes a single inward in mid-Feb to nearly £280 an inward from Dover is a lot less than that. Overall taking into account fuel the Rotterdam crossing works out around £80 more.

 

[royandsharont]

I live a very short distance from the ferry terminal so it was our favoured route regardless of our intended destination. We hate the journey to the south coast and the return is worse when we can be home within 15 minutes of disembarking.

We only do Santander now to save the travelling through France in early and late months and we can also visit family in Oxfordshire on the way out and back.

I do think we shall return to NSF though for pure convenience, we used to get discount all the time too but they’ve stopped all that now.

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[scotzsue]

Also live a few miles from Hull port, have used it in the past for Germany/ Italy now chose to go straight to Santander as mostly got to Spain and Portugal. If going via France we do Newhaven/dieppe and do have a cabin, I sleep and wake nice and refreshed for if we need to do a reasonable journey when we disembark.
Does help not having to worry about a pet friendly cabin.

 

[carolyn]

It sounds like a lovely idea if we weren’t an hour from Poole or 2 from Portsmouth and Plymouth. I have done the drive to Hull many times as one son went to Uni there and I don’t want to do it again, not even if I was going to Italy!

I’ve just remembered one journey was in a Fiat Panda as my Vauxhall Zafira was off the road! That was horrible especially with a very hungover student son on the way back.

 

[Hawkstone]

The tunnel has definitely fallen out of favour with me. It was convenient because of the length of the actual crossing but the cost has risen hugely and the hideous ( and expensive ) drive from Dorset on 5 busy motorways is no longer appealing. We go from Poole on Brittany ferries. There is only 1 crossing per day but we are no longer tied by school holidays so can plan around that. It was actually cheaper last September than the tunnel anyway so a no brainer for us. Even when it is a bit more expensive than the tunnel the convenience far outweighs the cost for us now.

 

[carolyn]

The tunnel has definitely fallen out of favour with me. It was convenient because of the length of the actual crossing but the cost has risen hugely and the hideous ( and expensive ) drive from Dorset on 5 busy motorways is no longer appealing. We go from Poole on Brittany ferries. There is only 1 crossing per day but we are no longer tied by school holidays so can plan around that. It was actually cheaper last September than the tunnel anyway so a no brainer for us. Even when it is a bit more expensive than the tunnel the convenience far outweighs the cost for us now.

We love going from Poole, it’s like travelling used to be. They’re so friendly. A few years back a chap hammered on our window when we were in the queue and we thought on no! Then followed a lengthy chat about our electric bikes and the bike rack.

Last August we slept there overnight in our new van , still getting the hang of things. We’d only managed a few nights in it due to Claire’s wedding. We’d packed the bed away but were still in our PJs drinking coffee when there was a knock on the door. I answered in a panic apologising profusely thinking they’d changed the times. He just said don’t worry there’s only a few of you but we’re moving you shortly. In fact it was ages of course.

We avoid Dover like the plague. A303 yuk.

 

[Hawkstone]

We love going from Poole, it’s like travelling used to be. They’re so friendly. A few years back a chap hammered on our window when we were in the queue and we thought on no! Then followed a lengthy chat about our electric bikes and the bike rack.

Last August we slept there overnight in our new van , still getting the hang of things. We’d only managed a few nights in it due to Claire’s wedding. We’d packed the bed away but were still in our PJs drinking coffee when there was a knock on the door. I answered in a panic apologising profusely thinking they’d changed the times. He just said don’t worry there’s only a few of you but we’re moving you shortly. In fact it was ages of course.

We avoid Dover like the plague. A303 yuk.

It’s so close to Poole Quay too, so lots of nice restaurants for anyone staying the night before. Rarely any holdups and I rather like ferry food too Getting out of Dorset is the worst part of any trip. Canford Bottom roundabout is the worst road development ever built and now they have approved a Lidl just off the roundabout. Utter craziness.

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[stewartwebr]

The tunnel has definitely fallen out of favour with me. It was convenient because of the length of the actual crossing but the cost has risen hugely and the hideous ( and expensive ) drive from Dorset on 5 busy motorways is no longer appealing. We go from Poole on Brittany ferries. There is only 1 crossing per day but we are no longer tied by school holidays so can plan around that. It was actually cheaper last September than the tunnel anyway so a no brainer for us. Even when it is a bit more expensive than the tunnel the convenience far outweighs the cost for us now.

Your so right, we never used to check any other means of crossing always defaulted to the tunnel. It is just so easy. Last year I found an Irish Ferries crossing for £68 so thought we would give it a go. The vessel was an old tub but we were only onboard for 90 minutes and too be honest it really opened our eyes to what else was around. We are booked back on Irish Ferries on the 2nd March to head off to Spain for our 90 days. So, tunnel has lost our business.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Yes, my post was more aimed at people from the north, who like me dread the drive to Dover/Folkestone.

We used to go via Dover and Folkestone for years, even before the tunnel was built.

Then we crossed to Zeebrugge for many years, until POD closed it.

Mostly we travel to Spain now via BF Or Fly.

Having not used the Dover / Folkestone route for 12 years. We tried it last year. We drove down after 6pm from Manchester and even then, it was 1am before we were parked up in some scruffy and noisy M25 services.

The M25 was closed at Heathrow and the diversion was taking us inside the ULEZ At £300 a day. So I had to pull over and find an alternative route through to the other side.

The next day we drove the remaining stretch to board Irish ferries. The original vessel I chose, the flagship was not available and we had to get a delayed replacement. It was 4pm by the time we disembarked in Calais.

We were heading to The Netherlands via Brugge .

The return leg was via LeShuttle. We had stayed at the Camping Car park in Calais the night before. Check-in staff on the tunnel French side were rude and unhelpful.

The journey back during the day was stop-start. Congested, dangerous and tiring. 9
Hours . But that doesn’t beat our once 11 hour Sunday trip 20 years ago.

 

[Guigsy]

Or depends on whether you're retired or not!

I don't get paid if I'm not working. So it might save me an hour of driving. But I lose a day each way sitting on a boat. That's 2 days knocked off the holiday.

The other reason is my wife is not keen on ferry trips after a couple of rough crossings to Spain.

 

[Hawkstone]

Or depends on whether you're retired or not!

I don't get paid if I'm not working. So it might save me an hour of driving. But I lose a day each way sitting on a boat. That's 2 days knocked off the holiday.

The other reason is my wife is not keen on ferry trips after a couple of rough crossings to Spain.

Also very true. The convenience of a short crossing invaluable. I spent years working in schools rushing to fit holidays in and get back in time. Your time will come and then you can spend as long as you like meandering.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Or depends on whether you're retired or not!

I don't get paid if I'm not working. So it might save me an hour of driving. But I lose a day each way sitting on a boat. That's 2 days knocked off the holiday.

The other reason is my wife is not keen on ferry trips after a couple of rough crossings to Spain.

As I mentioned the other day. I have crossed Biscay more times than I can remember over the last 30+ years.

I’ve not had many bad crossings and very often, biscay is calmer than the channel and North Sea.

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