Returning home via Rotterdam

[Ingwe]

For the last two years, since P&O scrapped the Hull/Zeebrugge ferry, we’ve returned home to York via the Europort/Rotterdam to Hull ferry. A bit pricey but at least avoids the need to drive up from Dover to York.

The ferry is great but the drive up from Burgundy to Europort is awful, once you leave France. We’ve taken two days to make the trip. Stopping at a parking spot at Creney près Troyes we had a quiet night, though of course, today, Monday, the boulangerie was closed. We have now arrived at a free parking at the site of the battle of Waterloo where we’re the only van (so far). But once you enter Belgium the roads and traffic are awful. We rattled and rolled through Charleroi, past Phillipeville and numerous dismal, drizzly Belgium towns. Roadworks, closed garages, deviations and the locals, many of whom seem to have lost the will to live!

Please accept, I’ve not got a downer on Belgium or its people at all- just that part of Belgium that you transit en route to Rotterdam. We felt so frayed when we got to tonights parking spot (which seems to double as the administration of Waterloo’s carpark), we thought that next year, we’d rather face the run from Dover to York including the M25!

Hopefully, the remaining 250 odd km to Europort tomorrow won’t be so bad. We’re soon in Holland where we know the roads are better. Time for a small libation to steady the nerves now!

 

[Lenny HB]

Oh dear we are in the Dordogne at the moment and are booked on a ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle on 2nd Nov as we need to be in Barrow in Furness on the 4th and didn't fancy UK roads but still got to drive back down south.

 

[csd4t]

Good luck with Antwerp!!!

 

[Ingwe]

Oh dear we are in the Dordogne at the moment and are booked on a ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle on 2nd Nov as we need to be in Barrow in Furness on the 4th and didn't fancy UK roads but still got to drive back down south.

Well don’t be dispirited or put off Lenny HB. It could just be that we had a bad day with drizzle and roadworks. On balance, I still prefer this to the Dover York drove! Enjoy the Dordogne. We had a lovely few weeks there at Beaulieu sur Dordogne. Seems like a lifetime ago!

Now the heated up curry is giving the van a lovely ambience and the shot of Famous Grouse has soothed the nerves, feeling a lot more positive. Can just about see the van in the parking.

 

[Ingwe]

Good luck with Antwerp!!!

We’ve got that joy tomorrow! Hopefully, we’ll just by pass it. Think we did last year. 2.5 hours from here to Europort.

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[Lenny HB]

Good luck with Antwerp!!!

On the way to Caravan Salon we got stuck in the, Antwerp roadworks for over an hour took a wrong turning and ended up goining through part of Antwerp.
I will be giving it a wide birth.

 

[coroner]

Give Harwich to Hook van Holland route a try u will be pleasently surprised half the price of Hull we did the morning sailings in both directions if u use caravan club booking its ultra cheap for a motorhome on Sundays and mid week the tun back from Harwich is good u can breeze around Cambridge then strait up the A1

 

[lorger]

We use this route twice a year and never had any issues, just two weeks ago we left Orange near Avignon and did one stop before arriving at the port around noon. We park next to the river and fire station before boarding.

 

[Ingwe]

On the way to Caravan Salon we got stuck in the, Antwerp roadworks for over an hour took a wrong turning and ended up goining through part of Antwerp.
I will be giving it a wide birth.

We aim to give it a wide berth-we’re going on the ring road but there are roadworks shown on Google Maps.

 

[Lenny HB]

We aim to give it a wide berth-we’re going on the ring road but there are roadworks shown on Google Maps.

It was the ring Road.

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[Bleau’s]

Done harwich to the hook twice in both directions this year easy to get in and out of both places and can arrive at the hook early park by the river and walk to town for lunch and less than half the price as if going from Hull and i only live 30 mins from that ferry

 

[bigwood]

When I went to Germany with our son this summer we went Harwich to the Hook of Holland on the night sailing.
We left Grimsby at lunch time taking a steady run down via Kings Lyne and Thetford to the A14. It gave us time to have tea in Harwich before sailing. Coming back again on the night sailing gave us time to have tea on the Dutch coast before we left.
Yes Hull is a lot nearer but if you’re not in a rush it’s worth the difference in price. The Stenna Line boats are nice. The only thing I might do different would be an outside cabin but my son wasn’t too fussed.

 

[hja]

When we lived in Gtr Manchester docking in Hull and home for coffee was such a pleasure. Arrived home still feeling as though we had had a holiday. Having done most of the south coast ports, especially when we lived in the Midlands, there was just no comparison. Worth every penny to be without the stress.
Son lives in Cambridgeshire and he has used Harwich a couple of times. We have a downer on Harwich having had a really bad experience many many years ago. Probably really unfair!

 

[The general]

It was the ring Road.

Now that’s got to be the mother of all traffic jam nitemares

 

[EuroTrotters]

Oh dear we are in the Dordogne at the moment and are booked on a ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle on 2nd Nov as we need to be in Barrow in Furness on the 4th and didn't fancy UK roads but still got to drive back down south.

Get a return ticket and drive from ijmuiden to Dieppe. Ferry from Dieppe to Newhaven and your home and dry, almost.

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[Geistguy]

Newcastle to Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) overnight or Harwich to Hook of Holland daytime, about 6 hours. Good ports with easy access and plenty overnight stops or sites close by.

 

[mapman]

We always used Hull - Zeebrugge and have now switched to Rotterdam. Since the motorways are free in Holland and Belgium we stayed overnight near St Quentin then had an easy drive to Europort arriving mid afternoon. No problems with the roads, just a bit busy round Brussels.

 

[Guigsy]

We drove through that area a couple of weeks ago... Quality of the roads and the driving feels a lot like the UK.

Lots of beautiful cities around there though. Ghent and Bruges are gorgeous.

 

[Leakylunar]

Ghent later today for our last night, ferry tomorrow so looking for somewhere to park up near the port for the afternoon.
We've booked Dover calais crossing for late August as it was £500 cheaper!

 

[Lenny HB]

We stopped here only 15-20 min to port I think.
Coordinates on photo.

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[lorger]

Ghent later today for our last night, ferry tomorrow so looking for somewhere to park up near the port for the afternoon.
We've booked Dover calais crossing for late August as it was £500 cheaper!

We use the following with no issues over the past 5 or so years, on the A15 come off at junction 10 as if going to ferry (signposted England). At the first cross roads turn left under the A15 and you will see a fire station on your left, drive about 100 yards and turn left into the big carpark, great to sit in the sun and watch the barges go by and only 5 mins from P&O entrance.

 

[lorger]

Ghent later today for our last night, ferry tomorrow so looking for somewhere to park up near the port for the afternoon.
We've booked Dover calais crossing for late August as it was £500 cheaper!

Forgot to post a photo, this was 4 weeks ago

 

[emjaiuk]

On the way to Caravan Salon we got stuck in the, Antwerp roadworks for over an hour took a wrong turning and ended up goining through part of Antwerp.
I will be giving it a wide birth.

I used to do Calais Amsterdam fairly often, when the Kennedy tunnel is particularly bad TomTom taught me a way through central Antwerp that was nearly always relativly clear. It involved a two lane car tunnel. and i can't remember if their were height restrictions on it.

 

[emjaiuk]

I used to do Calais Amsterdam fairly often, when the Kennedy tunnel is particularly bad TomTom taught me a way through central Antwerp that was nearly always relativly clear. It involved a two lane car tunnel. and i can't remember if their were height restrictions on it.

It's the Waasland Tunnel on the N49a