So we’ve bit the bullet for next year.

[Chris Laing]

I have enough of the 11 hour journey from Edinburgh to the south coast dealing with the A1, M25 and the hell on Earth Dartford bridge. The final straw was the hassle with the online payment system on the Dartford when we went over end of July it wasted 4 days of our holiday.
So long story short we have booked Newcastle to Amsterdam early next July with Dog friendly cabin.
Costly but only a 2 hour drive from our location so stress free to an extent.
If anyone has been on this route then any info would be gratefully received.

 

[funflair]

I liked it but Mrs funflair says it bobs about like a cork, but she doesn't like sailing, it's only 50 miles for us so tempting but her preference would be Hull but now has to be Rotterdam until they put ther Zeebrugge ferry back on (if they ever do).

From where you are it's a good option for sure.

 

[Tombola]

I have enough of the 11 hour journey from Edinburgh to the south coast dealing with the A1, M25 and the hell on Earth Dartford bridge. The final straw was the hassle with the online payment system on the Dartford when we went over end of July it wasted 4 days of our holiday.
So long story short we have booked Newcastle to Amsterdam early next July with Dog friendly cabin.
Costly but only a 2 hour drive from our location so stress free to an extent.
If anyone has been on this route then any info would be gratefully received.

Not Newcastle but Hull to rotters a few times. Stress free..evening meal..entertainment and breakie before getting off following morning. What's not to like.

Oh and the journey through Holland and Belgium quicker than UK journey.

Just remember the credit debit card situation is dire.

 

[Chris Laing]

I did price the Hull but it was only £100 cheaper but an extra 2 hours further down so decided on Newcastle.
The only slight concern I have is that DFDS are not renowned for their dog friendliness so we haven’t booked any onboard meals we are just going to take our own food and entertainment just in case it’s limited to onboard facilities with my wee Whippet. I will not leave him alone in cabin for 10 minutes let alone 10 hours

 

[hja]

Not Newcastle but Hull to rotters a few times. Stress free..evening meal..entertainment and breakie before getting off following morning. What's not to like.

Oh and the journey through Holland and Belgium quicker than UK journey.

Just remember the credit debit card situation is dire.

Credit debit card situation? What do you mean please

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[bellabee]

We've done the Hull crossing a few times and really like it for travelling down to Germany.
We live in the midlands, but the drive to Hull is so much easier and less stressful than the drive south.
I think you've made a good decision.

 

[Larrynwin]

Could try Harwich Hook of Holland , that way avoid M25 and Dartford

 

[martin2603]

While on the subject of “down South Traffic”. Yesterday the M20 coast bound was closed , searching for the Wandsworth Escapee, Today the major junction improvements at M2 j 5 have caused the M2 London bound shut between 5 and 4 , and the London bound on slip at J 5 is also shut until the 11 th. The M2 coast bound has been backed up to 3 at Chatham . It is a total living hell.
Mrs M doesn’t understand why I have not the slightest inclination to get the MH out. !!

 

[WillH]

Allow a little extra time to get to the port in North Shields, the A19 can get busy with rush hour. It's a good overnight crossing though, a tad expensive but worth it.

 

[Bobby-gg]

I have enough of the 11 hour journey from Edinburgh to the south coast dealing with the A1, M25 and the hell on Earth Dartford bridge. The final straw was the hassle with the online payment system on the Dartford when we went over end of July it wasted 4 days of our holiday.
So long story short we have booked Newcastle to Amsterdam early next July with Dog friendly cabin.
Costly but only a 2 hour drive from our location so stress free to an extent.
If anyone has been on this route then any info would be gratefully received.

Chris, when did the bookings become available?
I looked just the other day and I'm sure that they were only available until the end of the year, unless I've messed up completely

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Bobby-gg]

And, did you find a dfds discount code to use?

I'm just looking at making my bookings now

 

[Grianan]

From Ayr …

Done the Newcastle Amsterdam once. Return journey unfortunately coincided with a major storm that eliminated half of the UK kittiwake population. And half my guts.

Done Hull Rotterdam too but A66 and Hull roadworks so vile that even leaving 2 hours earlier than Google maps suggested we made the crossing with 5 minutes to spare.

Now we do the A66, A1M, Dartford - stay in Canterbury and cross ET early.

 

[Lenny HB]

We did Amsterdam to Newcastle last November the sea wasn't rough but we both felt ill and skipped dinner, It was cheap in November £170 one way with 10% off via C&CC.

Been on Newhave/Dieppe boats when its been really rough and you couldn't stand up so I think the Newcastle one is not very stable.

 

[namwaldog]

If anyone has been on this route then any info would be gratefully received

We have no personal experience of this but we have 'heard' that the return journey was a popular party break for hen and stag do's.

We have often considered it for the same reasons you quote but cost has been a deciding factor. However, we had to return to UK in a hurry this February and the tunnel cost us £262 one way (remember the £55 frequent traveller deals?)

We've pencilled in an early December start to our Winter trip this year and tried DFDS....

However if you search Google for " DFDS discount codes" and look for this one....

It comes up as this.....

There will be date limits I'm sure but perhaps worth a look. I've clicked on the 'T&C's' and it shows this....

According to the above the discount expired on 31 Aug 23 but is still giving the discount on my test booking today.

 

[Tombola]

Credit debit card situation? What do you mean please

Used to be awkward as plenty didn't take the cards. I believe it's not as bad now.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Chris Laing]

Chris, when did the bookings become available?
I looked just the other day and I'm sure that they were only available until the end of the year, unless I've messed up completely

No your right but I went on this morning to compare prices with Hull P&O and low and behold dfds had next year available.

 

[CazPaul]

We’ve done the Newcastle-Ijmuiden route quite a bit, although not with the dogs.

It’s a nice relaxing way to get abroad, only about 45 miles from us and then you are there the following morning after a decent ish sleep.

It just the expense of it, if retired would certainly take the Dover route.

 

[Chris Laing]

We didn’t bother with discounts or finding vouchers.

It was expensive but you know what it’s about getting to Europe as easily as possible now with our little whippet.
We can afford it.
Life’s to short to be putting ourselves at risk driving from Edinburgh to the south coast with a 7.4m Motorhome and all the nut jobs on the road these days.

 

[Solwaybuggier]

We’ve done Newcastle- Ijmuiden in the past, very convenient but can be extremely “lively“ on a Friday - the ”party boat”!

Wouldn’t go Hull-Rotterdam because we’re certainly not paying a penny to P&O after the way they’ve treated both their staff and the taxpayer!

 

[BikerGraham]

Done Newcastle route a few times. With motorbikes and with the motorhome.
We live only 8 miles away, so very convenient.

Really good way to travel.

It’s become expensive though which is why we haven’t used it this year. See what next years prices are like.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Brains]

As someone who lives in SE London, so I'm only 70 miles from Dover, other than a charity cycle event in 2018 I'm struggling to remember when we last went to the mainland that way, probably back in the 1990's.

We always use Harwich/Hook of Holland for Germany/Switzerland/Italy/SE France.
And Southampton/Portsmouth to Le Havre/Cherbourg for Western France and Spain.

Dover, particularly in mid summer, is for mugs.

 

[Foxycow]

I have enough of the 11 hour journey from Edinburgh to the south coast dealing with the A1, M25 and the hell on Earth Dartford bridge. The final straw was the hassle with the online payment system on the Dartford when we went over end of July it wasted 4 days of our holiday.
So long story short we have booked Newcastle to Amsterdam early next July with Dog friendly cabin.
Costly but only a 2 hour drive from our location so stress free to an extent.
If anyone has been on this route then any info would be gratefully received.

I beleive the ferry from Rosyth to Zeebruge is about to start up again after the previous problems of not enough commercial traffic to justify it, don't know any details yet but worth an investigation!! Could be a game changer for Northern Funsters.

 

[Paullo]

Although only living a short distance from the North Shields ferry terminal we'd previously shunned that route due to its cost, 'preferring' to spend a full day driving, then spending a night somewhere plus a tank and a half of diesel before catching one of the southern ferrys.

However this year on our trip to the Alsace region of France we decided to book the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry. We booked almost as soon the fares were released so was able to obtain an early booking discount and took a basic cabin (which was perfectly fine) so the whole thing didn't work out too expensive.

The port at North Shields is relatively small and there seems to be a lot less traffic so boarding was quick and easy and I would highly recommend booking, at extra cost, the all-you-can-eat buffet which is very good.

The drive through the Netherlands and Germany into France was so much quicker and more relaxed than it would have been driving through this country.

All in all we found it to be a very positive experience and so we've decided that in future, unless we're heading for northern Spain or that vicinity, we will definitely take the Newcastle to Amsterdam route and this thread has prompted me to look today for next year's booking.

 

[nicholsong]

I beleive the ferry from Rosyth to Zeebruge is about to start up again after the previous problems of not enough commercial traffic to justify it, don't know any details yet but worth an investigation!! Could be a game changer for Northern Funsters.

But it may only take commercial traffic and not MHs - unless you book as an Antiques Dealer

 

[bilM]

I have enough of the 11 hour journey from Edinburgh to the south coast dealing with the A1, M25 and the hell on Earth Dartford bridge. The final straw was the hassle with the online payment system on the Dartford when we went over end of July it wasted 4 days of our holiday.
So long story short we have booked Newcastle to Amsterdam early next July with Dog friendly cabin.
Costly but only a 2 hour drive from our location so stress free to an extent.
If anyone has been on this route then any info would be gratefully received.

We did Newcastle-Amsterdam last year with a dog friendly cabin had no problems. I just used the tunnel and getting there is a pain in the but. What I will say about the Newcastle ferry my dog would not have a pee or dump in the bit they give doggies to htere business so he went the hole crossing holding the lot in.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}