Southdowners
Free Member
We use Eurotunnel as it’s quick and easy.
Which is your favourite Port or ferry route and why?
- Thread starter Bucket
- Start date
Any of the Brittany ferries crossings really, anything to avoid the A303 and all that follows trying to get to Dover or Folkestone!
We live about forty five minutes drive from Hull and have used both the Rotterdam and Zeebruges routes in past but the price for a motorhome and two passengers was getting rather high.
Price wise it seems a bit negative with the fuel we used but we have used Dover Dunkirk quite a lot.
The Harwich to the Hook of Holland is bit nearer and we have used it. In fact I am going that way in September.
Being stationed in Germany in the seventies I have traveled on the Sealink and Townsend ferries. They were cheap and cheerful and provided a convenient crossing. We could get the train to the Hook from were we were based in Germany and a train to Manchester from Harwich before I had a car. Squadies sleeping on the floor and fights in the bar wouldn’t be acceptable these days.
Price wise it seems a bit negative with the fuel we used but we have used Dover Dunkirk quite a lot.
The Harwich to the Hook of Holland is bit nearer and we have used it. In fact I am going that way in September.
Being stationed in Germany in the seventies I have traveled on the Sealink and Townsend ferries. They were cheap and cheerful and provided a convenient crossing. We could get the train to the Hook from were we were based in Germany and a train to Manchester from Harwich before I had a car. Squadies sleeping on the floor and fights in the bar wouldn’t be acceptable these days.
- Jul 18, 2009
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You southerners are spoilt.In days gone by, our favourite was Hull-Zeebrugge, easy access/egress both sides.
Sorely missed
We loved Hull-Zebrugge. It was a very easy 90 mins from us here in Stockport.
Arrive in Zeebrugge with easy access to Benelux and beyond.
I also miss Newcastle-Kristiansand-Gothenburg ( or any Norwegian ferry).
We have not used the tunnel since around 2011. It’s not great value and is a PIA to get to from up north.
We spend most of our time in Spain now. Driving through France is too expensive with tolls. Unless you have time to use Intinerie BIS.
So we use Brittany Ferries. Even that’s been marred by the new Chinese vessels and the now two night crossing. So we have been using Plymouth-Santander instead of Portsmouth-Bilbao.
One thing Lenny HB Reminded me of recently was the DFDS Newhaben-Dieppe. I’ve priced some crossings and it seems a good deal. Timings are odd if you are in a car, but okay for motorhomes. We are too young for the 20% discount but still looks a good deal.
A lot of the good routes have been dropped in the last 20-30 years. Shame but I guess they just didn’t pay.
I’ll bet North Sea to Norway would be popular now. I recall being the only motorhomers on every crossing we took. But with the rise in numbers and popularity ?!,.
- Jul 18, 2009
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Where is this Chippy please ?
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- Jul 18, 2009
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- Funster No
- 7,543
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- HYMER B644
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- 2004
Here’s a new startup
Buts it’s quite expensive
hollandnorwaylines.com
Buts it’s quite expensive
Holland Norway Lines - Holland Norway Lines
hollandnorwaylines.com
- Dec 19, 2020
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Done Dover/Calais/Dunkirk. Portsmouth/Caen/Le Havre/Bilbao and many years ago Southampton/Le Havre on the old Leopard. Portsmouth is the most convenient bering either 10 mins or 15 mins depending on the colour of the traffic lights and coming home, if I'm an early disembarker, can have the kettle on before the last car gets off. From the videos, the Tunnel looks slick and I might try that one day if heading east.
- Oct 18, 2021
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Harwich to Esjberg on DFDS when it was running. The Danes really know how to put on a (predominately) seafood buffet! Coming back on the commercial Ro-Ro from Gothenburg to Immingham with only 12 cabins was about as relaxing as a ferry trip can possibly be.
denisejoe
LIFE MEMBER
Usually use the tunnel but June coming home via Brittany Ferries from Caen to Portsmouth. If going both ways by ferry as no Tesco vouchers available then it's Newhaven-Dieppe. Newhaven is a great little port - much better than using Dover even though that it much closer to us.
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I’ve just seen that you have under your name “warden, Isle of Sheppey”. As a child I spent many happy summer holidays at the prison as my Uncle was Prison warder, there was even an indoor swimming pool we were allowed to use. He then very selfishly moved to Lewes which was a closed prison! Handy for the Newhaven ferry though.
For me it used to be Sheerness with Olau Ferries. From my bedroom window I could see the ferry arriving and had time to go downstairs, jacket and helmet on and set off across the old bridge to Sheppey well in time to board for an overnight trip to the Netherlands.
Now I still live in Kent but 4 miles from the Shuttle and 14 from Dover Eastern Docks. Until Eurotunnel decided to charge an arm and a leg for a crossing it has been my chosen crossing either on 4 or 2 wheels.
Now I still live in Kent but 4 miles from the Shuttle and 14 from Dover Eastern Docks. Until Eurotunnel decided to charge an arm and a leg for a crossing it has been my chosen crossing either on 4 or 2 wheels.
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Steve N Tracy
LIFE MEMBER
Portsmouth to Caen, Le Havre by Brittany ferries for us as its less the 20 miles away, the drive back from Dover after a good holiday is too depressing.
125BEER
LIFE MEMBER
3.5 miles for us to storage is too much
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denisejoe
LIFE MEMBER
Haven’t been on that for 50 years
Do you remember in the 1980,s when you booked in January to make sure you got the crossingYes, living in York, that was far and away our favourite port. As soon as you embarked, the holiday began. Great food in the Four Seasons restaurant. Even better at the end of the holiday not to have that awful trip up from the south. Now we are retired, it’s not too bad but we really do miss the Hull to Zeebrugge run.
The Eurotunnel is so easy to use however with fuel costs ever increasing it is very little difference in cost than using one of the Spanish bound ferries now? Perhaps will give them a try next trip as we no longer have our beloved dogs
Not as far back as the 80s but certainly was the case in 2005 onwards.
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No contest because we are only 30 mins from the tunnel, but Macron buggered up our January trip so booked the Portsmouth to Santander, wife loved it and keen to do it again, I personally prefer a gentle drive Down through France at my own pace, have never been keen on organised trips, sooner do everything myself,
- Aug 26, 2021
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Well we are heading to France for the first time in September going from Poole to cherbourg. Not one person mentioned going from Poole, hardly a ringing endorsement 
Whats wrong with the Poole to cherbourg route?
Whats wrong with the Poole to cherbourg route?
yes, I prefer the slow drive through France. Done it twice now. Different routes but both really interesting and fun.
Plymouth to Roscoff. We live in the West Country. Easy journey down. We usually do the overnight crossing. Roscoff a nice little town, and love the Brittany area.
A bit off piste, but several posters have mentioned a 20% discount on the Newhaven Dieppe route for wrinklies. A quick trial reservation online didn't bring this up? Grateful if anyone could clarify as I liked the route when I used it for a trans France cycle ride.
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You have to phone up to get it , check prices online, choose your crossing and then phone. It really does work.
- Aug 18, 2014
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You have to do it using the telephone.
minesapint
Free Member
The Harwich to Esjberg ferry was a great way to get to Sweden, but Danish ferries "DFDS" stopped the route and it is now a very long drive through Europe to get to Sweden.
Portsmouth, Bilbao, is a great way to get to Spain, off the ferry and straight into Spain and no long drive through France.
It is a great shame we have lost so many ferry routes.
Nothing, it’s lovely, it leaves at 8.30 in the morning. We always use it if we can. We’re on it 3 weeks today in fact. Coming back wasn’t convenient so we’re doing Cherbourg to Portsmouth which isn’t quite as handy. We love Poole if we can get a crossing as it’s only an hour from home but it only runs for part of the year.Well we are heading to France for the first time in September going from Poole to cherbourg. Not one person mentioned going from Poole, hardly a ringing endorsement
Whats wrong with the Poole to cherbourg route?
During our 39 years of caravanning and motorhoming we have ALWAYS used ferries, including Sally (remember them?) and, Speedferries (oh dear oh dear), Seafrance, DFDS and for the last 5 years P&O - all from Kent ports. BUT………. the pricing structure of the ferries (and the ar******s at P&O means we now use Eurotunnel regardless of whether we take the car or the Motorhome - far better value for money!
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