cheaper ferries?

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Aug 21st, '06, 06:19

any one know if i can get a cheaper ferry to france from the southwest (plymouth,weymouth,poole) ? as i cant be assed to ride to the southeast where all the cheape ones are as im planing on touring the west coast of france.
i know mcn and some of the bike mags used to have some offer codes for ferry booking

is it cheaper if i just turn up on the day?

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Aug 21st, '06, 16:56

270 notes

from plymouth to roscoff for second week in sept for two+a bike
im sure theres a better deal than that?

N_Collins · Post by **N_Collins** » Aug 21st, '06, 19:35

I've payed £140ish for this weekend for 2 + 1 bike from plymouth to roscoff if that helps.

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Aug 21st, '06, 19:54

where did you book that and is that a overnight ferry?

age · Post by **age** » Aug 21st, '06, 20:17

I go Dover - Dunkerque in the car for £60

Age

N_Collins · Post by **N_Collins** » Aug 21st, '06, 20:34

baz-R wrote:where did you book that and is that a overnight ferry?

Overnight crossing there and day crossing back both with cabins. I cheated a bit and got me mum to do it through Brittany Ferries online.

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Aug 21st, '06, 20:53

yes thats where i tryed with a cabin there and none back as its a day crossing!

Post by **TLS-Moose** » Aug 22nd, '06, 00:57

In the past I have variously used Plymouth-Roscoff, Poole-Cherbourg, Portsmouth-Caen, Portsmouth-Le Havre, Portsmouth-St. Malo, Newhaven-Dunkerque, Dover-Calais, Dover-Boulogne, Dover-Zeebrugge, and one thing common is that the further you are from Dover, the more expensive it is!! Brittany ferries being the worst for not offering discounts....

P&O used to offer deals if you rang up and quoted MCN readers offers - dunno if any of the other bike mags are offering deals?

Also try web-based bucket shops such as "Leisure Direction" - just type "cheap channel ferries" into a search system ..... Teletext (ITV) is also good (used to be around page 218 ?)

As a general rule, as with airline flights, nowadays the best deals with the ferries are ones where you either book a long way ahead, or very last minute.

Poole-Cherbourg is a nice trip - take the overnight ferry out and you land around 6.00am and the ride down the western side of the Cherbourg peninsula is awesome on a nice day

Portsmouth-Caen is also good, as it cuts about 60-70 miles out, but the ride home from Portsmouth is a pig on a bad day .......

St. Malo is a nice place to go into, but it's a looooong crossing

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Aug 22nd, '06, 17:42

thanks moose

divymarie · Post by **divymarie** » Sep 1st, '06, 19:10

don't know if it's much help but heard of a site called ferrysaver.com ? they give you the best deal. And I confirm Brittany ferries is a rip off ! the most expensive of all. You can get a decent price if you go for a weekend or less than five days, after the prices go sky high ! Paid more than 500 for the car, 4 kids and one pet !!!! everybody tells me I'm crazy but I live in Plymouth and the place I went on holiday was an hour away from Roscoff ! No point in going to Dover then going down again !

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Sep 22nd, '06, 20:05

got back last weekend and had a good time in the la rochelle area found a nice road near royan heading north to the ile de oleron (d25) trough a forest (big sweepers) i expect you know it mouse. but spent most of it eating and drinking and a little relaxing inbetween
a apparahotel chain called maeva was good and thay seem to be all over france and spain and would use them again.
330 miles in one go was a bit much but the good old bm was good as gold and no achs and pains either! just a 2min stop for fuel.