Ferry or Tunnel? What's your Choice???

  • Thread starter Thread starter tichxx
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which ever is cheapest at the time :nenau

When I'm on my hols I dont like to rush anyway
 
The ferry every time :thumb2

It's always been cheaper and, on a bike, you just turn up at Dover/Calais and there is always a ferry within 30 mins of getting there - I've never yet booked in advance.

But, more importantly for me, it's a 'head' thing - it's the start of the holiday for me. A chance to kick back, stretch my legs and just just get my holliday head on.

Andres
 
Not meaning to hijack the thread in any way but how do you strap your bike down, on the side stand or mainstand on a R1200GS? Do they just throw a strap over the seat?
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For years I would get it up (oo err missus) on the centre stand. The ferry operator I tend to use these days, LD Lines, insist on the machine being on the side stand, with the wheels chocked. The argument being it would be unable to roll off stand: if the sea state was so rough for that to be a real threat I doubt whether I would care, prefering death to take me away from my misery!

As for preference; ferry, nearer to home and riding is more of a pleasure in France than the journey through England to the Tunnel.
 
Ferry absolutely every time. I've tried the tunnel a few times and found the organisation was shambolic compared with P&O. It may be better these days but I've had too many bad experiences. 45mins to Dover, straight to the front of the queue, first on, bike on SIDESTAND and properly strapped down (NEVER any damage) and first in the cafe for a cup of coffee. A good start to a holiday. An hour too early or an hour late - "No problem Sir, we'll get you on the next one". Try doing that at the tunnel.
 
Living in the north, Hull to Zeebrugge wins every time. Easy ride there beats fighting my way to Kent. Beer on the boat (with dodgy entertainment) and there's the added bonus of a good breakfast and hitting Belgium at 8.30am, ready for a full day. If I went to the tunnel or Dover I waste day one and then need to find somewhere to stay in northern France.
The only downside is landing on the return crossing in rush hour Hull! It wasn't fun filtering through that lot with no clutch, all the time looking out for Prescott so I didn't miss the chance to flick him the Vs!
 
ricardo said:
Living in the north, Hull to Zeebrugge wins every time. Easy ride there beats fighting my way to Kent. Beer on the boat (with dodgy entertainment) and there's the added bonus of a good breakfast and hitting Belgium at 8.30am, ready for a full day. If I went to the tunnel or Dover I waste day one and then need to find somewhere to stay in northern France.
The only downside is landing on the return crossing in rush hour Hull! It wasn't fun filtering through that lot with no clutch, all the time looking out for Prescott so I didn't miss the chance to flick him the Vs!
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Not just a good breakfast, but a bloody good evening buffet meal too!

Its only the cost that puts me off, still you do have to weigh in how much it costs to ride down to the coast and back, thats a 530 miles round trip alone for me :(
 
Paul Rochdale said:
Ferry absolutely every time ... An hour too early or an hour late - "No problem Sir, we'll get you on the next one". Try doing that at the tunnel.
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Have to disagree with you there, Paul. Had to pay a £60 surcharge to P&O last summer for turning up in Calais 90 mins late. They had changed to an "budget airline" booking system and treated the later ferry home as a brand new booking. I hear from friends who work there that this has been modified slightly since, but they are still whacking big surcharges where booked ferries are missed.

I travel on the tunnel several times each month (in a car, for work) so for me a bike trip for pleasure used to involve the ferry. I also enjoyed the comfort break from riding the Eurotunnel terminal from home - an arduous 5 min journey. :D Now I stick with Eurotunnel. It's a shame because the holiday really began with the big breakfast in Langhan's on the ferry.
 
Tunnel for me too for convenience and speed of crossing,

'cept Norfolk ferries do very cheap crossings and they don't rent you the continent, with the tunnel, the longer you go for the more expensive the ticket.:eek:
 
Tunnel for me by choice - by the time I've done the crossing from the island, and ridden to the south coast, it's onto the tunnel, off the other end and fall into the F1 in Coquelles :thumb2 Helps that for both trips in 2006 the Tunnel crossing was about £60 return, against the Steam Racket's £90 return :spitfire

Helps that I'm not as good a sailor as I was when a kid, but may be taking the Poole-Cherbourg crossing in September, as I'll be down in Dartmoor for a long weekend anyway (AT club meet). Hence scouring this section of this fair forum :D
 
Usually the ferry for us as a family because the sprog enjoys it more and we could have a break and get a meal. Tried the tunnel a few years back but found them incredibly inflexible if we were early or late which put us off. I reckon the food's got worse on the ferry though and my daughter's glued to her Nintendo nowadays so we tried the tunnel again last week. Four hour delay due to technical reasons :spitfire The ferry's were delayed due to bad weather anyway so we'd have been late either way. Not much to choose between them I reckon. The jet boat thingy was OK when I tried that on a calm day.

I just wish the tunnel had been for road vehicles - I think I'd risk the dangers!
 
cookie said:
i like the tunnel, but they built it in the wrong place.
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I prefer the Tunnel and use it a few times a year. Luckily when they blighted Kent with the high speed link and devasted two villages to build the terminal itself it was over the hill from where I live.

All the convenience but none of the light and noise pollution and the traffic everywhere....
 
I have to say I don't mind either, though the tunnel is a bit quicker.:beer:
 
A couple of years ago, I took the ferry from Plymouth to Santander and hated it.
Luckily we had only booked one way.
We came back via the tunnel & rolled up there at 1am.
THe nice lady at the ticket box wanted to charge us £90, but after a little sweet talking, she put us on a day return ticket for £42 (I think):thumb2

I have a trip planed to France at the end of June and am wondering about trying the same. Roll up, ask for day return and the same on the way back.
Anyone tried this I wonder?
The problem with them seems that if you want flexability,, you have to pay a premium.

Mike.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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