Newly discovered ferry route

[gspod]

Ironically we changed our plans and have decided to travel down through France. However, my sister has just come back from there and tells me that petrol is over £1.60 a litre. Of course the ferry fares have gone up in the meantime - should have booked earlier
Oh well three and a half weeks should be enough time

 

[Mrs Puffer]

Well I don't know where your sister bought her petrol in France, but at our local Super U petrol is about £1.40 and diesel around £1.20 per litre.

This is a very useful site for finding current prices for fuel in France.

http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/

Might be worth noting that Total fuel stations are always much more expensive than others.

 

[Watty100]

Superb posting, thanks for this, I've just booked Newhaven to Dieppe (leaving a day or so to meandour through northern France) then St Nazaire to Gijon with the bike including cabin an a really convenient overnight crossing (2100-1100) then back again about 9 days later all for £243!!! I cannot think that there is a better, cheaper and more relaxing way to get to the Pyrennees/ Picos. GSPod I will buy you abeer some day!

I used this crossing (from Gijon) 3 weeks ago, highly recommended BUT note that the internet booking times give 21:00hrs to 11:00hrs, when in fact the boat arrives at 12:00 midday. (The brochure I picked up on the boat gives the correct times). Worth noting just in case you are on a tight schedule when you get there. More importantly, beer on board was 3.40Euros/pint, cafe was good, on board shop not shop not much choice but whisky was cheap! We also had the biggest and most comfy cabin I've ever had on a ferry. Enjoy your trip.

 

[gspod]

That's good news and thanks for the link - I guess that was motorway prices. I remember from last year the difference in prices between garages was incredible.
I've never given fuel prices a second thought in the past but it's such a large slice of the holiday budget now

 

[Frontbrake]

Cost

Thanks for the heads up on this route. I have just booked for a crossing in the last week of August, just the single St Nazaire to Gijon. I'm travelling on my own on the GS and have a cabin booked and meeting some mates when I get there.
I went to book on the LD website and the price shown was £185. Made a call and spoke to a lady with a lovely French accent and the price for the same crossing was £123. Saved £62 by making a phone call!

Cheers . Alan

 

[gspod]

Nice tip Alan - is the number on the web site?

 

[Frontbrake]

Yes and its free . 0800 917 1201


Alan

 

[gspod]

 

[long-tall-round]

best route from UK

So..... if one was in the north of England.... persay.

What is the best UK port to leave from, ie least distance from in-coming and out going ports. (Seen France, and sick of crazy prices for Portsmouth-Santander etc

 

[long-tall-round]

what about UK-Jersey-St Malo and onwards???

NO probably $$$$$$$$$$

 

[John Armstrong]

So..... if one was in the north of England.... persay.

What is the best UK port to leave from, ie least distance from in-coming and out going ports. (Seen France, and sick of crazy prices for Portsmouth-Santander etc

One option, Hull - Zeebrugge / Rotterdam then two days mainly in France, then onto this ferry = leave say Friday pm = Monday morning in the Picos, and that might work well for those of us north of Hadrians Wall

 

[long-tall-round]

pO-sa

JUST HAD QUOTE FOR PORTSMOUTH TO SANTANDER FOR me and my bike £410 return.... bloody cheek. You can get same trip on foot for £110, how th 'ell does a bike take up £280 of room......

Seems that some bright spark in Portsmouth should book a sprinter van return every week and fill it full of bikes.... got to be a business there ain;t there?????

VOTE FOR SUBSIDISED FERRYS we have the right to leave this mud heap if we want. Great Lakes USA-Canada $100 for 3 nights and a cabin. (OK the food is all crap but its cheap crap)

Easy-ship......Ryan-float, lets buy a big ship and fook em all..... no frills we don't need frills, just a bunk and a £200 return on proper days like Friday nights or Sunday mornings. Thursday, Tuesday , WTF is that all about.
What ever happened to us ruling the god damn waves.


Brittania Ferries my RRRR's

 

[TonyG]

Italy / Greece ferry tolls much cheaper

Have a look at the cost of the ferry from Ancona, near the top end of Italy'a Adriatic, to Patra (Patras) in Greece. It is a similar distance but about half the price. Did it last July. bike, rider and passenger was less than £80 one way (down). Returning to England from France on the Chunnel, last week cost me more (one way). Rip off.

 

[Frontbrake]

Just got back on Sunday night. Took the ferry with LD Lines from Portsmouth/Le Havre arriving at about 1pm French time. Rode across to St Nazaire without using Motorways and arrived in plenty of time about 6pm, having stopped for coffee a couple of times. Had a bite to eat on the outskirts of St Nazaire and went to look for the ferry to Gijon. At this point I was quite pleased I had some time to spare. Took me an hour to find it! Top tip. Look for the big bridge, the ferry is just to the East of it. Nice comfy boat, had some grub and a couple of beers. Got up at about 9am, brekkie, wander round the boat and arrived on time at noon.
15 minutes from the port in to the Picos. Stunning
Will do this route again.

Cheers . Alan

 

[gspod]

Wish I had taken my own advice - hi-sided on some diesel in the rain half way down through France. Shoulder - A/C joint rupture, thank goodness my wife insists on good insurance. Will take the ferry next time
P.S The lesson we learned was if it is raining stick to the motor-way if possible

 

[Pansmiker]

Every year there is a debate on here about what insurance to / not to buy it would be helpful if you could share a bit more about your experience of the results of the accident...type of insurance etc.

It goes without saying that it is good to see you survived

 

[gspod]

Thanks
Will happily share my insurance experience - not sure where to put it on the forum though.

 

[Steptoe]

. Took me an hour to find it! Top tip. Look for the big bridge, the ferry is just to the East of it.

I found it easy enough, with even knowing where it was or knowing the address, i just followed the LD lines sign right up to the terminal ? . Just mind the pikey site on the entrance road.

Turned up at the St naz port without booking in advance and paid at the terminal, had to book a four berth cabin as all the two berths were gone, cost £4 extra .
Had three hours to kill so got talking to the very nice lady and ended up getting a return at reduced truckers rate = £80.

Bikes are last on board, but first off - but it has it's advantages. If you've paid for a two berth cabin and being last onboard find out that they've all gone you'll get given a four berth, as i did on my return.

 

[Wapping]

Thanks
Will happily share my insurance experience - not sure where to put it on the forum though.

The 1200 Technical Section, everything else goes there.

Failing that, a PM to Pansmiker should do the trick, I would guess.

 

[de crowe]

ferry france spain

How many miles from Calais if you don't use the ferry?

Had a quick look at the timetable and this service dove tails nicely with one of the ferries from Rosslare Ireland to Cherbourg France with plenty of hours to make the connection to Nantes/St Nazaire.