Travel from Ireland to France or Spain

[Teamin]

Trying to plan a trip for next year in June.
A number of years ago there was a guy in Belfast loaded bikes onto a curtain side lorry, you caught a flight and met you in Bordeaux or Geneva.
Sadly cancer caught up with him and a crackin spud he was.
It was great because it worked out about the same expense as riding down, but meant that you had more time on the bike, in an area you wanted to get to.
Does anyone know of somebody doing similar transport from Ireland?

 

[landmarkjohn]

Try Overlanders

 

[Hairnet600]

this

if you have the time to bimble down through france

even from here its worth the trip to gorey

but rosslare bilbao the one you want surely

 

[Mzokk]

Roslare to Bilbao is a lovely trip and you can get straight into the hills within 15 minutes off the boat.

 

[Flintlock]

This might help with your planning

https://adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52306&_gl=1*9lmnaw*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTkyNjA4MTkxOS4xNzgzNjMzMzgy*_ga_LVJDHLPXC0*czE3ODM2MzMzODEkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODM2MzMzOTIkajQ5JGwwJGgwJGRIY0xLV2tlWFZiSWxjZFkzcldEMEI5M0N6c0ItX25RVVhB

 

[shuck raider]

Trying to plan a trip for next year in June.
A number of years ago there was a guy in Belfast loaded bikes onto a curtain side lorry, you caught a flight and met you in Bordeaux or Geneva.
Sadly cancer caught up with him and a crackin spud he was.
It was great because it worked out about the same expense as riding down, but meant that you had more time on the bike, in an area you wanted to get to.
Does anyone know of somebody doing similar transport from Ireland?

That was Andy Bolton, great guy and sadly missed. I did 4 trips with him - Geneva twice and Bordeaux twice. He parked the trucks at a hotel and once unloaded you buggered off for a week then back to the trucks. I've used Overlanders to Germany twice - paid for a one-way trip and rode the bike home through Germany or France. For a few quid extra, they picked up the bike from McCallen's in Lisburn, not sure if they still do that?

 

[redcap0006]

Trying to plan a trip for next year in June.
A number of years ago there was a guy in Belfast loaded bikes onto a curtain side lorry, you caught a flight and met you in Bordeaux or Geneva.
Sadly cancer caught up with him and a crackin spud he was.
It was great because it worked out about the same expense as riding down, but meant that you had more time on the bike, in an area you wanted to get to.
Does anyone know of somebody doing similar transport from Ireland?

Overlanders operate from the south east, bike dropped to them and collected after the event, two days used if living far away. Rossalare to Bilbao is a great inexpensive way to Spain. Only recently discovered it, no more crossing the uk for me.

 

[Teamin]

This might help with your planning

https://adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52306&_gl=1*9lmnaw*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTkyNjA4MTkxOS4xNzgzNjMzMzgy*_ga_LVJDHLPXC0*czE3ODM2MzMzODEkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODM2MzMzOTIkajQ5JGwwJGgwJGRIY0xLV2tlWFZiSWxjZFkzcldEMEI5M0N6c0ItX25RVVhB

Brilliant, thank you

 

[Teamin]

That was Andy Bolton, great guy and sadly missed. I did 4 trips with him - Geneva twice and Bordeaux twice. He parked the trucks at a hotel and once unloaded you buggered off for a week then back to the trucks. I've used Overlanders to Germany twice - paid for a one-way trip and rode the bike home through Germany or France. For a few quid extra, they picked up the bike from McCallen's in Lisburn, not sure if they still do that?

Andy was a real gent and very professional setup. I did tree trips with him.

 

[Jockser]

Andy, a proper gent as said, brought my bike to Geneva for the first of my trips with my sons. We spent 3 weeks riding around before making our own way home. When it was my middle son's turn the late Phil "Gunner" Gunn brought the bike to Geneva & we did a different trip. It was cold in the Alps & didn't look like improving so we headed straight into Italy, my first time in the Dolomites, before making our own way home.
Eventually it was the youngest lads turn & this time we made our own way over & were scheduled to meet Andy at to get the bike home. Unfortunately we had a final drive failure on the Grossglockner & never made the rendezvous. We did though get a hire car from the insurance company so we got to the Dolomites again

I've always found Nutt Travel the best for booking ferries to either France or Spain. Staff are friendly & efficient and it's easy to make changes

 

[Teamin]

Andy, a proper gent as said, brought my bike to Geneva for the first of my trips with my sons. We spent 3 weeks riding around before making our own way home. When it was my middle son's turn the late Phil "Gunner" Gunn brought the bike to Geneva & we did a different trip. It was cold in the Alps & didn't look like improving so we headed straight into Italy, my first time in the Dolomites, before making our own way home.
Eventually it was the youngest lads turn & this time we made our own way over & were scheduled to meet Andy at to get the bike home. Unfortunately we had a final drive failure on the Grossglockner & never made the rendezvous. We did though get a hire car from the insurance company so we got to the Dolomites again

I've always found Nutt Travel the best for booking ferries to either France or Spain. Staff are friendly & efficient and it's easy to make changes

Thanks Jockser, you have just reminded me of Nutt Travel, haven't heard that name for years.

I was meant to go on the last trip with Andy before he died.
It has struck me that the last thing he did in the last week or so of his life, was that he made sure everyone got their refund.

 

[neiljitsu]

The bilbao ferry is great, northern Spain is an amazing place to ride a bike, picos, San Sebastian etc. The departing ferry from Rosslare leaves in the morning so you have a full day on it and when you rise you can see Spain, coming back is a slog it's an evening departure and it feels like you spend 2 days on the boat. Cabin essential.
It is always full of bikers so there are always plenty like minded souls to have a chat with.

 

[gspod]

We got the Cherbourg to Rosslare boat a couple of years ago, which was excellent.
Incidentally it was a lot cheaper than Cherbourg to Portsmouth - so much so that it worked out cheaper to ferry hop: Cherbourg/Rosslare/Fishguard than direct. Obviously that’s ferry fares only.

 

[Aidan1150]

The bilbao ferry is great, northern Spain is an amazing place to ride a bike, picos, San Sebastian etc. The departing ferry from Rosslare leaves in the morning so you have a full day on it and when you rise you can see Spain, coming back is a slog it's an evening departure and it feels like you spend 2 days on the boat. Cabin essential.
It is always full of bikers so there are always plenty like minded souls to have a chat with.

Slight correction of you don't mind @neiljitsu The Rosslare Bilbao ferry runs twice weekly from Rosslare, 9am on a Wednesday morning getting into Bilbao at 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon. The Friday sailing leaves Rosslare at 23.59pm and docks on Sunday morning at 8am.

 

[neiljitsu]

Slight correction of you don't mind @neiljitsu The Rosslare Bilbao ferry runs twice weekly from Rosslare, 9am on a Wednesday morning getting into Bilbao at 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon. The Friday sailing leaves Rosslare at 23.59pm and docks on Sunday morning at 8am.

Correction accepted, it's been a couple of years since I sailed.

 

[Aidan1150]

My job involves making ferry bookings for a small fleet of trucks. I would usually have a truck on that sailing most Friday nights which is how I know the timings. In fact I have one on it tomorrow night.

 

[wessie]

My job involves making ferry bookings for a small fleet of trucks. I would usually have a truck on that sailing most Friday nights which is how I know the timings. In fact I have one on it tomorrow night.

is the driver paid for loafing about on a ferry for all of Saturday or does it count as a day off?

 

[Aidan1150]

is the driver paid for loafing about on a ferry for all of Saturday or does it count as a day off?

Our guys are paid for a flat week so yes they are paid whilst onboard. Being on a ferry for 24 hours or more constitutes their weekly rest period which is very handy. Theoretically they are still in charge of and responsible for their vehicles, but given that they are not allowed below decks that doesn't really apply.