Ferry to Spain?

I prefer Plymouth - Santander because it's much quicker, Plymouth is closer to home for me and the Pont Aven is a superb modern ship. I've been on it six times now and can't fault it. However, I've never sailed Portsmouth - Bilbao. :thumb2
 
If your looking to book accomadation over there as well look at this thread.
No matter how I worked it I couldnt get return crossing for 2 people, 2 berth cabin and bike and 3 nights hotel for less than £620.
When I called them and spoke to them explaining someone had posted on a website how he got it for £480 and read her his post she fiddled around and it came back as £380 all in and that was with a better cabin.

Oh and that was Plymouth to Santander on Brittany ferries.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1340043#post1340043
 
The P&O option was fine.

Although it's a lot of hours on the boat, the way they're scheduled makes it convenient.

Get on in the evening, bar and cabaret - night's sleep - full day followed by evening bar and cabaret - night's sleep and a nice early landing in Spain.

If you were to motor down instead you'd need to factor in a full day of riding and also a night's accommodation so the way I see it, it just means you have to leave the UK on the (say) Thursday evening rather than Friday morning.

The thing I wasn't expecting, and which was a bit odd, was that although it's a ferry, and I assumed that meant that people used it for getting from A to B, in fact they also sell it as a short 'cruise'.

So your fellow passengers aren't so much 'intrepid desert-boud explorers' so much as 'drink all the duty-free you can whilst wearing your matching family Liverpool FC shirts..'.

It's not the Dream Boat, put it that way. :D

Paul G
 
Definitely Santander - newer/cleaner/quicker and IIRC from last time I went (3 years ago) cheaper altho this might not now be the case
 
Just looked it up -

Last Easter, 2 people, 1 bike, internal cabin, fuel surcharge, return = £374


Paul G
 
The thing I wasn't expecting, and which was a bit odd, was that although it's a ferry, and I assumed that meant that people used it for getting from A to B, in fact they also sell it as a short 'cruise'.

So your fellow passengers aren't so much 'intrepid desert-boud explorers' so much as 'drink all the duty-free you can whilst wearing your matching family Liverpool FC shirts..'.

It's not the Dream Boat, put it that way. :D

Paul G
We saw lots of matching slogan t-shirts as well as the football "supporters".

When I planned the trip I did Portsmouth - Bilbao as I wanted Calais - Dover on the way back. As there was >10 of us we came into the "Rally" pricing which made a massive difference to the cost.
 
Thanks. I'm actually working on a trip next May (!) and wanted to get the opinions of users rather than just ££'s from the websites.

Living in Kent Portsmouth would be closer but if the crossing is so long it seems sense to ride a few hours extra and go from Plymouth?
 
I choose the Portsmouth - Bilbao as it allows me to work the day the ferry departs, as it is only a short stint from London and leaves late. It then puts you in Spain nice and early.

Fringe benefits are the evening cabaret and the bingo :D:D
 
We've just booked Plymouth Santander with Brittany for June, I've looked at the P&O route, but it just takes extra time we can't afford to waste.

Mind, if the food is as good as the P&O Hull-Zeebrugge run, well that might be differant :augie
 
I choose the Portsmouth - Bilbao as it allows me to work the day the ferry departs, as it is only a short stint from London and leaves late. It then puts you in Spain nice and early.

Agreed, whether I spend that first night in my own bed or on the ferry makes no difference, so the differential in the ferry times was not important

Fringe benefits are the evening cabaret and the bingo :D:D

I wonder whether that lovely girl's still part of the dance troupe.....:thumb
 
I had a quick "price-up" and for the comparable week in 2008 that I want to be away in 2009 that covers the BH and is sadly school half-term, Brittany was £350 and P&O £428. Quite a big of difference in the scheme of things.
 
not much use now as the route has been removed from the tesco offers but we managed to book ours using Tesco tokens - club cabin one way for end of July - zilch pounds. I really must stop shopping at Tescos.... why they removed this deal I do not know.
 
Which Ferry

Three times now on the Plymouth to Santander route.Can't fault it 'tho the price has gone up year on year (as expected.:)
 
Portsmouth to Bilbao is more like a 'benidorm on sea' :eek:

Two nights aboard with good whale watching but don't use the bar at the 'front' of the boat - fat, tattooed women drinking from 8am till 8am the next day :eek:

Use the bar at the other end of the boat - much more cultured and dignified :thumb

Remember, the Bay of Biscay can be very, very rough even in high summer :rolleyes:
 
Remember, the Bay of Biscay can be very, very rough even in high summer :rolleyes:

yeah last summer lynda and i were seasick from the moment we left santander til the next afternoon - horrible feeling. Even the staff on the boat were sick!
Have vowed to stick to the French motorway rather than face that again!
 
The Pont Aven used on much of the Plymouth Santander route through the year is the flagship ship in Brittany Ferries fleet and it really is very nice. Pre book a table on the 6.15 sitting in Le Flora and you get a nice three course meal for about £20 in nice surroundings. Then after dinner go to the cinema - their are two - and catch a movie. Follow that with a nightcap in the bar, head to a comfy cabin then when you wake up , enjoy a nice breakfast and you are in Spain. :thumb2

Assuming the Bay of Biscay is calm of course :augie
 
yeah last summer lynda and i were seasick from the moment we left santander til the next afternoon - horrible feeling. Even the staff on the boat were sick!
Have vowed to stick to the French motorway rather than face that again!

I've never suffered from ful-on seasickness (thank God) on hundreds of ferry trips from Dover, but the motion on the P&O boat ws different. A much slower rolling motion, even though the weather was pretty good. What made it worse was lying down at night "across" the boat. Each roll with my head down had me convinced the boat was just about to capsize. Stand up and you realise it's just a normal roll, combined with the excessive beer from the cabaret night.
 
yeah last summer lynda and i were seasick from the moment we left santander til the next afternoon - horrible feeling. Even the staff on the boat were sick!
Have vowed to stick to the French motorway rather than face that again!

I must be lucky I've travelled Plymoth to Santander twice now (one way only) during May and both crossings have been 'dead calm':thumb
 
Dover Calais you are only seasick for one hour and you don't see one dunk scouser all the way down on the roads through France:p:p:gringo
 


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