# Ferry to France



## pamjon (Dec 1, 2022)

We booked our Ferry Newhaven Dieppe, we don't like the 4hr crossing but by the time we have worked everything out the actual crossing comes at £18.
We used to like the tunnel but as they don't do the Frequent Traveller now not interested.
Sorry reposted this as I could not find it properly.
PJ


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## trevskoda (Dec 1, 2022)

Cost more for a taxi here, about 3/400 to get off this green patch.


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## Millie Master (Dec 1, 2022)

If it wasn't for taking our 3 spaniels with us each time, I would definitely use the Newhaven/Dieppe ferry as after our quite long drive down, this crossing allows us to totally unwind and have a darned good meal in a relaxed atmosphere safe in the knowledge that there are unlikely to be too many marauding screaming brats running crazy around all decks of the boat!!

I always use this route when going down to Le Mans for the classic races.


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## Moonraker 2 (Dec 1, 2022)

Are you really telling us a van and two people cost £18 Newhaven to Dieppe.


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## pamjon (Dec 1, 2022)

Well, in this instance yes.
I will explain.  
Normally we go Dover - Calais average £130 one way but we are not taking that into account.
The Ferry fare from Newhaven Dieppe is £75, then take off your 20% as we older than 60yrs. That takes it down to £60. Then take off the diesel cost from Calais to Rouen. At 30 to the gallon which we get is £30 which brings the crossing down to £30. Then, which is optional, but we always did, was the motorway from Boulogne to Rouen 12 euros toll. we have always done this first section of motorway as we stopped at the Baie de la Somme motorway aire  for our first night as it was safe and convenient as there was also free water and showers if needed. We have  done this for the past 18years.
So, therefore this ferry crossing works out at £18 when you deduct all the extras we are not paying for.
In actual fact if we did take into the equation the price of Dover to Calais it is really cheap.
ok, it is a 4hr crossing which we dislike but it is 3hrs from Calais to Rouen and at Dieppe you can park within 5 mins of the Ferry.
PJ


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## BOTCANU (Dec 1, 2022)

Always prefer a leisurely crossing myself , relax 2 or 3 pints , couple of travel tablets and out for the count et voila in France


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## trevskoda (Dec 1, 2022)

What are travel tablets.


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## mark61 (Dec 1, 2022)

trevskoda said:


> What are travel tablets.


Horse pills help with travel


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## Millie Master (Dec 1, 2022)

BOTCANU said:


> Always prefer a leisurely crossing myself , relax 2 or 3 pints , couple of travel tablets and out for the count et voila in France


2 or 3 pints, sleeping or rest pills and then you going to drive..................... way hay Johnie Gendarme will be looking out for you, please tread carefully as those buggers are more than a tad ruthless!!


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## Wooie1958 (Dec 2, 2022)

Millie Master said:


> 2 or 3 pints, sleeping or rest pills and then you going to drive..................... way hay Johnie Gendarme will be looking out for you, please tread carefully as those buggers are more than a tad ruthless!!



My thought exactly


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## BOTCANU (Dec 2, 2022)

It’s only on the night crossings and it’s only Kroneborg. Used to drinking Mcewens Champion and Big Job at 7.6%


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## Millie Master (Dec 2, 2022)

BOTCANU said:


> It’s only on the night crossings and it’s only Kroneborg. Used to drinking Mcewens Champion and Big Job at 7.6%



My suggestion is that if you insist on drinking so much prior to starting a journey on the opposite side of the road, even if you are very experienced at doing so, then buy yourself some self testing kits so as to check you are nowhere even close to the limit.

Statistics clearly prove that so many accidents of holiday makers happen within only a very limited number of kms. of the arrival point and believe me, the Gendarmes are looking for this and the very first thing they will do is to test your breath, even if you are involved but not the cause of the accident!


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## jagmanx (Dec 2, 2022)

The tunnel everytime for us.
We are happy to drive.
4 hours on a ferry is too long (for us)
Etc etc however i  do not dispute the economics or those who can enjoy the ferry
But money is there to spend and enjoy


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## mark61 (Dec 2, 2022)

jagmanx said:


> The tunnel everytime for us.
> We are happy to drive.
> 4 hours on a ferry is too long (for us)
> Etc etc however i  do not dispute the economics or those who can enjoy the ferry
> But money is there to spend and enjoy


 Same here. Usually do a very late crossing and make a few hour use of empty roads.


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## r4dent (Dec 2, 2022)

pamjon said:


> Well, in this instance yes.
> I will explain.
> Normally we go Dover - Calais average £130 one way but we are not taking that into account.
> The Ferry fare from Newhaven Dieppe is £75, then take off your 20% as we older than 60yrs. That takes it down to £60. Then take off the diesel cost from Calais to Rouen. At 30 to the gallon which we get is £30 which brings the crossing down to £30. Then, which is optional, but we always did, was the motorway from Boulogne to Rouen 12 euros toll. we have always done this first section of motorway as we stopped at the Baie de la Somme motorway aire  for our first night as it was safe and convenient as there was also free water and showers if needed. We have  done this for the past 18years.
> ...



Which supports my argument that the best way to cross the water is:-

a) Decide what you want to do
b) Manipulate the costs to prove it is the cheapest way.


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## Moped (Dec 2, 2022)

We apply the same principle when travelling to Spain and the Santander ferry works out for us at just about the same cost as a ferry to France + diesel + tolls. We do have Spanish Club Voyage so 30% off the fare + free 3 course meal in restaurant + £20 of food spending allowance towards breakfast which does help.

We did look at Newhaven Dieppe on our return from France. On the way back from Narbonne we did it leisurely over 2 weeks and saved over €200 by avoiding motorway tolls + probably around €30 in diesel by slower driving and a more direct route using N roads rather than the zig zag motorway network within Normandy and around Le Mans.

The difference between Newhaven Dieppe and Caen Portsmouth was about £90 taking into account Club Voyage discount. But then we get a free day cabin on Brittany Ferries for a morning crossing worth £45.

The distance in France to either Dieppe or Caen from Narbonne was virtually the same so no fuel saving in France but Portsmouth saved us around £30 on diesel for our U.K. journey

And the Caen ferry departure times were more convenient.

So for us Caen it was.


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## Moped (Dec 2, 2022)

As an aside why hasn’t anybody produced an app that you can download into which you enter your U.K. start and foreign travel destination points and it then calculates the various route costs taking into account ferry charges for your vehicle, fuel consumption and motorway tolls and offering up trip time including appropriate rest breaks.

Actually maybe if such an app was available the costs when presented in black and white would put us off foreign travel forever so maybe not such a good idea.

But then wildcamping is so much easier than in the U.K. and campsites are cheaper and the weather is better so this all compensates!


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## Biggarmac (Dec 2, 2022)

Moped said:


> As an aside why hasn’t anybody produced an app that you can download into which you enter your U.K. start and foreign travel destination points and it then calculates the various route costs taking into account ferry charges for your vehicle, fuel consumption and motorway tolls and offering up trip time including appropriate rest breaks.
> 
> Actually maybe if such an app was available the costs when presented in black and white would put us off foreign travel forever so maybe not such a good idea.
> 
> But then wildcamping is so much easier than in the U.K. and campsites are cheaper and the weather is better so this all compensates!


You can use viamichelin to check the different routes.  It allows you to put your vehicle in so that costs can be calculated with reasonable accuracy.


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## Tezza33 (Dec 2, 2022)

Millie Master said:


> the Gendarmes are looking for this and the very first thing they will do is to test your breath, even if you are involved but not the cause of the accident!


I agree and also bear in mind the French drink-driving limit is 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood whereas ours in England is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml, I carry an AlcoSense Elite 3 Breathalyzer and don't drive without using it


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## mark61 (Dec 2, 2022)

Good grief, what’s the world come to. Listen! If you are drinking 2 or 3 bottles of JD to get to sleep, sure buy a breathalyser. On the other hand. if you are drinking 2 or 3 pints of Kronenborg to get to sleep, all you need is a potti.


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## Wooie1958 (Dec 3, 2022)

Reminds me of back in the olden days ( pre-Brexit    ) when white van man and all his mates and buddies were doing the booze and fags runs on P&O.

One particular return we ended up on the same bloody ferry ( late afternoon ) as a loads of them and watched 2 guys on the table next to us demolish a 24 pack of Carlsberg Special Brew between them on the 90 minute sailing from Calais back to Dover.

When they stood up they were staggering all over the place and it wasn`t the sea state it was like a mill pond, got down onto deck 5 and back in our motorhome then saw the same 2 guys get into 2 battered old transits just ahead of us that were on their arses and way over loaded    

Kept well away from them on the drive out of the port and how the hell they didn`t hit something gawd only knows


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## Millie Master (Dec 3, 2022)

Wooie1958 said:


> Reminds me of back in the olden days ( pre-Brexit    ) when white van man and all his mates and buddies were doing the booze and fags runs on P&O.
> 
> One particular return we ended up on the same bloody ferry ( late afternoon ) as a loads of them and watched 2 guys on the table next to us demolish a 24 pack of Carlsberg Special Brew between them on the 90 minute sailing from Calais back to Dover.
> 
> ...



I have seen exactly the same sort of thing in the past and have then contacted the emergency services and gave concise details to the police as to where they were driving etc., I then followed the guilty party at some distance and watched the boys in blue pulled them to a suitable location no doubt for search and check as well as breath tests!  Did I feel a sh*t for doing so, no not one bit of it!


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## alcam (Dec 3, 2022)

Wooie1958 said:


> Reminds me of back in the olden days ( pre-Brexit    ) when white van man and all his mates and buddies were doing the booze and fags runs on P&O.
> 
> One particular return we ended up on the same bloody ferry ( late afternoon ) as a loads of them and watched 2 guys on the table next to us demolish a 24 pack of Carlsberg Special Brew between them on the 90 minute sailing from Calais back to Dover.
> 
> ...


12 old school (9%) cans of special brew in 90 minutes?
Alcohol wise that would be the equivalent of 24 pints.
Most of us would end up in hospital with alcohol poisoning


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## yeoblade (Dec 3, 2022)

Tezza33 said:


> I agree and also bear in mind the French drink-driving limit is 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood whereas ours in England is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml, I carry an AlcoSense Elite 3 Breathalyzer and don't drive without using it


Gone are the times when every Frenchman would have a bottle of red at lunch time and amble along in his 2CV or Renault 4 after.


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## alcam (Dec 3, 2022)

yeoblade said:


> Gone are the times when every Frenchman would have a bottle of red at lunch time and amble along in his 2CV or Renault 4 after.


Think drinking and driving is mostly a thing of the past in most of western Europe. Still surprised at number of drivers (truckers , van drivers) having a couple of glasses (beer , wine) at lunchtime in Spain and France. 
Ask for wine with your menu del dia in Spain and they give you a bottle !


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