Alternative route(s) to mainland Europe, advice & comments please.

MF2002

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Hi Folks,

Contemplating alternative channel crossings to avoid Calais on our 'Snowbird' journey, we're in no hurry to get there so time / distance is not a major concern.

Does anyone have any advice / experience / tips on crossing to Rotterdam, Bruges, Zeebrugge, Roscoff, St Malo or any other port?

Does anyone have any advice / experience / tips on wildcamping in Holland (The Netherlands) or Belgium.

Finally - I think the answer's "mostly" but given the majority of campsites seem to close for winter.- are the aires in France open all year round.

Thanks

F
 
You could check out sailings between Dover and Boulogne.
 
As it appears the lorries getting through, why are you avoiding Calais? Will be going Dover/ Calais end of September and unless a migrant wants to go south foresee no problems.
Most of the Aires will remain open, only those with barriers may close, but water may be turned off.
Enjoy your trip.
 
We found that some of the Aires we stayed on in France in Jan to be open, i.e. you could get in and park, but the water had been turned off (to prevent freezing/broken pipes). To be fair - at, e.g Perigeaux, where it was just a place to park because the water was off, there was no charge.
 
Newhaven Dieppe

Try Newhaven Dieppe if going south, what extra ferry fare you pay will compensate in diesel.
Have an enjoyable trip.
 
We go Dover to Calais on the 10th september, i will report how it goes :drive:
 
We have crossed Hull/ Rotterdam and Hull/Zebrugge. More expensive crossing but big saving in mileage and time when travelling from the north.
Overnight crossing with food, entertainment and a good nights sleep leaving you fresh and safe for the days drive.
 
I would use Newhaven - Dieppe or if traveling North use Dover - Dunkirk. There is no point in risking Calais as none of us have any idea when it is going to kick off there again, and sooner or later it will. So avoid it if possible for the time being. Most of the French aires will be open through the Winter, but the water may well be turned off. No problem, just find another the next day, and if the worst comes to the worst just go and buy gallons of ordinary bottled water, cheap as chips in France, and just pour that in your tanks.
 
MF2002 said:
<snip>Does anyone have any advice / experience / tips on crossing to Rotterdam, Bruges, Zeebrugge, Roscoff, St Malo or any other port?
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Looking at Brittany Ferries' routes, unless you wish to visit the West Country and/or Brittany, I would not suggest Plymouth/Roscoff because of the extra mileage involved in both the UK and France.

We regularly use Poole/Cherbourg outbound because it's a conveniently timed daytime crossing (avoiding the overnight premium); it's possible to sleep in the vehicle check-in lanes the night before and arrival in Cherbourg early afternoon gives time for shopping if required and driving in daylight.
By car, we used to cross Portsmouth/Saint-Malo overnight, but with the benefit of both plenty of time and our own mobile accommodation we no longer consider this more expensive option.
I've occasionally wondered about the Portsmouth/Cherbourg high-speed service but it's not available when we leave on our spring trip and in adverse conditions is likely to be either uncomfortable or cancelled.
Portsmouth/Ouistreham (or as Brittany Ferries insist on calling it, Portsmouth/Caen, but they don't lock in to the canal to go up to Caen): we've used this outbound once. with the motorhome, on an afternoon crossing; not particularly keen on the late arrival in France. Next time, I'd look at overnighting in Portsmouth and getting the early morning crossing. Used it a number of times inbound with the car, generally overnight when the coast of the cabin and the advantage of an early morning arrival could be set against the cost of a hotel and a less attractive arrival time for the onward journey.
With the motorhome, we've tended to return Saint-Malo/Portsmouth because we're normally on the west side of France, so it minimises mileage, and we've found a very nice place nearby for our last night in France.
I've no experience of BF's Economie service Portsmouth/Le Havre; it would take us much further east than we really want to go (and the wrong side of the Seine estuary).

BF are not cheap, but we find that their ports are conveniently located for us on both sides of the Channel and the ferries are excellent.

Tom
 
Newhaven Dieppe seems to stop at 5m long motorhomes on the website

What happens with an 8m long one?
 
mossypossy said:
Newhaven Dieppe seems to stop at 5m long motorhomes on the website

What happens with an 8m long one?
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Ours is 7Mtrs and we just booked online using the max available there (I think it was 6.5). When we got to the port there were MH's longer than ours and nothing was said.
 
Avoiding Calais

shortcircuit said:
why are you avoiding Calais?
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Visiting relatives in W England on the way to Spain.

Don't really want to go to SE England & M25 to cross and then head West again, plus we've done the crossing to Calais 4 times and thought a change would be nice.... or go east, cross and go down through Belgium, cross further West or go to Eire and cross to Spain from there (this one we've kind of ruled out -although we might go Spain - Eire when we return to Scotland next year).

Thanks to all for the replies
 
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I purchase water from local supermarket, €1 for 5 ltrs . With each having a shower etc we would use about 8/9 ltrs a day so no big deal.
 
There's always a price to pay. Either the extra ferry costs or fuel costs. I'm using the Plymouth/Roscoff route in September and the difference in the fare will more than cover what i would have paid in fuel. If it's sun you're after then the Santander crossing will get you there quicker but again - it's expensive.

I came over in December via Calais and I do rather wish I'd taken a ferry to get further south quicker. Getting water was the biggest problem, it was down to Bordeaux before we found an aire with water turned on. LIDL saved the day with their 60cent for a gallon water but it was a bit of a pain.
 
Bill Posters said:
There's always a price to pay. Either the extra ferry costs or fuel costs. I'm using the Plymouth/Roscoff route in September and the difference in the fare will more than cover what i would have paid in fuel. If it's sun you're after then the Santander crossing will get you there quicker but again - it's expensive.

I came over in December via Calais and I do rather wish I'd taken a ferry to get further south quicker. Getting water was the biggest problem, it was down to Bordeaux before we found an aire with water turned on. LIDL saved the day with their 60cent for a gallon water but it was a bit of a pain.
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That's very interesting. Your ferry plus fuel cost to say Bordeaux will be the same as your fuel cost Calais/Dover(Edit + channel crossing fare)? You must also reside near Plymouth?

Edit again. I find it difficult to find it cheaper. Same date Plymouth/ Roscoff £239, Dover/Calais £56 so £183 more expensive. Fuel Roscoff/Bordeaux £77, Calais/Bordeaux £116 so £39 more in fuel. Overall £144 dearer by ferry and I would have additional fuel/time to get to Plymouth.
 
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It all depends how much time you have and where you want to go. We regularly winter in south-east Spain but take a different route each time and take about 6 to 8 weeks to get there. We love France (if it was warmer in winter we probably wouldn't often get as far as Spain!). This winter we will be taking the Plymouth-Roscoff ferry and going via Portugal. The ferry costs more than the Channel route but the distance down the west coast of France is over 100 miles less. Swings and roundabouts.
 
Newhaven to Dieppe do a 20% discount for over 60s which brings the cost down.

The aires vary in winter time. If you find water always top up. Don't go too low.
 
shortcircuit said:
That's very interesting. Your ferry plus fuel cost to say Bordeaux will be the same as your fuel cost Calais/Dover(Edit + channel crossing fare)? You must also reside near Plymouth?

Edit again. I find it difficult to find it cheaper. Same date Plymouth/ Roscoff £239, Dover/Calais £56 so £183 more expensive. Fuel Roscoff/Bordeaux £77, Calais/Bordeaux £116 so £39 more in fuel. Overall £144 dearer by ferry and I would have additional fuel/time to get to Plymouth.
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No. I live on the Isle of Man! So many miles to travel to get to Plymouth. I've always gone from Calais but this time I wanted to do something completely different. It doesn't really matter where I leave the UK from - it's always a lot of travelling to get there.

In September I'm going to Roscoff in Brittany in the hope of spending some time in Brittany before the weather turns.

I'm not sure there is a ferry to Bordeaux, I only used that city to reference where the first water was available on an aire.
 
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