Ferry shock

[Moonraker 2]

Unfortunately I have not been to Spain since before covid and decided I needed to try again. I realised that prices would have gone up but it was a bit of a shock. £750 return to santander and that did not include a cabin.
I once thought the ferry was comparible with driving down, but I'm not convinced now. I could surely drive down for less than that, it's just the mileage and effort to think about.

 

[Trotter]

Add your fuel into that? You’d still need a ferry.
Nowt’s cheap

 

[mark61]

I think it's always been a bit cheaper to drive, but there are a lot of variables when you include servicing etc.
Anyway, there's never been that much in it. I've always driven, cause I like it, and I can do the trip faster if I time it right, plus I'm closer to Channel crossings.

 

[r4dent]

Driving down may involve Tolls and overnight stops and extra miles behind the wheel

Long distant ferry often involves relatively expensive meals , but gives extra time in Spain.

Out favorite was always the late night ferry from UK that involved two nights (and expensive meals on board but meant we were on Spanish Roads about 8:00 am.

WE have only driven once and that was coming home after my wife was medivacted from the ferry and by the time she was discharged there was no ferry from Bilbao for 6 weeks.

The journey back was a nightmare. We were rear ended by a Spanish artic and delayed for 5 hours waiting for Police and Recovery.
Our return to UK roads was equally dramatic when a load of illegals bailed from a truck 3 vehicles in front of us. It took 3 hours for the Police to search every vehicle before re-opening the motorway

How you get to Spain (and back) is very much a personal choice.
My advice is to decide what suits you best and then use maths to prove that it is the best.

.

 

[Wully]

We have booked for next Summer return trip for 3 passengers 9m van dog friendly cabin both ways and three passes to lounge £2200 and that’s an early bird ticket with the club voyage discount. Sore one but for me it’s about time and I suppose the punishment for buying a van the size of a small bungalow.

 

[Canalsman]

Unfortunately I have not been to Spain since before covid and decided I needed to try again. I realised that prices would have gone up but it was a bit of a shock. £750 return to santander and that did not include a cabin.
I once thought the ferry was comparible with driving down, but I'm not convinced now. I could surely drive down for less than that, it's just the mileage and effort to think about.

I used the ferry once and it is a great timesaver, and if sea travel is enjoyable it adds an extra element.

But I haven't done it since and drove last Winter to Spain.

It's not just the cost but the fact that you have to book way in advance, especially if you want a dog friendly cabin.

I prefer to drive. France is a pleasure to drive through, I don't use the toll roads, and I take it fairly slowly, say six days to get to the border. I vary the route each time I head south and try to take in some of the 'Plus Beaux Villages' en route. I'm going to stop at four of them in mid-December as I head south.

Incidentally there's a book out in its second edition - 'Most Beautiful Villages & Towns in France by Motorhome' by Alan Russell. It's available from Amazon.

This will increase my scope to find pretty towns and villages during my future travels.

 

[Mobilvetta]

I used to use the ferry to Spain in January, but it can be a gamble, especially if the sea is rough around the Bay of Biscay, I've had the Brittany ferries cancel two sailings on me and it was hard work rebooking, delaying our holiday.

I have usually drive back through France come April when the weather is better. During COVID we were stuck in Spain, so I decided we would sail from Santander back to the UK, instead of driving through France, each time the ferry got cancelled, after two cancellations I wasn't willing to wait another 4 weeks for the next announced sailing, so we ended up driving through France. What a nightmare Brittany ferries were to deal with, they didn't want to refund us, just wanting to giving us a credit.
I vowed then I would never use them again, I now do Newhaven to Dieppe route, it worked out at £75.00 for the motorhome and a trailer one way for January and similar money for our return in April.

 

[myvanwy]

We did the long ferry this year and it is a little more expensive than the drive through France but well worth it. Got all trips on a spreadsheet to do comparisons. The main benefit for us though is avoiding the M25 and M20 bone shaker.

 

[Moonraker 2]

We did the long ferry this year and it is a little more expensive than the drive through France but well worth it. Got all trips on a spreadsheet to do comparisons. The main benefit for us though is avoiding the M25 and M20 bone shaker.

Well I am very lucky living on the south coast as Newhaven is only 40 minutes away, no nasty M25 for me as it would be daft to go to Dover. Actually Newhaven is a nice little port with no holdups.
I quite enjoyed the budget ferry trip, especially if I was going to southern Spain as it's a lot of extra mileage going through France. Ah well, something to think about, although I will miss the early bird deals.

 

[Clunegapyears]

I looked at it for our Morocco trip. No brained on cost, Dover Calais. And few sailings in the December which could get cancelled.

 

[marchie]

We use the autoroute when in France, and the tariffs have increased by a tidy sum since 2023. The extra mileage requires around 90 litres of diesel and 3-4 nights stopovers/meals, hunting for freshwater/cassette facilities, plus the extra wear & tear and extra service costs. When you add that litte lot in to the Cross Channel fare, the UK-Spain route is very close in cost terms to the French drive

Steve

 

[Pauljenny]

A nice compromise is the Pompey to Caen ferry. No need for a cabin or expensive food.
You arrive in a warmer part of France and avoid Bay of Biscay.

 

[Moonraker 2]

I looked at it for our Morocco trip. No brained on cost, Dover Calais. And few sailings in the December which could get cancelled.

Have you checked out the flooding damage in Morocco?

 

[alcam]

Driving down may involve Tolls and overnight stops and extra miles behind the wheel

Long distant ferry often involves relatively expensive meals , but gives extra time in Spain.

Out favorite was always the late night ferry from UK that involved two nights (and expensive meals on board but meant we were on Spanish Roads about 8:00 am.

WE have only driven once and that was coming home after my wife was medivacted from the ferry and by the time she was discharged there was no ferry from Bilbao for 6 weeks.

The journey back was a nightmare. We were rear ended by a Spanish artic and delayed for 5 hours waiting for Police and Recovery.
Our return to UK roads was equally dramatic when a load of illegals bailed from a truck 3 vehicles in front of us. It took 3 hours for the Police to search every vehicle before re-opening the motorway

How you get to Spain (and back) is very much a personal choice.
My advice is to decide what suits you best and then use maths to prove that it is the best.

.

Let me know next time you're travelling .
I'll be nowhere near you !

 

[redhand]

Pre covid we would regularly travel to Santander in BFs economy ferry faster than than the current ships but sadly scrapped.
Post covid price has sky rocketed pet cabins impossible to find so we travel through France just one or two nights stopover depending on route.
We prefer the French way now