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

 

[rugbyken]

we were lucky enough to jump on the booking system when the first set of bookings were released for early next year £570 6.5m motorhome pet friendly cabin etc jan 24th i told jeff & he went on straight away within the hour first available pet cabin was two weeks further on !! will have a look at the commodore lounge it’s dear but the outbound crossing is two nights so factor in two sets of meals etc & jan will have cabin fever stuck in doors lol, we were in portugal in august september did newhaven return ferry £200 for us £40 to scan the dog who stayed in the van we used the toll roads across france £100 or €120 each way it’s 720 miles so two full tanks of fuel another £200 and even with a leaden foot best part of three days drive so you pays your money etc
so newhaven trip was £400 but the ferry we got for £100 could equally well be £250 the same with the santander depends on time of booking could easily have been £800 for same crossing

 

[Winterskp]

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.

Very sound advice!

Reminds me of the man who was choosing an accountant, and asked the same question of all the possibles. The one who got the job?
Q: What's 2 + 2?
A: What figure did you have in mind?

 

[r4dent]

Very sound advice!

Reminds me of the man who was choosing an accountant, and asked the same question of all the possibles. The one who got the job?
Q: What's 2 + 2?
A: What figure did you have in mind?

Reminds of a rue story told my my friends uncle who went for a job as Chauffeur to a multi millionaire.

All candidates where asked "His Lordship has an important appointment, but the Rolls doesn't start. What do you do?"
Most candidates gave mechanical answers "Check the petrol / get a jump start / etc"

My friend's Uncle answered "Use the other one"

This indicated that he was used to working with seriously rich people and that he realised that looking after the boss was his job, sorting out vehicles was someone else's.

He got the job.

When my friend and I stayed with him on holidays he used the second Rolls to take us to the pub. "It needs the occasional outing"

 

[vindiboy]

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

We prefer the Dover Calais route every time easy drive down through France crossing the Border near DAX / IRUN on the Payage to Vitoria Gasteiz or Palencia free aires there , plenty of aires open all the way winter time too ,from Calais to wherever we are heading even in winter sometimes water off but can still dump the cassette waste , we live in Southampton and drive to Canterbury P,n R for a couple of nights before our crossing only 20 minute drive to Dover ferry port from there £8 overnight is a bargain we think pub nearby or free bus into Canterbury for the SPOONS cheap and cheerful , we usually stay there on our way home too , we have done the Newhaven Dieppe route and Portsmouth Cherbourg route in the past but still prefer Dover Calais only 1.5 hour crossing time take a pic nic aboard so don't buy any of the naff food on the boat , suits us and overall the trip has to be cheaper than the long haul Santander route we think ? and much less weather reliant , we go for long periods away but not so long now because of ****** but still 90 days away is good .

 

[marchie]

We prefer the Dover Calais route every time easy drive down through France crossing the Border near DAX / IRUN on the Payage to Vitoria Gasteiz or Palencia free aires there , plenty of aires open all the way winter time too ,from Calais to wherever we are heading even in winter sometimes water off but can still dump the cassette waste , we live in Southampton and drive to Canterbury P,n R for a couple of nights before our crossing only 20 minute drive to Dover ferry port from there £8 overnight is a bargain we think pub nearby or free bus into Canterbury for the SPOONS cheap and cheerful , we usually stay there on our way home too , we have done the Newhaven Dieppe route and Portsmouth Cherbourg route in the past but still prefer Dover Calais only 1.5 hour crossing time take a pic nic aboard so don't buy any of the naff food on the boat , suits us and overall the trip has to be cheaper than the long haul Santander route we think ? and much less weather reliant , we go for long periods away but not so long now because of ****** but still 90 days away is good .

I used to live in Warsash, in the mid to late 80s, but now have an almost 500 mile run to the south coast Ferry Ports from Scotland. Newhaven works better to fit in with that run, if travelling through France, but the cost difference between Cross Channel and UK-Spain direct sailings is not that great when all associated costs are taken into account.

I gain the benefit of Elaine's Irish Passport, so 90/180 day limits don't have to be planned

Steve