Driving to Alsace in September. Thought I would try Norfolk lines Dover/Dunkerque. Anyone used them? Also looking for a reasonably priced hotel for an overnight stop - must be clean and quiet within 50 miles Dunkerque
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I was a regular user until this year when I swapped to PO.
PO wins for 'quality' eating - Lanagans on most boats - and frequency of boats. And this year on price for the first time in some years.
Norfolk lines wins on NO coaches full of kids and generally more relaxed on board. The food is not as good or as cheap as it usewd to be when the majority of passengers were commercial. The new boats are clean and tidy.
Norfolk are very relaxed on the ticketing policy, just turn up and sail irrespective of the date on your ticket. Never paid extra for tickets that were 3 months early or late!
PO - there are stories of being charged upto £60 if you do not book ahead for changes changes cost £15 if prebooked on same cost sailing.
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I have booked a return crossing with Norfolk Line for a trip to Belgium in September. I have not used them before, but i work in an industry that deals with the ferry companies and they do appear to have a good name.
Also the return ticket cost 26 pounds with them against 70 pounds with P&O, Seafrance were even more expensive !
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Agreed pmh3, I have used NL for the last 5 years and am still impressed by the service. However this year I noticed that the quality of the cafeteria food had gone down, used to be pretty good. Maybe a one off? They also allow cyclists on now too. I also know the quick route out of Dunkerque - you can be riding / driving on lovely roads within minutes of leaving the termonal en route towards St Omer. NL is always good for a laugh though - previous competitions have involved guessing the number of blokes seen wearing vests with their hairy shoulders showing (at a guess they are eastern european HGV drivers!). One other warning - don't even think about having a coffee from the vending machine at NL Dunkerque terminal , shockingly nasty :(
Edited by Chrome on 28/07/2009 at 20:43
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NL has come on in leaps and bounds since I first used them. Not as slick as PO but that is what I like about them. I recall when you had to go to a counter for duty free stuff. The bloke got what you wanted from a small broom cupboard and took your money when he handed goods over. The restaurant was like a greasy Joe cafe.
Much more professional (corporate?) now and you should be pleased with their services if you use them.
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Used them for the first time in March, very impressed, nice and relaxed crossing, plenty of room, clean and comfortable - menu was a bit limited, but it wasnt high season so only bar and restaurant open - cafe was closed.
Crossing is slightly longer then to Calais but not enough to worry about. Have got 2 more return trips to use up before December, one will be used for a weeks holiday/visiting the outlaws in October and another will be used for a long weekend.
I will probably use them again next year as well, they are miles better then P&O/SF in my book - still would prefer speedferries but ho hum!
As for hotels, we tend to use www.campanile.com nice and cheap, comfortable rooms, most with free WIFI and they have restaurants attached which means after a hard days drive you don't then have to go and find somewhere to eat!!! We have used the ones in Lille (not far from Dunkerque) and Reims/Tassey, and again will use them in October - outlaws place is just that bit too far to do in one day with a 6 year old and a 1 year old onbaord.
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I have used NL for many years.
Good price, regular sailings and often sail when Calais is blockaded !
Re: hotels.
We have used the link on the NL site to find hotels for the past couple of years.
Generally OK, but often seem to be located next to truck stops and filling stations...
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Have used NL for the last three years. Reliable service and access for Belgium and points north is v good. Happy to recommend them.
hth
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For idependant usually fairly good hotels try: www.logisdefrance.com We've used them quite a lot and they are of pretty reliable quality. And really French if thats what you want
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Good cheap hotels in France.
Basic, but a step up from FI as there are en suite facilities.
www.hotel-bb.com/index.phtml?NumLangue=2
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Norfolk Lines are first choice for me. Good value fares - not fussed about eating on board.
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We do the trip to Austria regularly via Norfolk Line, and stop overnight at Lille at the Etap Hotel at Englos - it's less than half a mile from the motorway from Dunkirk but it's clean and pretty quiet - best of all around €44/£37.50 per room. Not posh, but if you just want to get your head down for the night, it does what it says on the tin. Breakfast is around €5 per head. There's no restaurant, but there is a steak bar owned by the same hain close by which sounds expensive for what it is (never eaten there). My only gripe about Norfolk Line is that there is no quiet lounge - they're all either attached to a bar or restaurant, or have televisions/childrens play areas in them. Otherwise to be recommended.
Edited by Mike H on 30/07/2009 at 14:52
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The funny bits above (€) should be euro symbols!
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Etap Hotel at Englos
Thanks Mike H - Look ideal. Have stay in Etaps before. As you say not posh but as long its clean and reasonably quiet that will suit me fine.
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I can endorse the positives expressed here for Norfolk Line, though I have found the loos sometimes not as I would like - and sometimes some of them have been closed.
It wins on price for me, though Dunkerque may not strike some travellers as convenient if they want to head south. However, in reality, on a long journey it doesn't make much difference.
I have used Etap hotels all over France and elsewhere and have found them excellent value. True, they have little character, but if you're just sleeping in them, what's the problem?
(Note to OP: if you decide to go for Etap, you can book on their website before you leave. If you want another Etap the next night, you might be able to persuade reception to phone ahead for you!)
In September SWMBO and I will most likely sling the 306 on the (NL) ferry and explore Normandy and then the Languedoc for a couple of weeks courtesy of Etap, as we have done for the last few years.
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Driving to Alsace in September. Thought I would try Norfolk lines Dover/Dunkerque. Anyone used them? Also looking for a reasonably priced hotel for an overnight stop - must be clean and quiet within 50 miles Dunkerque
LD Lines out of Newhaven to Dieppe easily the best there is. Comfortable new vessels.
Good quality food and small terminals on both sides so you can get going quickly.
Shipping choices aside, surely PRICE is king? In April we travelled Dover/ Dunkirk going to the Lot valley and paid £49.00 for the car plus two - I forget the line.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 30/07/2009 at 19:36
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We have just got back from a return trip on Norfolk lines and I have mixed experiences. We arrived at Dover on our outward journey in plenty of time to catch the 12pm sailing. We queued at the check in booth and there we sat for over 45 minutes whilst all of the other queues were moving - typical. I thought that the ferry was late but when we eventually got to check-in the woman said that we had missed the 12pm one now and would have to get the 2pm as she had a 'system issue' and there was, in her words 'nothing i can do about it'. There was plenty she could have done as the other lanes had emptied and all she had to do was ask us all to move to a different one and get the ferry we booked. We were one of two cars that didnt make the 12pm and there must have been 20 cars that arrived after us that made it.
I called their service centre to make a complaint and after spending 25 minutes on hold they were not interested and said I couldnt complain as their policy is one ferry before and after the time you book.
Having said that, we changed our crossing coming back by 14 hours (early!) and they booked us onto that for no extra cost or fuss which I was pleased with.
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We used NL earlier this year when we went to Italy. Good service. A bit slow at Dunkerque coming back though.
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