An interesting read... based where we are near Brum its a choice of either Harwich or Calais, and I'm afraid that the Tunnel wins every time, I like the idea of turning up half an hour before and being in France just over an hour later...
(Just an aside, but could the OP please use paragraphs next time, it was interesting but difficult to read!) ;-)
Edited by b308 on 11/11/2009 at 16:01
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If you go from Zeebrugge to the Champagne region in an hour and a half you won't see anything en route. Picardy and the area due south of the Belgian border is still a bit of a creepy place, 90-odd years after the WW1 Armistice, but it's worth looking around as you pass through. There's lots of nice towns it would be a shame to miss, too.
We've done the Santander/Rioja area as well - it's well worthwhile, not just for the cruise there and back. Just don't be in too much hurry!
Edited by mike hannon on 11/11/2009 at 16:10
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Mike:- Thanks for that. I have had a guess at saying going direct to Champagne region in about hour and a half would you agree. I will definately take on board what you say about getting of the autoroutes and looking at the french country along the way.
What i would like to add is, when in adinkirk (that's not correct spelling)Belgium getting some baccy. We noticed this petrol station opposite and the diesal was cheaper than the unleaded.
Looking at some other posts in the backroom it looks as though, with current exchange rates & current price of fuel may be worth brimming in the Uk before travel to the continent.
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Tip on exchange rates:
To get the best exchange rate get a Nationwide or Post Office or Santander credit card that doesn't charge commission on transactions. That way you get wholesale exchange rates, a saving (usually) of about 3p per euro.
HTH
Terryb
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I've been Dover and Hull many times. I now much prefer Hull. Being a couple of hours down the M62 and not sailing until later in the day makes, for me, a much more relaxing trip, missing all the angst getting the 270 odd miles to Dover. We usually stayed at one of the Travel-lodge / Welcome Break places near Canterborty, adding more expense. I've not heard much in the news recently about the position with asylum seekers in Calais but I believe cars returning to England were being held up and robbed before they reached the docks. I would be worried about taking the caravan this route......finding the bedding lockers, wardrobe, etc full of illegals when I got home.
Ted
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Went to Bruges by car many years ago, via Zeebrugge which is just a short distance from it. I seem to remember we went from Ipswich (or was it Harwich? Somewhere in those parts
anyway).
The North Sea was very rough. Vehicles moved about in the hold and water squirted through the bow doors in enormous quantities.
No, it wasn't that ferry.
Edited by Lud on 11/11/2009 at 16:17
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"I have looked at the trips to Santander and Bilbao, as an introduction to cruising but without paying £1000 for a week"
That's like catching the Caledonian Sleeper as an introduction to the Orient Express!
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Well to a degree! But is a pointy floating thing with cabins, entertainment and restaurants - more like a cruise ship than a X Channel ferry. It would give the taste, if not the flavour, of cruising. Having read some cruise ship reviews on the Trip Advisor web site I would be very unhappy to spend £2000 for 2 people, for a week on some the ships available!
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I did Portsmouth to St Malo last year. Had an excellent meal on the evening sailing from Portsmouth. Arrived in St Malo about dawn time, which gives you all day to go where you are going.
I was only going a hundred miles up the coast, so had a relaxing day. It does tend to rain there.
I've always wanted to do Santander and then do northern Spain, Pyrenees, and then come up through France. A long trip though, and the ferry is expensive.
Usually we go Dover Calais, which is short and cheap. This year though Norfolk Line to Dunkirk came our cheaper so we went with them. Nice ferry, though nothing like the Brittany Ferries great food. Dunkirk was easy to get in and out of, plus you can get down to Arras on the Motorway without paying a fee.
We always used the tunnel when going by car, but with our VW camper the tunnel always comes out more expensive. It's a lovely short trip though. I've used it twice for work when we were working with the French on a project a few years ago. Very convenient - but they seem to be trying to discourage camper vans.
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Going back to the comment about a trip to the Rioja area in Spain then I can pass on some first hand experience. I am a member of a Rioja wine syndicate and travel down there every two years to collect my share!
We always take the Brittany Ferry overnight boat from Portsmouth to St.Malo. This means that you can eat a decent meal and get a night's rest before driving the next day. We then travel down to Bordeaux for an overnight stop. After leaving St.Malo at breakfast time we get to Bordeaux about 2ish. We can then have a meal out there and the chance to buy some more wines!
We then travel down the next day to Spain and into the Rioja region. All our driving is on autoroutes and we just accept that there is a cost to pay for travelling at an easy pace on brilliant, uncrowded roads.
The Spanish roads are the same standard as the French autoroutes, thanks to Euro funding, and takes us to within 5 miles of the village in Rioja where we stay. The road network is now so good that if we did not stop overnight in Bordeaux, then you could travel from St.Malo to 5 miles from the village in Rioja without a traffic light or roundabout, and within any hold ups!
We stay in the village of Laguardia, a small hill top place with far reaching views over the Rioja region. We are usually there for 3 or 4 nights and then fill the cars up with our cases of best Rioja.
As the cars are now quite full and much heavier then we travel back using the Santander to Plymouth ferry, courtesy of Brittany once again. The ship is the Pont Aven, and is more like a cruise ship than a ferry, with good cabins, restaurants and even a swimming pool. The trip back leaves about 9 in the evening and takes about 18 hours across the Bay of Biscay. This service now also uses Portsmouth on alternate journeys which eases travel back in the UK.
I can recommend this system to anyone as long as it is treated as a holiday rather than just a booze cruise. It is good and easy driving with the opportunity to eat well and to bring back a quantity of decent wines!
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paulvm:- Thank you very much for this valuble info. I must admit i also do like the wines of Bordeaux. Something to consider there. You are dead right treat the trip as a bit of a break, thats what we always do. Like i posted we have done the Dover-Calais & Hull - Zeebrugge crossings with the car. Like you i just happen to like Rioja. I have read what you have confirmed the Brittany Ferries are good with first class food. I think the plymouth/Portsmouth-Santander route looks good for a first time. Can you tell me how long the journey takes from Santander to the Rioja region please. Also can you advise of any bodegas to visit, and places for an overnight stay.
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Only too pleased to assist! Food and facilities on the Pont Aven ship to/from Santander are excellent. We always have a full restaurant meal on board in the evening and just a snack lunch the next day.
Journey distance from Santander to Rioja area is about 130 miles, easily done in just over 2 hours. We often have a pit stop in Bilbao and look into the Guggenheim Museum.
Journey distance from St.Malo is about 330 miles to Bordeaux, and then 285 on to Rioja. Hence the stop over in Bordeaux!
I can recommend certain restaurants in Bordeaux if you wish, and a very good wine shop.
In Rioja we stay at the hotel "Antigua Bodega de Don Cosmo Palacio" in Laguardia. A bit of a mouthful but an excellent place as it is an old wine lodge. Their new wine facility is just next door! Cost about 112 Euros per night B & B. You can check this place out on the internet. A number of good restaurants in the little walled town of Laguardia as well.
The bodega our syndicate uses is Murua in the even smaller town of Elciego, about 5 miles away from Laguardia. It is not cheap but always top quality. Lay and Wheeler are their UK agents so you can check it out there.
The other bodegas nearby are Marques de Riscal, with its amazing and very expensive hotel (designed by Frank Gehry who did the Guggenheim in Bilbao), Marques de Caceres and Muga.
The area is just full of bodegas and there are many web sites giving the details of which are open. It is just a wonderful area to visit and drive around, especially if you have time to go up into the mountains and see the eagles!
Hope this helps, but if you want more details then only too happy to oblige!
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We've just won a free holiday in Brittany and I've been weighing up the various crossings to get there from Brum... The shortest ferry crossings seem to be from Southampton/Portsmouth, but even with a discount we are still talking several hundred quid... and I'm not a good sailor... Funnilly enough going via the Tunnel is about the same, time wise, as using the fast ferry, by the time you've taken into account sitting around at the ferry terminals... as I enjoy driving over there, but not being sat in a boat I think the Tunnel will win again!
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Living in the North West, it's much easier to go to Hull (120 miles) and then on to Zebrugge; I used to find the ferry very civilised with bar prices very similar to those of the pub or club.
Sailing overnight means that you can get an early start next day.
One bonus was that if going on to Paris, the journey is actually about 14 miles less than by using Calais.
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I used to find the ferry very civilised with bar prices very similar to those of the pub or club
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was on it 4 weeks ish ago Stuartli a quality pint of lager and half a strongbow was £4.95 we came back on a saturday night and i dont recommend it as it was full of people who like more than a few drinks
we also lost a coat to someone who decided they wanted it more than my wife
lovely food mind but cheaper to book it online
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Paulvm:- Thank you kindly for this info. Yes you do what we do when on the Hull-Zeebrugge route. Always a meal in restraunt in the evening, then breakfast is usually a coffee and croissant. Ready to be called to disembark. Well i have to say i didn't expect such a short distance or Journey time, will definately do this trip. Should be a really comfortable trip in the CRV. I know Lay & Wheeler well and over the years have purchased from them, i shall have a look. Ive seen pics of that hotel at Marques de Riscal impressive. It will be a while before i go but i will definately use this valuable information you have given thanks a million. What i would like to say on the spain issue is. Many people go to Salou on Holiday. A few years ago i looked at the wine producing areas around here. You are spoilt for choice. The penedes, Priorat, Tarrogona all just on the outskirts of Salou. On our last visit we went to Villafranca and visited the famous Torres vineyard. You get the usual tasting at the end, but what made the visit special is the stuff you can by in the shop. Vintages, varietals not easily obtainable elsewhere. Hope this serves you well.
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