Guide to continental ferry travel
The Sterling might not be as strong against the euro as it once was but it is still an attractive enough exchange rate to tempt many motorhomers across the Channel.
Weigh up your options carefully. Your holiday is likely to be an annual event that costs a fair chunk of money. Don’t discount anything before you’ve done your research, especially on distances as driving a long way is not only tiring but can be expensive.
The problem that will take up a large part of your time is deciding which route to use. If you want to go to the Netherlands, you could head across the Channel from Kent, which will suit if the drive to the southeast coast ports is easier. But if you live in the north of England, the Hull to Zeebrugge or Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry routes may suit you more.
If you’re in Wales or the southeast, you might want to look at Plymouth, Portsmouth and Poole, especially if you want to reach any part of France to the south of Brittany.
The crossings will take longer, but there are benefits to that. You can relax, have a nice meal on board and enjoy the crossing. Some are overnight ferries so you’ll be able to retire to your cabin and wake to a beautiful French or Spanish sunrise, utterly refreshed.
This star treatment costs more for the crossing, but remember, fuel isn’t cheap, so you’ll be saving £150-plus in fuel for your motorhome is you were driving from Calais and (we estimate) £75 in road tolls, not to mention the extra day’s holiday you’ll attain.
Getting there
Ferry
sometimes in the space of just a few days, especially at peak-times like school and bank holidays.
Price also depends on the amount of freight traffic; in periods when there are fewer lorries, space on a ferry is, of course, cheaper. Because of this, booking early morning ferries tends to save you a bit of money, but you’ve really got to weigh this against the cost and feasibility of either getting to the port early in the morning or staying nearby overnight.
Before you book a ferry, make sure you have all pertinent details to hand; the length and height of your motorhome will be important factors in deciding how much you pay. Don’t forget too, if you have a bike rack or similar you’ll have to factor that in.
The Channel Tunnel
As a child I remember being very disappointed when travelling on the ‘Chunnel’ as I couldn’t see the fish. As an adult though I realise that was probably for the best.
You can turn up and book on the day at the Tunnel, but it almost definitely won’t be cheaper. The upside to the Channel Tunnel is the speed. You can realistically go from check-in to driving on French soil in an hour-and-a-half. Now the hovercraft is out of action, you can’t get that kind of speed anywhere else.
Ways to save
With what’s likely the first big spend of your trip abroad, why wouldn’t you like to save a bit of money? Here are a few simple hints to take on board (excuse the pun).
- The MMM Subscriber Club is a great way to get discounts. By becoming a member you’ll receive discounts on selected crossings from Condor Ferries, DFDS Seaways, Wightlink and P&O Ferries.
- Save on Eurotunnel crossings with Tesco clubcard vouchers. For every £10 of vouchers you trade in you’ll receive £30 toward your ticket.
- Cross early in the morning or late at night and be flexible.
- There’s now a ferry price comparison site at www.ferrysavers.co.uk It’s not perfect, but it WILL give you a price to start at when you begin shopping around.
I’ll leave you on a quote from an MMM Twitter follower @robertjkinnear. “If you want to decorate your drive, buy a gnome, not a motorhome”.
So get out there and explore!
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