jean

Can you be more specific re the locations of the restaurants you mentioned. We live about 10 miles from La Souterraine and would welcome a change of venue but not sure where you are referring to. We are north of La Sout. Thanks Jean

There is no contest for speedferries they have been the saviours of the overpriced channel crossings. What you need to do is buy a more economical vehicle. After years of sporty vehicles and motorbikes we finally capitulated and purchased a Citroen Xzara Picasso 1.9 deisel which is very comfy can move loads of building materials especially if we take the rear seats out and pulls a trailer no trouble at all. Best of all we get from North Oxfordshire  to Limoges for less tham one tank of deisel. Set off with just enough, the onboard computer helps us with that, and fill up with deisel which is subsidised in France, at Leclerc in Boulogne. In shop hours you can pay with a GB card but after hours you need to use a French Bank card.   We can do it all in one day but on many occasions have crossed later at night and gone to a Formula  1 or Etap in Abbeville. The latter town takes 35-45 minutes off the next day journey and gives a good start in the morning costs less than £20 for 3 people. Avoid the Peage by using Abbeville to Rouen free motorway and then use N154 most of which is dual carriageway. Get onto motorway to bypass Orleans and then use free motorways again as far as Limoges. We spend about 20 euros to get from Boulogne to Limoges and it takes as little as 4 and a half hours 5 and a half max. Travel on Sunday or Monday to make best progress as no lorries on motorways on Sundays. PS the picasso motors at 130-150kph very easily and doesnt seem to use much more fuel.