CHERBOURG TO MAINLAND

[Clare Comrie]

Please will eveyone join my campaign to bring a budget airline back to Cherbourg or Caen.

We are THE worst served region of France, and since P&O pulled out of Cherbourg, Brittany Ferries have the monopoly.

Lobby anyone you can think of, I have started with the press in la Manche and flybe, who flew in for 2 months then mysteriousy withdrew sayin g the line was not viable!!! The planes were loaded to the gunnels for two months?

[email protected]

[email protected]  This is the Cherbourg hamber of Commerce.

If anyone can think of any way we can make our voices heard to some effect, please do contact me!!

Clare Comrie

28 Rte de Vindelonde

50500 Appeville

France

0033 684 691 104

[Eslier]

Last time I was there, Cherbourg most certainly was on the "mainland". Has there been some sort of freak occurence that has caused the cotentin peninsular to break away and float off into the Manche ?

With Dinard and Rennes airports both within two and a half hours drive of Cherbourg, and both these airports offering good services, you are still much better off than many.

[Deimos]

There is Brittany ferries Portsmouth to Caen, Poole to Cherbourg, Portsmouth to Cherbourg, LD Lines to La Havre (not too far away). As far as I’m aware, Condor ferries still run Portsmouth to Cherbourg. As per previous post, two airports within 2 and a half hours. I bet many people living in France would like to be that well connected.

Even if it was just Brittany Ferries, they are decent quality, bit pricey, etc. but difficult to complain about a service based on the fact that it’s a monopoly.

If an airline started a route then stopped it you can bet its because they were not making money. If they were making acceptable money from the route and the route was possible then I bet they would keep doing it. I’m afraid that having full planes does not mean the route is profitable (there is more to being profitable that having loads of passengers – things like costs and the price you can sell tickets for). I think flying to ferry ports is always likely to be difficult as you are competing against the ferry foot passenger prices which is actually pretty low. Fine an airplane is faster but actually by the time you’ve driven to the airport (allowing for traffic jams) and parked to be there an hour early, flight, etc. for some an overnight ferry can be cheaper and easier (plus you can take a car with you).

Ian

[Will]

The other thing is that we have at least three ferries each way most days from Caen. Most air services in the region have only one plane. That means if I need to go to a meeting or similar in London or on the south coast I can get the overnight ferry, do my visit then return on either the afternoon or next night ferry. So I only lose one day. Flying, I would have to leave one morning, stay overnight, go to my meeting then another overnight stay as the next plane home is not until the following day. And that's three days out of my working schedule. No contest - foot passenger on the ferry is usually cheaper.

I actually think that in 50 we are very well served for transport links, with services from Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Le Havre to Portsmouth and Poole or Weymouth all frequent, good quality and near to hand. If you must fly, then Dinard and Rennes are possibilities. Condor's Portsmouth service offers, I think, only one or two sailings per week for the general public, and doesn't seem to feature at all on the latest web site.

My understanding is that the Cherbourg air route folded because of lack of forward bookings. The initial cheap seats sold, but very little interest after that.

[Clare Comrie]

Ah well, good to see that my topic is at least worth discussing.

My point was a tad more altruistic though.

La Manche is one of the poorest regions of France, with one the highest levels of unemployment.

Agriculture is on the decline, with more and more youngsters leaving the land.

Tourism is the biggest growth industry.

Despite the spectacularly good summer of 2005, La Manche saw a 40% drop in UK visitors.

I haven even heard, much to my amusement, La Manche discussed with degree of "snob value", due to the high cost of getting here, there would be a "better type" of visitor. I fumed silently.

La Manche needs all the visitors they can get, and the natives readily acknowledge that it is specificaly the Brits who shop and spend money in the markets, cafés and restaurants.

I know the region and love it having owned a property here for 18 years, and as a permanent resident for 3 years, working for a French company as a full time employee. 

[Eslier]

There is some substance to the "snob value" theory.

Ferry fares have increases out of necessity and low cost airlines have opened up new exciting destinations to the low cost traveller. Consequently, places such as Normandy and Brittany are no longer seen by the budget UK holidaymaker as being a cheap option. Sadly, there is absolutely nothing anyone can do about that.

So, if these places aren't a cheap option then the people who do visit the region are the ones that choose to. To maintain local prosperity it is important that these fewer visitors spend more whilst they are here, which means attracting those with more money to spend. If we want to attract more affluent visitors there is a need for more higher quality accommodation to meet the higher standards expected.

Perhaps the choice of words "a better type of visitor" was unfortunate but the essence of it was spot on.