Just can't believe the prices.....

[Alexis]

I'm thinking of going to the UK in March so I have been looking at the Robber Baron sites!

I honestly don't know where Brittany Ferries get their prices from.

Best value so far is Transmarche.  I have been with them once before and have no complaints.  Brittany Ferries are almost double their price and that is travelling during the day from Caen.  Goodness knows how much the St Malo crossing is.

I suppose I will end up going Zeebrugge - Hull in the end.  Cabin, meals etc for £300.

If only I didn't need my car in the UK but I do.  Otherwise I would fly with Ryanair.

[Tootles60]

Use speedferries, £50.00 return!!! Bolougne to Dover

[Nick Trollope]

[quote]Use speedferries, £50.00 return!!! Bolougne to Dover[/quote]

Doesn't it rather depend on where one wants to end up? Bolougne - Caen must be over 300K And Dover must be an equal distance from Portsmouth = 600K if you want to go to Caen....

Interestingly, BF quote me £250 St Malo - Pompey - St Malo in March, so why would anyone want to go to Belgium for £300?

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

300kms is what 180 miles,speed limit of 110kms average 2 and a bit hours,most cars do 40mpg or 60kms per gallon,5 gals is what?£15,ferry to calais £50 plus fuel nowhere near 300euro`s.Stop moaning and pay up like you know you will.

[Russethouse]

I think you will find that Alexis destination in the Uk is close to Hull and that she doesn't like driving in the UK.

[Alexis]

True Gay.  It is a question of the driving hours.  Up to Zeebrugge and then to my family is about 8 hours.  To St Malo then Portsmouth up past York is roughly the same.

Which would you choose - the empty auto-route or the M1?

Driving up to Calais is six hours then another 6-7 in the UK......I don't think so.

I will look at the St Malo route.  My price included cabin and meals both ways.  I don't suppose BF does?  The BF Caen-Portsmouth was just for two day crossings so I thought it was expensive.

[Will]

It would be great if Speedferries could operate on the western channel, but unfortunately, as Brittany Ferries always maintained up to this year, it's not really a suitable route for fast craft. I went to England on Tuesday and returned yesterday and conditions were certainly not suitable for a standard Incat  vessel (BF's new one is larger, and to a supposedly revised design - called the Evolution - so it will be interesting to see how it fares - sorry, didn't mean to use that word ).

It is usually possible to get a sensible price on Brittany Ferries. On the Caen route Tuesday is the cheapest day, while on any day the morning crossing from France and the afternoon crossing from England is best value. This information can be found in the brochure, though it's not that prominent (you'ld hardly expect BF to plaster it on there in big red letters, would you).

I overheard a conversation at Portsmouth about an upcoming promotion on BF, so watch this space. It may be only day trips though.

[Porth]

We have a house very near to Villedieu-Les-Poeles and have conventionally used P and O to Cherbourg.  Got into a habit like an old carpet slipper lunch on the way out shopping in Cherbourg on the way back then the ferry then taking your life in your hands going back up M3/A34.

Now you are basically getting stuffed by Brittany and yes supply demand but also domination of market place is surely something that does not fit easily in our way of life.

We live in Wales so driving to Folkestone is a round trip of over 420 miles then say four hours driving the other side.  Ok we can get away with it but we have three dogs so no choice just pay up and shut up.

There is now a flight from Southampton to Cherbourg but again without a car what does one do.  If you were to leave a relatively inexpensive car at the airport it would not be there the next time.

I spent most of my working life fighting BT (I worked for Cable and Wireless) and the domination of the market is not necessarily a good thing.  Take North Wales no competition BT just turn around and say sorry if you do not like what we are going then...................  Problem is to put fibre in the ground is hundreds of millions of pounds and no return for there are not enough chimney pots.  Sorry going off the trail.

regards

 

[Alexis]

I looked at BF St Malo-Portsmouth and was quoted 501€ so virtually the same except I will have a cabin and my meals on the Hull run. 

Will re-check when I have my exact dates.

[Bonnie]

When we bought our house near Domfront last year, we joined Brittany Ferries Property Owners Club. We live in the North of England and we have a four hour drive to the South coast. For us, it is the convenience of crossing Portsmouth to Caen, with just a 1hr 20 min drive on the other side. We are going for 12 days over Easter and have paid 187 pounds for a morning crossing by the Caen Express and normal ferry return, morning also. Free cabin coming back. We have also just priced up August, 17 days in France for 340 pounds. We could save a little by going out in the afternoon, and as Bill says, Tuesday crossings are cheaper. We usually go out on a Friday and return on a Sunday as we don't have the luxury of being able to pick and choose, when we are retired we will!!