Two humans and a dog to Sardinia

[mint]

All advice and information will be very welcome so I hope everyone with any experience or knowledge will post.

We are contemplating taking our dog in the car to Sardinia.  I realise it's not going to be easy.  First consideration is, we don't want to have to leave the dog in the car for hours on end in the ferry.

So, we thought the following might be workable:

Drive to South of France

Take ferry to Corsica

Take ferry to Sardinia

Anyone know of ferry services with names of companies we can contact?

Anyone can recommend hotels en route that would accept animals?

What's it like with a dog in Sardinia with regards to hotels, etc. (I mean just en route as we have a place to go to in the South Eastern tip of Sardinia)

Prepared to take days getting there if necessary and to stay in camp sites if no suitable hotels available.

Please could you be so kind and put on your thinking caps?

If you live in the South of France and have information, please post. 

And, if you know about how Italians deal with doggy guests, that would be really useful.

Hell, I might even consider taking you with us if you know the ropes and will be of help getting us there!

 

[woolybanana]

Why not put the dog in kennels?

[mint]

Not possible.  OH wouldn't go and I don't think I could blame him!

[woolybanana]

OH and dog in kennels and you fly, then?

[mint]

Yes, Wools, lovely idea.  Know of any kennels that will take one dog and one human?[:D]

PS: have pm'ed you.

[woolybanana]

Isn't there a small hut on the estate at Chateau Sweet, you know, the place where you hang the carcasses of the hunted deer and sangliers and stuff. They could be comfy there. Or those estate workers cottages; surely you could sling out a worker and his family for a couple of weeks. Duhhhhh, just leave the pair of them behind.

[mint]

No can do.  Unfortunately they'll die of cold or starve!

Anyway, as you well know, you can't get the staff these days.  So, when you've got them, even if they stink like skunks, you've got to keep them.[:(]

[woolybanana]

Life is so hard Sweets, so hard. You have all my sympathy.

[mint]

No need to be sarky! 

I'm still hoping someone with some useful suggestions will come along.

[brianagain]

http://www.ferrylines.com/en/ferries/ferries-in-the-western-mediterranean/

This should give you a start on the various ferry choices between France/Corsica/Sardinia.

I've sailed around this part of the Med years ago but courtesy of the Grey Funnel line so no actual experience of these ferry companies.

Brian (again)

link repaired by a mod

[mint]

Thank you, Brian.  Link not working at present "cannot be displayed".

[Russethouse]

How about using http://www.ferrylines.com/ and navigating from there?

[mint]

Thanks, RH. Not an easy site to navigate.  In fact, can't get to the bit I need.  But have their contact details.

Need to do the homework.

[woolybanana]

Ah, chateau women!!

[Anton Redman]

How big is the dog ?  Given there are no problems with rabies and vacinations ring up the ferry companies and ask them.

[Russethouse]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Thanks, RH. Not an easy site to navigate.  In fact, can't get to the bit I need.  But have their contact details.

Need to do the homework.

[/quote]

Does this help ?

http://www.corsica-ferries.co.uk/Pcorsica.srv;jsessionid=0A941E2966ED7B03672D2C90B19E19AF.tomcat1?ID=0&page=0&AR=0&modeOperation=P&typeAllerRetour=0&jSessionId=0A941E2966ED7B03672D2C90B19E19AF.tomcat1&methodMoteurResa=get&codeLangueMoteurResa=fre-FR&modeIntegration=NONE&secureMoteurResa=no&urlAccueilMoteurResa=%2F&urlEtapeMoteurResa=%2F&REF00LIN=EN&COM00MIT=P&AGE00IDE=400004001&AGE00CAT=&numeroSegment=&numeroVersion=&numeroFacture=&nomClient=&Reset=0&SousMode=&jspurl=&codePays=FR_&codeRegionFra=PRO&codeRegionIta=LOM&jourAller=0&moisAller=0&ligneAller=00&jourRetour=0&moisRetour=0&estRetourOpen=0&ligneRetour=00&moteurAvance=N&nbAduSociaux=0&nbAduAller=0&nbEnfAller=0&nbBebAller=0&nbNouAller=0&nbAnBAller=0&codeVehAller=0&estVehAHautSup=0&estVehALargSup=0&codeTraAller=0&estTraAHautSup=0&estTraALargSup=0&codeCabineAvancee=&valider=%3CSPAN%3ESearch%3C%2FSPAN%3E

Its another site with out France listed in the drop down list......

[mint]

Thank you, RH.  Much easier site.

Shortest journey seems to be Nice to Ajaccio but it's still 5 hours.  Add on embarking and disembarking and I don't know if it's doable.  But will think seriously about it.

Anton, she's only a little cocker spaniel and I now have the company's email details so I can ask all my questions.

 

 

[woolybanana]

A cocky Spaniard, eh? Well, I return to my second suggestion.[6]

[Gardian]

SW17 ............

There is a ferry company, 'La Meridionale', which operates Marseille - Porto Torres (NW Sardinia) via Propriano (Corsica).  Overnight sailings, somewhat of a tub according to elder son who used it this Summer.   www.smn.fr

Their website says "Animals to be left in the car or in a kennel" - normal thing on ferries. Transit time is 12-ish hours, so dodgy.

Best bet might be the fast ferry Nice - Calvi with SNCM  www.sncm.fr   3 hrs.  Then a long drive top to bottom of Corsica and the short (half hour) hop across to Sardinia.

No idea about hotel-friendliness towards dogs, but most are fine if pre-warned I suspect.

[mint]

Bonjour, Gardian.

Thanks for the links.  I'm interested particularly in the fast ferry Nice - Calvi as described.  However, I couldn't see such an itinerary.  I could only see boats leaving Marseille.

3 hours sound very good.

Don't mind the drive down the length of Corsica as we'll take the chance to see some of Corsica.

Will also have a long drive down the length of Sardinia as the place we're going to is at the extreme end of the South Eastern tip of the island.  It's worth it as we're thinking of spending 2 or 3 months once (if) we manage to get to our destination.

Not worried about the French end as there are always hotels that will take dogs, particularly as she is small and very well-behaved and she has stayed in hotels before without any incident.

As for the Italians.....................nuff said before some Italian comes on the forum and shouts me off!

If you have further info on the fast ferry, Gardian, I'd be very grateful for a nudge in the right direction.

 

[woolybanana]

This place had better have a decent internet connection because, Sweet 16, you are not going to be allowed to get away with b uggering off to the fleshpots of the rich and famous and leave the poor Bananas unsupported. Without you, who can I be silly with? Quillan? The other person? Who will play? I remind you that Quillan refused firewood to us poor Bananas to keep our toezezys warm in the cruel, cruel winter.

[mint]

Wools, have you had a look at my "Banana Preservation Society" thread?

Arg.......................h!

You know, you could come too, if you want.......................

Bananas can't be kept warm; they just go black and shrivel up!

[bubbles]

they go black in the fridge too!

[mint]

Yes, Bubbles, not only that, they develop nasty, unsightly spots and then they kind of shrivel up and, when you peel them, they are a nasty, translucent colour under their skins.

Bananas!  They even give off some gas, whose name I can't remember at this moment, and you have to keep them away from other fruit in your fruit bowl because otherwise they contaminate everything they are in contact with.

And that's only the least of it, believe me!

[Gardian]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

I'm interested particularly in the fast ferry Nice - Calvi as described.  However, I couldn't see such an itinerary.  I could only see boats leaving Marseille.

[/quote]

Yes, it is there, but they don't seem to be running that service till a bit later in 2009.  I plugged in Fri 31st July and you get a Nice - Ajaccio (4 hrs) and a Nice - Ile Rousse (3 hrs) that day. On the 30th, there's a Calvi service.  They show the vessel as 'NGV', which I would imagine is Navire Grande Vitesse, i.e. one of those monster cats. (Will will be able to give us the full SP on them)

Best thing is to pop in to a travel agent and pick up an SNCM 2009 timetable.