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Heading back to Normandy but looking at ferry options has bought home how isolated our part of the country has become, compared to how it was a couple of years ago.  Was hoping Flybe would be using the airport at Cherbourg again but see they are not.  Brittany ferries seem to be charging ridiculous fares, even for 3 day crossings, and if you go to Le Havre it is a trek into Paris if you are a foot passenger and need to use the train.  Just wondered how much this is affecting people in Manche, especially around our area Carentan? House prices don't seem to have dropped, looking at what's for sale on the notaires website and local estate agents, but wondered how much it has affected tourism?

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We're further north than you, in the Barneville-Carteret area (so half an hour from Cherbourg) and as well as our planned retirement house have a chalet which we rent out.  The departure of P&O (at least as far as we were concerned) led to a virtual collapse in UK bookings - however in response the marketing service that we use targeted other markets, notably the Dutch and Belgian, and if anything the level of bookings has gone up (though they pay less!) Our region seems to be as popular as ever with other European nationalities and the French themselves - it just seems to be the Brits that can't navigate from Caen! 

Local house prices seem to be holding up though this is probably due to the expansion of the Flamanville central generating station pushing up demand.

I agree with you about Brittany Ferries though to be honest I'm less bothered about their pricing (it is exorbitant, but this was always going to happen once they got the monopoly on the Western Channel) as the fact that they can't be arsed to run a Portsmouth-Cherbourg service in the winter months! I think their loyal clientele deserved better.

Peter

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[quote user="Ac50"]

  Just wondered how much this is affecting people in Manche, especially around our area Carentan? House prices don't seem to have dropped, looking at what's for sale on the notaires website and local estate agents, but wondered how much it has affected tourism?

[/quote]

Why would house prices drop?  I really don't think the UK buyers have that much overall effect on the market here.  As for tourism, well we're on schedule for it to be our best year yet.  Most of our UK visitors became wise to BF's exhorbitant charges a couple of years back and seem to use LD to Le Havre and Dieppe, Speedferries to Boulogne or Seafrance and P&O to Calais.  We're just south of Saint Lo.

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Having just bought a house near Mortain in January and commute there from Leicester - the transportation has not put me off - LD Lines is who I use and will use cheaper options for longer stays ie through Dover.

Brittany Ferries are expensive and overnight you have to book a cabin - space in the day is also limited. Unfortunately LD Lines is becoming more popular.

However I love France and so do many more people of all nations.................just look in July on a Saturday at the cars with Dutch and Belgian plates heading into Normandy & Brittany..

The 11% increase in house prices per annum might fall slightly but so what in a nice area as long as there are cheap options for people to get their - £27 each way on sea france through dover and a tank of petrol make sit cheap for a family.

 

 

 

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