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2 Mar 2013
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Not likely to be much of a problem in a discovery but the French are now absolutely draconian in punishing speeders, but you could get caught out when you come into a town as the road may look nice and clear but, as above, once you pass the town sign your in a 50kph limit. There will often be no speed limit sign to back this up.
I always use the channel tunnel now for crossing. It's a lot more flexible, missing your time or arriving early is rarely a problem except at the busiest times, they'll just put you on the next available. It's only a little more expensive but speed and the benefit in flexibility and the corresponding reduced stress are well worth it, also saves having the kids vomit over you!
all that said, for your first trip, little beats the excitement of leaving on a ferry!
Watch out for the yellow diamond signs at the side of the road, they denote you are on the primary route and have right of way.
Check with one of the big motoring organisations as to the current regs and what you need to carry but it's pretty much as above, but other european countries vary so when you travel further afield make sure you are covered for all the countries you may go through.
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2 Mar 2013
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Pricing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by moggy 1968
I always use the channel tunnel now for crossing. It's a lot more flexible, missing your time or arriving early is rarely a problem except at the busiest times, they'll just put you on the next available. It's only a little more expensive but speed and the benefit in flexibility and the corresponding reduced stress are well worth it, also saves having the kids vomit over you!
all that said, for your first trip, little beats the excitement of leaving on a ferry!
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I like the ferry anyway - as above, it feels like "real" travelling and it is more of a break in the driving after arriving at "the seaside".
But, where are you getting quotes for the tunnel? I've just booked to cross next week to Calais with 4 wheels and it is £39 one way with P&O. Eurotunnel came up with a price of £92 for the same journey, same vehicle, similar time of day.
ps DFDS offered Dover - Dunkirk for £26.
pps the boats are equally flexible about which boat sailing is used, when it is quiet at the port.
ppps I miss the days of hovercraft and hydroplanes - now that was travelling with a vehicle!!
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Last edited by Walkabout; 3 Mar 2013 at 00:27.
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2 Mar 2013
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yeh, the hovercraft was quite an experience!
100 quid extra return isn't much! usually, when I am heading trough Europe I am on my way to Eastern Europe. A trip I do 2-4 times a year so the 50 quid and faster crossing is well worth it to me. Not only is the crossing faster but you don't have to book in so far in advance, saving even more time. It means I can easilly make Poland on day 1 which makes overnight accomodation much cheaper. the trip back to the UK means usually crossing western Europe in a one'er, whichmeans the flexibility of booking in times is way better than catching a ferry. trains leave every half hour or so, ferries definately don't! less stress and I don't have to plan to arrive in ridiculously good time for a ferry. If I miss the train I just jump on a later one! 
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3 Mar 2013
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Fair enough.
The boats can get crowded and that is when I don't like them but I aim to travel outside of school holidays and the like, so they work OK for me - certainly a decent break from driving.
The ferry companies (I have used all of the current crop in the past couple of years) have loaded me onto any one of their boats that is sailing, even if I turn up early and the best timing I have had was when I got to the check-in gate and 20 mins later we sailed - it was very quiet on that day!!
Anyway, there's some more things for daf.vinci to consider.
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3 Mar 2013
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I think the flexibility on ferry tickets at DoverCalais is now only about 4 hours from your booked sailing or you pay. Not as flexy as it was 
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3 Mar 2013
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You might try this as anyone else might.
When I first traveled away I would place a clear arrow pointing to the right in my line of sight. Like in the window above steering wheel height. It wont take long to get used to being "on the other side" of the road though.
Enjoy
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4 Mar 2013
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The driving on the wrong side of the road bit isn't too tricky, it's junctions you have to watch out for, particularly when turning left.
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5 Mar 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moggy 1968
100 quid extra return isn't much!
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It does mount up though (I am aiming to cross the channel every month this year up to and including September with the exception of August when all the schools turn out for their annual hols + oh yes! The French clog up their own highways with the rush to the coast in August).
For a few quid more it is possible to find an overnight ferry route with a cabin, which equates to one night with a bed rather than staying in a hotel; on balance though, I still prefer the short sea routes for many reasons.
In the case of travelling with a family, my experience (well in the past regarding the children bit) is to get the crossing over and done with asap.
Maria41 makes a point that is often quoted = "boring northern France"; but, for the Brits this can be a perception based on the rush to get to a southern destination and the quick drive down the auto routes.
In fact, northern France has lots of connections with England going back to the Norman conquest (what else) + there are masses of WW1 commonwealth war graves for anyone interested in such history. And, we haven't touched on WW2 and the beaches of Normandy. 
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5 Mar 2013
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yep, the little cemetries around the WW1 battlefields are somethiing every British person should see at least once in their life, very sobering, as is the Thiepval memorial, it's part of our heritage and our history after all, it's what shaped the country we live in today and 100 years on the scars are still there.
The Somme also happens to be very beautiful!
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6 Mar 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout
It does mount up though (I am aiming to cross the channel every month this year up to and including September with the exception of August when all the schools turn out for their annual hols + oh yes! The French clog up their own highways with the rush to the coast in August).
For a few quid more it is possible to find an overnight ferry route with a cabin, which equates to one night with a bed rather than staying in a hotel; on balance though, I still prefer the short sea routes for many reasons.
In the case of travelling with a family, my experience (well in the past regarding the children bit) is to get the crossing over and done with asap.
Maria41 makes a point that is often quoted = "boring northern France"; but, for the Brits this can be a perception based on the rush to get to a southern destination and the quick drive down the auto routes.
In fact, northern France has lots of connections with England going back to the Norman conquest (what else) + there are masses of WW1 commonwealth war graves for anyone interested in such history. And, we haven't touched on WW2 and the beaches of Normandy. |
I am actually french  although I've been in the UK for 16 years now!
But the perception of french people is also that most of the north is not very interesting. Most of the north "Departements" were industrial, flat land, coal mining etc... There are pleasant places, I'm sure! I was told Lille can be nice.
Le Touquet is also pleasant in its own ways, as is Cayeux Sur Mer or Amiens... But, it pale in comparison with regions further south, in my opinion... Anything south , east of west of Paris you will struggle not to like... Each region has its own cuisine and history is everywhere. Plenty of medieval towns. Burgondy is awesome. And the wine is to die for! 
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6 Mar 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maria41
... There are pleasant places, I'm sure! I was told Lille can be nice.
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Certainly it is so: I lived in Mons for a while, just over the border, and I spent a lot of time visiting the prominent WW1 locations, including Verdun, + a few of those from WW2.
I've never got around to visiting Crecy or Agincourt, but they are in my bucket list.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maria41
Le Touquet is also pleasant in its own ways, as is Cayeux Sur Mer or Amiens... But, it pale in comparison with regions further south, in my opinion... Anything south , east of west of Paris you will struggle not to like... Each region has its own cuisine and history is everywhere. Plenty of medieval towns. Burgondy is awesome. And the wine is to die for! |
Yes again! I think Le Touquet still runs the sand/beaches races.
Amiens is part of the WW1 locations; I will be going by that way tomorrow and will be in Burgundy the next day, en route to the Jura and the Haute-Savoie/Chamonix 
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