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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  • 1 Post By TheWarden
  • 1 Post By Tim Cullis

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  #1  
Old 24 Oct 2013
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Ferry Service UK to Spain
Finally some competition again for Brittany Ferries

Poole - Santander starts 3rd November

Leaving Poole on Tuesdays and Saturdays and returning from Santander on Thursdays and Sundays

Ferry to France | Cheap Ferry France | Cross Channel Ferry | LD Lines
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  #2  
Old 24 Oct 2013
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Hello, Norman Asturias!

That's great news! Brittany have had it their own way for too long. We were being quoted over a grand last year for late bookings. Let's see how their pricing goes for 2014.
Hopefully, they'll respond to phone bookings "Well, I can get that crossing a lot cheaper with LD Lines..."


Happy trails,

Peter
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  #3  
Old 26 Oct 2013
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Thanks for the heads up twenty4seven. Just as we thought our trip was planned out and we were geared up for the long drive too hehehehehe....

Flexibility is key.

Jed
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  #4  
Old 26 Oct 2013
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Fantastic news after the farce boarding Brittany ferries in Santander tonight. 20:30 sailing has only just finished loading.

Apparently the highly professional staff take advantage of the clocks changing tonight and said why do thy need to leave on time

Bad enough heading home anyway without attitude like that
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  #5  
Old 16 Mar 2014
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Well we did it and recently got back. It is cheap and the boat is well kept with nice staff. The thing is the boat is a boat and not really a ship. It is really small and the crossing was really rough. In total it took 28 hours and 80% of the people on the boat were puking due to the boats size. Not great if you have small kids traveling with you so we drove back.
The s were reasonable in the bar though

Jed
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Old 17 Mar 2014
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Even the QM2 will get tossed around in the bay of Biscay. Coming back from South Africa when I was a kid we'd been on the boat for something like 3 weeks and I was still sick as a dog going through. Was ready for it first time I took the bike to Spain though- Seabands on my wrists (do they work?) and travel pill in my belly I was just about the only person in the restaurant for dinner ;-)
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Old 17 Mar 2014
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Bloody stupid schedule on that LD ship- why dump you in Poole at half eleven at night? Even arriving in Spain at seven isn't ideal- by the time you've got off the ship it would be too late to go very far out of town to find somewhere to stay. The Gijon service is maybe better if you don't need to travel weekends
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Old 17 Mar 2014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reggie3cl View Post
Bloody stupid schedule on that LD ship- why dump you in Poole at half eleven at night? Even arriving in Spain at seven isn't ideal- by the time you've got off the ship it would be too late to go very far out of town to find somewhere to stay. The Gijon service is maybe better if you don't need to travel weekends
You pays your money and takes your choice, I can put up with quite a lot for a couple of hundred quid or so savings and I do live in Dorset
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  #9  
Old 17 Mar 2014
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The Pont Aven and Cap Finistere (Brittany Ferries) have stabilisers and even in December's force 9 it wasn't too bad.

Brittany Ferries has responded to the Louis Dreyfus initiative by introducing its own économie service. We've booked this for a trip in mid summer, worked out at about £150 cheaper each way for a Discovery and 2 passengers. And then we saved a bit more with our ClubVoyage discount.

Britanny has a massive new flagship gas-powered ferry under construction which will enter service in 2017, replacing Pont Aven.

.
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Old 18 Mar 2014
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Interestingly brittanies economy service cabins are more expensive than the regular one at £90 over £65

Just been looking at timetables etc for my trip in October. LD lines website won't quote that far in advance

(4x4 1 person cabin)
Brittany's cheapest fare - £428
Brittany's regular - £548
Combe Out regular back economy - £488

So quite a difference. Generally I think Brittany's service is pretty rubbish (same on board menu in 2011 and 2013! late departures etc) but trying to squeeze as much time in Moroco into 3 weeks off work does mean the Friday night Portsmouth to Santander sailing is great. I can finish work a little early catch the ferry and be in Morocco Sunday night . The new economy sailing leaving Sat am puts me only about 12 hours behind but that its into Morocco time. So £120 cheaper but 12 hours out of Morocco is about £10 an hour, I can live with that
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Old 21 Mar 2014
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I think the grub on the Pont Aven is excellent quality and reasonably priced. I can't speak for Britanny's Etretat (economy boat) yet, but definitely not impressed with the self-service food on the Cap Finistere, nor the reheated chips, pizzas and other rubbish served on the top deck.

So last trip on the CF I took some Sainsbury's excellent Cumberland Fish Pies—one for evening meal, another for lunch the next day—and used the microwave ovens by the bar to heat them up.
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Old 7 Oct 2014
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Hey everyone, remember this? well guess what docked in Algerciras as I was boarding the Tanger Med ferry? the old LD Lines Norman Asturias, didn't see which operator its with now but I guess its doing the Morocco route


[EDIT: Tim Cullis] For anyone reading this thread, LD Lines terminated their UK to Spain service after just a few months.
Last edited by Tim Cullis; 18 Jul 2015 at 10:55.
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  #13  
Old 28 Oct 2014
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Hi, yes it's a sad fact a lot of ferry routes are going by next year because of the EU's sulphur law on ships emissions.

Cheers Mark
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  #14  
Old 17 Jul 2015
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An update on Brittany Ferries' economie services...

We were mildly content with the Etretat, there's a bit 1970s formica feel about the ship but the cabins are spacious with wide gaps between the beds. The beds are also wide but with an annoying lip that digs into your legs when sitting putting your shoes on. Small shop, cinema, great food (much better than Cap Finistere and comparable to Pont Aven). Would use it again for the savings involved.

And this last trip we came back on the new (to Brittany) Baie de Seine economie service. Spacious cabins and wide beds, absolutely brilliant and reasonably priced food—both times I felt it necessary to congratulate the chefs. No cinema but I had films on my Macbook. This is now my favourite low-cost service.

In terms of overall enjoyment my preferences are Pont Aven, then Baie de Seine, Etretat, Cap Finistere.

And then we saved a bit more with our Club Voyage discount.
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