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Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

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


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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  #1  
Old 20 Jul 2007
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Cheapest Ferry to Spain

Having fun booking a ferry! Cheapest I can get at the moment is £350 with Britany Ferries down to Santander :-( Sailing Sun 02/09 returning Mon 24/09 - I'm quite flexable about those dates moving later in September but how on earth can I drive that cost down? I seem to be able to get the return journey for £128 and the outward journey seems to be costing a bomb... any suggestions anyone? Going to Morocco and want to spend as much time there as possible. Cheers. m
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Originally Posted by mattcbf600 View Post
Having fun booking a ferry! Cheapest I can get at the moment is £350 with Britany Ferries down to Santander :-( Sailing Sun 02/09 returning Mon 24/09 - I'm quite flexable about those dates moving later in September but how on earth can I drive that cost down? I seem to be able to get the return journey for £128 and the outward journey seems to be costing a bomb... any suggestions anyone? Going to Morocco and want to spend as much time there as possible. Cheers. m

Matt,

£51 return is the best price I have managed with Norfolkline, Dover - Dunkerque, and then ride where ever you like! That way you are not a captive passenger on the ferry, paying whatever they want for food & .

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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Thanks Dave,

At the moment I think I'm going to have to ride down through France rather than fork out £350 for a ferry return to Spain - which would be a shame because I would lose 4 days in Morocco :-(

m
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Your welcome.

Forgot to mention that Eurotunnel advertise cars one way for £49 and they go on to say, in the small print, that bikes go for half the cost of a car.
Therefore a bike = £49 return in theory (that is going solely by their advertising blurb),

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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Eurotunnel is quite good actually - you can go for £17 each way if you book well in advance and go out of peek hours - but like I say that means I lose 2 days on the way down and 2 on the way back - or rather I suppose I only lose 1 each way because the ferry takes 1 day...

m
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Hogal has the answer Matt:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ng-via-27839-2

So, 24 hours+ on the briny ocean or the backroads of France and the Pyranees crossing?
No contest.

Eurotunnel = 35 minutes, the ferry = 1 3/4 hours as well.
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Or alternatively take teh newhaven/dieppe ferry and take the back roads to Spain. Of course I am biased because we are halfway between the channel ports and Spain, so benefit from people staying overnight at our BnB. Currently bikes are £44 and cars £67 return via Dieppe. From Dieppe we 5-6 hours on teh side roads, as is Spain.
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Yes very good point there! It's basically loosing 2 days in Morocco, but as you say 24 hours on a bath tub or 48 hours blasting across spain and france? oldbmw - please tell me more about your B&B sounds great! Perhaps I can work this in to the trip....
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Or alternatively take teh newhaven/dieppe ferry and take the back roads to Spain. Of course I am biased because we are halfway between the channel ports and Spain, so benefit from people staying overnight at our BnB. Currently bikes are £44 and cars £67 return via Dieppe. From Dieppe we 5-6 hours on teh side roads, as is Spain.
That's another route I have looked at + the Newhaven-Le Havre crossing (LD Lines) but the last price that I got online was £94 return, for the latter, and it seems to increase as the time gets closer (but I think most companies are doing this nowadays).

I second that; lets hear about your Chambre D'hote.

Matt,
Are you riding/owning a cbf600?
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Old 20 Jul 2007
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Just done the ferry booking for that route and I can get a return for £64 - guessing that will increase as time goes by - I'm planning to make the call this weekend and get it booked - that way what-ever I do I'll get the best price for!

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Old 21 Jul 2007
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Who with and when?

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Just done the ferry booking for that route and I can get a return for £64 - guessing that will increase as time goes by - I'm planning to make the call this weekend and get it booked - that way what-ever I do I'll get the best price for!

m

Who is that with Matt (& at what time of year)?; I had not realised that there is more than one company operating ferries out of Newhaven in the summer.
Eurotunnel are quoting me about £84 online, depending on exactly which train is used on a particular day (they have loads of timings of course to choose from).
I would much prefer to travel from "peaceful little Newhaven" than busy, busy Dover!
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Old 21 Jul 2007
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Looks like a very nice crossing actually - I used this site Newhaven to Dieppe Ferry Crossing - Ferries from Newhaven to Dieppe and chose mid-week crossings - which is where I think the saving came from. m
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Old 21 Jul 2007
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I used Newhaven - Dieppe when I trucked my XR400 to Morocco in April. I booked the late night boat out, took my thermarest on board with me, and slept on the floor. My Navara Outlaw is 5.5m long, but I classed it as a commercial vehicle and got a £10 discount (go figure?).

The return journey took forever, though this might have been because they were waiting for high tide.

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Old 21 Jul 2007
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I agree with most people who have replied. Take a short crossing and make the trip to southern Spain part of the holiday. £54 on Eurotunnel - make sure you book low rates however. Try the Parador hotels in Spain, an experience in their own right.
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Old 21 Jul 2007
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Commercial plug

Our BnB details can be had here Le Frene


or visit http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...t-france-10472
for more info. and couple reports from HR members

regards

If you use Via michelin, input le frene and post code 79200, it will show our farmhouse.
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