# Winter ferry service to Spain



## Bunglas (Oct 28, 2009)

Earlier this week Brittany Ferries responded to an Email I sent regarding the date service would recommence in 2011, they stated service 'generally ran from March' but have agreed to email later (I suppose when their schedule is finalised). I later read in this month,s Caravan club magazine that we can expect a service between UK & Santander to run all through the coming winter. Does anyone have any more firm information on the likelihood of a winter service or should one proceed with other options !
Many thanks, in advance


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I made a Brittany Ferries booking today for January 2011 from Portsmouth to Santander. They opening winter booking today and it seems this service is running seamlessly from now to March - and presumably beyond.

G


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

How mucho??? pesos.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

£380 : a lot but the alternatives -Calais/ Cherbourg and so on did not work out much cheaper when you add on the cost of driving to Spain and campsites on the way. 

G


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Cheers I agree 8)


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

I just had a price off the web cost for 6mtr van is 684pounds, I shall drive round from calais.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Chausson said:


> I just had a price off the web cost for 6mtr van is 684pounds, I shall drive round from calais.


Goodness ! I only booked at teatime today: 6.5 m van and bike rack, 2 adults and outside double cabin. That is some price hike !

G


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> Chausson said:
> 
> 
> > I just had a price off the web cost for 6mtr van is 684pounds, I shall drive round from calais.
> ...


Is your £380 for one way only

Mike


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## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

Grizzly did you book one way and Chausson return? Just a thought.

When I was looking earlier it was £381 one way up to 7m Mhome with bike rack.

Will ring C&CC to see if they can get it cheaper

Jan


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

I just tried for december and it was £671 going out portsmouth return Plymouth


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We have driven down to Spain from Calais for the last three years during early February which takes 4 or 5 days at a sensible pace as it's around 1250 miles.
We now fancy an easier trip and I have made a provisional booking today with the Camping Club, they at the moment do not have any prices despite them being available on the Brittany Ferries website.
They appear confident however that they will be cheaper than booking direct.

I have worked out that it will cost around £250 more for a return trip than driving down but believe that it will be worth it especially in February.

I enjoy driving in France and will be spending 6 weeks there during September/October but somehow in Winter it's not quite the same.

Mike


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

bozzer said:


> Grizzly did you book one way and Chausson return? Just a thought.
> 
> When I was looking earlier it was £381 one way up to 7m Mhome with bike rack.
> 
> ...


mine was a return from portsmouth in december.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I thought I'd said: single from Portsmouth to Santander. We'll come back via Calais- or Dunkirk-or Cherbourg or wherever we end up.

G


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)




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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Spain*



MikeCo said:


> We have driven down to Spain from Calais for the last three years during early February which takes 4 or 5 days at a sensible pace as it's around 1250 miles.
> We now fancy an easier trip and I have made a provisional booking today with the Camping Club, they at the moment do not have any prices despite them being available on the Brittany Ferries website.
> They appear confident however that they will be cheaper than booking direct.
> 
> ...


Driving in winter is as nice in a different way in my opinion.

Wish I could post my Pyrenean ski photos from January but not sure how to do it from a Mac.

POSL have given up the lease on Pride Of Bilbao, so it was a forgone conclusion that BF would give it a go all year.

But be warned, the Bay of Biscay is a real nightmare in a storm.

Many Videos Available throught POB History Here

TM


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Spain*



teemyob said:


> Driving in winter is as nice in a different way in my opinion.


Indeed it is but we know just about every road in France, all year round, and, while not bored with it, want a new experience and want to get to Portugal pdq.

G


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## ourden (May 1, 2010)

Chausson said:


> I just had a price off the web cost for 6mtr van is 684pounds, I shall drive round from calais.


Just had a quote for £646 Feb, 7Mtr cabin both ways Febuary?


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Ferry*

£742 Return with the help of a MHF Members BF Personal Discount which saves £67. That is for 9Mx3M

I would consider one way, probably return leg.

Might be an idea to play around with the system and see which vessel you will be sailing on. Some bob about on this stretch of the Ocean better than others.

I am so used to Force 9's that 10 & 11 just feel a tad rockier.

TM
TIMETABLES HERE


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

The actual fares are not bad, buit it is the cabin charges which are the ones that add up. I treat it like a hotel and decide if I am feeling like and/or can afford a B&B or a four star and pay accordingly

As the only driver at present I find it so much less tiring at start and end of a holiday and arrive refreshed. I have a five to 5 hour drive to/from Portsmouth at the UK end plus another 4 hour ferry ride. In Spain its a 7 hour drive. So going via Santander is Day 1 08.45 Ferry to Heysham, drive to Portsmouth and park up for the night Day 2 11.00 Ferry to Santander cabin overnight Day 3 12.00 arrive Santander 19.00 arrive Mas Gasson. (I could leave IOM on day 1 at 19.45 and drive down over night to save 12 hours)

If I went via the eastern, short channel route I have to negotiate the M25 and to get to the south East coast takes about 8 hours. I would either cross Day 1 and stop over night in Northern France or cross early Day 2. Day 2 I would reach eityer Perpignan or Andorra roughly but its 15 hours. Day 3 I would arrive about mid day, exhausted.

The quickest route is via the Western channel to St Malo or Caen on theevening boat on day 1, arrive Day 2 at 08.00 and drive via Bordeaux and Toulouse and then via Andorra arriving 21.00 day 2 BUT its twice as much driving.

The BF Owners abroad club is worth joining as it gives a discount on the fare and in summer, at weekends and peak, you can save more on a return jopurney than the club membership costs

And finally its the "new" reconditioned boat for quite a period in February March 2011, not Pont Aven. It is not as nice or well equipped and not as good a sea boat, but it does have 4 dog cabins. I did a 40 hour crossing last November, it can get rough


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## rosie66 (Mar 21, 2008)

*Winter Ferries to Spain*

Interestingly enough we bought up this topic some time ago and stated that Brittany Ferries were going to let us know by email once they had their winter schedules going. They didn't! How do we know? Because we looked up their ferry site couple of weeks ago and all their winter sailing schedules are up there. Seems they don't need any more passengers then? £360 Portsmouth to Santander 10th December. What we were REALLY looking for was any comments on ferry prices for motorhomes towing cars on trailers. Can someone please point us in the right direction?
A week to Calais and return with P&O went from £62.50 to £222.50!!


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

Of course the winter timetable is due to P&O pulling out of Bilbao. Only enough work in winter for one boat.

I used it twice and I hated 36 hours on board. Two nights,. you spent a fortune on meals and the last time there were a party of heavy duty bikers on board drinking for somewhere. In an emergency the crew would not have coped. It was ugly.

In addition they did not carry dogs, 

I receieved an e-mail about the release of the winter timetable, and a snail mail


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

thieawin said:


> 36 hours on board. Two nights,.


I hope not ! We've only got one night booked in a cabin from Portsmouth to Santander and were expecting a 24 hour crossing.



> In addition they did not carry dogs,


They seem to do so now and say they have 4 dog-friendly cabins in addition to their kennels this is on the " new" boat.

G


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

refers to P&O to Bilbao not BF


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