# Hull - Zebrugge/Roterdam - Any Experience?



## 96509 (Oct 12, 2005)

We are planning to cross via one of these routes in June/July next year. Two 7m motorhomes each with a 5m motorcycle trailer. Anyone had experience of these overnight routes and how to get the best deal?

Stuart Ormerod


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## sailor (Aug 23, 2005)

We have used the hull to rotterdam route many times, albeit with a car/caravan - ie before our recent conversion to a motorhome.

I found it excellent - if you live north of Watford it is a very relaxing way to start and end a holiday. Last time I went, they let you on the boat from about 6.30pm in Hull - even though it sailed much later. This meant you could get settled, have a couple of beers and a decent meal, get a good night's sleep, and arrive at the europort about 8am, from which you are rapidly onto the dutch / german motorway system.

With a caravan the best deals were for saturday night crossings, presumably because there are fewer lorries then. I imagine this will also be true for Motorhomes. I always booked through either the caravan club or camping club, who seemed to get decent deals.

If you live in the north, the mileage saved by not driving to dover, and also saved once in Holland (obviously depending on where you go) goes a long way towards paying the extra cost.

Only negative for us now, is that you cannot take dogs on that crossing, so we now go to Dover.

I am sure you will enjoy it!

Regards


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## 96509 (Oct 12, 2005)

Thanks for that, a very helpful (and prompt!) reply. The website fare is £677 return, including accomodation and meals but I hope to better that through one of the Clubs.

Stuart


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

Don't forget you can use Tesco clubcard points for up to 75% discount with P&O (see other threads).

Ralph


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

sormerod said:


> Thanks for that, a very helpful (and prompt!) reply. The website fare is £677 return, including accomodation and meals but I hope to better that through one of the Clubs.
> 
> Stuart


Stuart,

We only live 30 minutes from Hull and use both routes regularly. Our next trip is 5th Jan Hull to Zeebrugge sailing at 1900 hrs and back on the 24th May. It's £306 for a 6 metre van with an outside two berth cabin but no meals. The Rotterdam sailing leaves two hours later and is about the same price..

I check out the sailings on NSF website http://tinyurl.com/3csfl play with the dates a bit (mid week is cheaper) and then book through the Caravan Club. According to the deals that are on at the time you can save maybe £100 or so.

A word of warning about drinking on board. On one trip to Rotterdam all the drivers were breathalysed as they were leaving the docks next morning, the dutch police made a killing that morning.

The ship sometimes gets a bit crowded with coach parties, I think that's how NSF keep the boats going.

Don


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## 88838 (May 9, 2005)

We've used both routes in both directions several times, and have also used them as return leg only - leaving from Portsmouth and looping round into Belgium / Netherlands as appropriate.
As Ralph says, Tesco vouchers greatly reduce the price and are our usual method pf payment.
The Rotterdam route uses newer bigger boats + it's a slightly shorter crossing, and so evening sailing is later [Hull docks have a locking system - Zeebrugge boats have to travel through - Rotterdam boats are presumably too big].

We enjoy the crossing, but beware of weekend short cruises when there are often large parties - someone actually held a wedding reception on one. If you are planning on wining & dining there is a discount for paying before you board, and the breakfast can set you up for the next 8 hours!

Advantage of Zeebrugge has been proximity to excellent aire at Brugge, tho you are perhaps a little too long with trailers - and see also other thread warning of closure / removal of this aire. Zeebrugge to Calais is a much easier drive than slogging down to Dover imo.

enjoy your trip.


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## captainking (Jun 16, 2005)

When we used hull zee & back it was one of the best journeys ever.......I am coeliac and have to watch what I eat....this was made clear to P&O when we booked....we were given a personal guided tour of the food counter and told what I was able to eat right down to what the sauces contained etc we bypassed the queues waiting to get served and at the door! 
So top marks to P & O..

Captainking


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

Thanks for the info about the food Capn King we have alawys carried our own onboard so as to be safe

Back to original
We have used both regularly sometimes we have had to reverse on or off (No trailer)

When you ask about routes do you mean 
To Hull or From Hull 
Where are you travelling from & where to

Think they mentioned allowing dogs on overnight ferries now - you can easilly check


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## Nora+Neil (May 1, 2005)

I travelled on the Zeebrugge/ Hull ferry in Sept. 
Lovely journey.
Had a inside cabin and found it very quite.
We found the ferry expensive as we did not book.(returnng home with M/H from Germany)

We had Breakfast on board as I'm coeliac I always carry Rice cakes. When the usher seen them he took us around and show me what was on offer as Captainking said. If i asked on other Ferries they look at you as if you had 2 heads.
Fair play to them.

Would travel with them again if i was going that way.


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

sormerod said:


> Anyone had experience of these overnight routes and how to get the best deal?


Hi Stuart,

I can only comment on the Hull-Rotterdam route as I have never used the Zeebrugge route. But I have a lot of experience with ferries and I would give P&O absolutely top marks for this route:

The two vessels sailing here are very new and modern, they have been launched in 2001 and were at that time the largest car ferries in the world, since 2004 only surpassed by Color Line's "Color Fantasy" on the Kiel-Oslo route. They provide comfortable cabins (en-suite only) and very good food. There are no Pullman seats, you have to book a cabin. Only upper deck cabins.

You can usually board quite early, giving you time to settle in your cabin. All shops and restaurants are open then, so you can have a decent meal at a decent time.

At least during weekend crossings it is highly recommended to book ahead for breakfast and maybe also dinner. Booking breakfast for next morning is also possible on-board at the reception desk.

Only disadvantage is that, given all that, they are not exactly the cheapest. But, depending on where you live and where you want to go they might save you a lot of hassle (on London's "circular car park" M25) and fuel costs. The first time we used them I had booked a "landbridge" package from Rotterdam to Dublin via Hull and Holyhead from a travel agent, but was not fully satisfied with the performance of this agent so now I always simply book via P&O's web site.

As I have only 1.5 hours driving from my home to the ferry port at Rotterdam this is my preferred connection to North England, Wales and Ireland.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

According to the Caravan Club info re distances from ferry ports 

Zeebrugge is a shorter route to Austria Italy Switzerland than Dover

For us it is 4hrs to Hull and 9 Hrs to Dover (if you dont get delays on the M1 etc) 

Portsmouth is quicker that Dover So we take two nights on the ferry to Santursi


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## 97918 (Mar 1, 2006)

*Ferry Crossings*

We live in West Yorkshire and we have made the crossing from Dover, Portsmouth & Plymouth several times. however It always seemed twice as far coming back than it did going. 
Spending most of Sunday doing battle with the M25 & M1 & with the joy of back to work Monday morning to look forward to I suppose doesn't help. Last year we decided to return from zeebrugger to Hull for a change. After an enjoyable crossing we docked at about 8am and were back home cutting the grass by 10am and what's more the cost was very reasonable.
As regards the pricing and booking procedures, the more you read the more confused you get. Everyone seems to have a conflicting story and prices seem to go up & down for fun. you can try several booking agencies for the same crossing and get prices that vary enormously. That being said we usually find that Camping Cheques are competitive so we get a price from them first and then shop around. I always take it as a challenge to find the best deal, perhaps I need help! or perhaps it's just being a Yorkshireman. My main tip would be try and be as flexible as possible with your travel arrangements. See where the best deals are and try and fit them into your travel plan. Don't forget also that if you have 2 vehicles then any savings will be doubled. The Tesco vouchers have been mentioned by a few people I'll be looking into those myself.

Derek.


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