# Brittany Ferries price increase



## rolyk (Aug 24, 2007)

Last year we booked the Santander return crossing in May for a total cost of £643. This year for the same period the price has increased by £78. And if we go in June, our preferred month, the price increases to £843. And this is for a relatively small van 6m x 2.6m high.

The advantage of the Santander route is that you can be in the Algarve the next day as it's a relatively short drive of around 600 miles. 

I've looked at alternative crossings to Caen and Roscoff and whilst it is around half the price it only gets us across the channel, leaving us with a three day slog to the south.

So if we want to go to Portugal the easy way it looks like we'll just have to pay up.

Unless anyone else knows better!

Roly


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Hi Roly
i let my Overseas property owners club run by BF lapse this year. Although a discount of 30% was given the anual membership is going up to £50.

try Condor ferries.
Your holiday should start when you leave home, not when you arrive at your destination. I may take a little longer to get to my destination but who cares.

dave p


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## Tezmcd (Aug 3, 2009)

The difference between last years trip and this year is £200

I'd use that £200 to buy a bit of fuel and enjoy a 3-4 day leisurely drive there and back

If you need to get to your destination ASAP so you can lay on a sunbed and soak up the sun then maybe think about taking a plane?


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## rolyk (Aug 24, 2007)

Dave - Just tried Condor Poole - St Malo £381 return.

Cheaper than BF and quicker too so maybe an option. Thanks for the suggestion.

Roly


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

We tend to use Pymouth - Roscoff mainly (we live in Devon), we take an overnight ferry and sleep on the boat, then land in France at about 7.00am then drive South on dual carriageway and autoroute from Nantes onwards.

It takes us about 8 hours to get to Bordeaux, and we then normally turn inland to our destination. BUT the autoroute does continue towards Biarritz and then into Spain. I believe it would take about another 4 hours from Bordeaux to Santander (although you would go round not through).

The distance from Roscoff to Santander is 682 miles according to the RAC Routeplanner, so you would have to work out the costs of fuel etc to give you a better idea of the comparative costs of Roscoff or Santander.

The ferry does cover the miles in comfort and without stress (other than the cost!)

Dave


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## Manchego (Sep 26, 2009)

Fr the life of me i will never understand why people with a lovely cmfortable motorhome would want to spend a night on a ferry. Certainly wouldn't spend £700 to avoid driving through france.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Prices*

I know where you are coming from. Just got a quote and it came out at £728 for your van.

South of France Maybe?

Port Grimaud
St. Tropez
Cannes

???

TM


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## rolyk (Aug 24, 2007)

Manchego - Yours is not to reason why. If I choose to spend 4 weeks in Portugal without losing nearly a week travelling an extra 2000 miles there and back that is my choice.

Tennymob - South of France via Dover is our "Plan B". We did that a couple of years back and had a great time. I really don't want to spend 4 weeks driving endlessly and find that 2500 miles in that time is enough. I appreciate that others don't find it a problem but we like to relax a little! Our "Plan C" is Scotland but the sunshine further south is a great inducement.

Roly


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Stick to plan A or B :lol: 

Dave p


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*A B or C*



DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Stick to plan A or B :lol:
> 
> Dave p


I agree!

TM


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## Manchego (Sep 26, 2009)

Rolyk, you are perfectly free to spend your money as and how you see fit. But, putting it up on an internet forum you are rather inviting discussion. So i would just like to say, it ain't a week and it ain't 2000 miles.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Life*



Manchego said:


> Fr the life of me i will never understand why people with a lovely cmfortable motorhome would want to spend a night on a ferry. Certainly wouldn't spend £700 to avoid driving through france.


I guess it is down to the Individual and his or her or their requirements, budget, time and passengers.

We Live in the North West. I mostly use P&O Hull-Zeebrugge because I simply cannot be bothered trying to negotiate the Usual M60/M56/M6 then M1 or M42/M40 Around the M25 in whichever directions seem faster moving according to TMC/Sally Traffic/02 1200 Traffic and so on to Get to Dover Folkestone if I am Lucky enough to have survived and there is no "Operation Stack" or French Port Action. Even with no Traffic it is a 5 hour trek. I can be in Hull from our house in around 90 mins.

Yes it costs Around £400 return for 2 People (£375 with C&CC) but I save on Diesel a bit (£25 gets me to Hull - Dover costs around £75), get a nice relaxed trip with a sleep in a fairly comfortable cabin. Ready and alert for a drive the next day.

TM

TM


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Hi TM as i have said before our hols start from locking the front door.
Then we never get to a pre destined destination anyway.
Dave p


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## Manchego (Sep 26, 2009)

That's fair enough, it's each to his own. Personally i don't need a night in a nice comfortable cabin after a 90 minute drive but were all different aren't we.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Drive*



Manchego said:


> That's fair enough, it's each to his own. Personally i don't need a night in a nice comfortable cabin after a 90 minute drive but were all different aren't we.


No, I don't.

But if it took me all day to get to Dover (once took me 10 hours). Then after crossing the Channel which was another 4 hours including waiting, loading, sailing and unloading. Then I have to find somewhere safe to stop. No good at midnight when all the Campsites are closed!

TM


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## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

For us the night on a ferry comes after a day at work. I leave home at 07.00 to do the hours drive to work for an 08.00 start. I order to do this I first get up by 06.00 to do the last of the packing (those last minute bits we can't pack in advance), shower, dress and breakfast. I finish work at 16.00 and our holiday starts then. We drive to Plymouth, eat a good meal out in a very nice restaurant before heading to the ferry port to load around 22.30. By then I have been up for 16.5 hours. I am then ready for bed and as long as my head is down before we leave port I can sleep the night through and arrive fresh in France at 07.00 after eating my breakfast (included in the price with the Property Owners club) ready for the drive south.

We have done the ferry to Santander before. After a hectic year the time taken in the ferry was a delightful way to travel and unwind so that our limited time away with the MH was thoroughly enjoyed and we didn't start out exhausted and ratty with each other.


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## Manchego (Sep 26, 2009)

That's fair do's, each to his own. It's not how i would choose to do it. My experience is on the Portsmouth to St Malo route. You pay a fortune, have to get there at about 19.00 for a 21.30 sailing, eventually get on board and queue for a cabin key, queue up for an overpriced meal get a rubbish nights sleep in an uncomfortable bed and then get woken up too early so you will overpay for a rubbish breakfast. I got an hour down the road and was falling asleep so had to stop for a kip. I wouldn't pay for a cabin and all that anymore, i've got my own. So it's a day crossing for me on the shortest and cheapest route and i'll choose where i want to eat rather than being a captive customer.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Do*

Thats a fair comment too, had the similar sleepless nights on ships myself. Thanks to some unruly guests on a booze cruise. I had on knock on their door at 3am because the staff would do nothing about it.

TM


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