Travelling to the Loire valley this summer for a couple of weeks, currently wondering if we should do the ferry or tunnel. I know the tunnel is allegedly quicker but it does seem pretty pricey.

Any STW tips on how to get the family across without enormous expense?

G

I go over to our place in Normandy quite regulary and i go from Portsmouth – Caen on Brittany Ferries, it is expensive compared to other ferry companies but we live in South Wales so to drive to the tunnel (4 -5 hrs) or Eastern Channel ferry routes then drive from Calais to Vire will take 5-6 hours, so i factor in the the cost of petrol to Dover, 6 hrs on the French side driving plus motorway tolls so the Western Channel route is better for me. I only have a 50 min drive on arrival you have at least 3hrs to the Loire from Caen.

Depends where you are, cheaper ferries in the Eastern channel for sure as there are more passengers, work out the driving time to the Loire, very nice choice by the way and motorway tolls, my mate lives near us in Wales and is place is in the Loire, he regular takes the overnight ferry from Pompy to St Malo, not cheap especially in summer but factor in the petrol, driving time, tolls and arriving in a sane state with the kids that maybe a good option for you.

Prices do jump in summer robbing toe-rags.

if you’ve got a family the ferry might be better – get the kids out of the car, stretching their legs, burning off some energy. In the tunnel (which is quicker by around an hour I reckon, end-to-end) you’re couped up inside the car the whole time

you’re couped up inside the car the whole time

you can walk around OK on the tunnel train, noting to do but you can certainly stretch your legs

For me, end to end speed of using the tunnel outweighs the cons

Use the tunnel with Tesco club card points, for every £10 of club card points you get £30 of ferry vouchers. By the time you fill your car up once a week with the weekly shop it does not take long to get a free or very cheap crossing.

Ferry. If the tunnel collapses or there is a bomb or a fire I don’t fancy your chances. Boats take a while to sink and the water is pretty warm in the summer so swimming is an Ok option.

Use the tunnel with Tesco club card points, for every £10 of club card points you get £30 of ferry vouchers. By the time you fill your car up once a week with the weekly shop it does not take long to get a free or very cheap crossing.

This is what I’ve been doing for the last several years. Works a treat.

I loathe the ferries. Ages waiting around, strict times for departure (unlike the tunnel where you just get onto the next one other than in dire emergencies), a dreadful smell of chips, and the time taken to shuffle the car on / get herded up to the seating area / take ages to cross / get herded back / shuffle off / take ages to get to the motorway. The fact that I travel at night and can leave the kids snoozing in the back rather than getting everyone up is another bonus.

The tunnel is brilliant for me – takes easily 90 minutes off the time to destination, I reckon.

Depending where you’re going in the Loire valley, do what anokdale said and go from Portsmouth or Poole because if you’re going towards the coast then you’re in for a LONG drive once you get to Calais. I usually get the tunnel because it’s (slightly) closer to where I live, is faster and is less affected by weather and French ferry strikes.

But yes, tunnel if you MUST, ferry from Portsmouth if you want an easier life at the far side. Yes it’s more expensive but you save on autoroute tolls, petrol and a fair amount of misery.

A couple of times a year I drive down from Scotland to see my sister in La Creuse. Driving at night the roads are deserted and stress free. Ferry from Dover to either Dunkirk or Calais are seldom busy. Usually if I arrive early they put you on the first departure. French motorway Tolls are getting more expensive but their roads are great.

I’ve always found the tunnel to be far cheaper than the ferry. Remember when you book the tunnel you actually have up to 48 hours from your booking time to turn up and cross, so I just get the cheapest fare in the middle of the nigt, turn up a couple of hours “late” and go thru, if its full then you have to wait, but in 8 crossings i’ve never had to wait.

atlaz – someone agreed with me on STW 🙂

Agreed, can be a long drive to the Loire from Calais,

Nickf – Would also add Brittany Ferries dont smell of chips, not hearded and i have not been let down by them in the 4 years we have had the house there, slightly more dosh but if you want a cheaper option from Pompy use LD Lines to Le Harve, again gets you into Normandy and get on the A48 and head South.

I’ve had to wait a few times with it but no more than an hour or so, I’ve also been offered [by the ticket machine] the chance to go earlier for an extra tenner
Mind you, I’ve probably used it well over 100 times so a bigger sample

thanks for all of this so far, If it helps any I’m driving from Scotland. TBH I don’t fancy driving to pompy then sitting on a ferry for hours only to possibly save a few quid? Is it really going to save me that much time too?

I thought the tunnel tickets were fixed unless you buy the flexible tickets?

G

From Scotland i would go for the tunnel as well,long drive either way but def worth it when you get there.

Tunnel every time!

ps – all I ever do is book the cheapest time at something like the time I want to cross and turn up about when I want to travel…

Had to wait 40 mins once – terrible 😉 but that was at 9.30am on the first day of the school hols (and my ticket said I should have travelled at 05.00!)

We are also traveling to France in the summer from Scotland! Was wondering exactly the same thing, figuring we would need to factor in an overnight somewhere. So thinking an overnight crossing might be better, probably the Portsmouth-St Malo.

If you’re travelling from Scotland what about North Sea Ferries from Hull? Saves driving all the way to the South coast, extra fuel miles on the car etc. Again book early it’s much cheaper’ I’ve paid as low as £220 in the past.

So thinking an overnight crossing might be better, probably the Portsmouth-St Malo.

If I were doing an overnight sailing from Scotland or Northern England, I’d take the Hull-Zeebrugge boat over the Portsmouth-StMalo one

Same sort of cost but much less UK driving to contend with

Think about Newcastle to Amsterdam. Much easier drive this side, overnight crossing and the euro side is a cruise with fewer tolls. Although pricier than the tunnel it was 150 miles shorter to Alpe d’heuz.

The fact that i only had an hours drive this side swung it for me.

We did Hull-Rotterdam for our trip to southern Germany last year, overnight ferry and an hours drive this side did it for us. Went Dover-Dunkirque the year before and with the drive to/ from Dover and overnights so we could get across early was a right pain. The overnight gets you there much fresher IMO.

If from Dover – ferry to Calais.
I’d see Southampton connections, are there any from somewhere there?

Die in a horrible fire in the Tunnel,

Or

Ferry sinks and drown to death.

😯

I use the ferry as the tunnel is so expensive whenever I’ve looked. Ferry crossings cost me £50-60 return every time with someone. I prefer to use norfolk line. For me it’s better as the only driver the 2 hour gap gives me some time to nap. Always get moved on to earlier ferries when I arrive before time and the ferries are very comfy.

The one time I used the tunnel it was expensive and arriving 2hours early on the way out and 1 hour on the way back and both times we had to wait for our booked train. That alone was enough to make me go back to ferries.

I’d rather be on a sinking ferry than in a burning tunnel.. Haven’t you seen the poseiden adventures 1&2?

Ferry, tunnel is too pricey and not notably quicker.

Ooh I dunno; I’m not talking about a ‘possible escape/rescue’ type scenario, I’m talking about certain death.

Tough call.

drowning, less pain, here is why.
If you hold your breath the pain is not caused caused by the lack of oxygen but the build up of co2, which is why nitrogen or CO can kill you without you noticing as they replace the co2. Apparently when you finally open your lungs and inspire water, its a relief..

It looks like the tunnel is going to be the final decision, for clarity though can someone confirm if I DO need the flexible ticket (currently £199 each way) to get on when I turn up, assuming I do arrive slightly earlier than planned after sailing through the traffic in the first 500 miles?

I lived in Hull whilst growing up and my mum’s family are in Laval in Brittany. Once we’d “discovered” the route from Portsmouth/Soton/Poole we never went via Calais. Nowadays we leave work on a Friday, drive to the coast, overnight ferry to St Malo/Caen with cabin. Wake up refreshed, bit of breakfast in the first small town we drive through and we’re at my folks place near La Rochelle late morning. If we did Calais we’d get to their place half a day later and save such a tiny amount that it’d not be worth it.

I’ve never booked a flexible ticket for the tunnel. Issuable get the cheapest one and turn up somewhere near it, if you’re early if there’s room they just slide you straight on.

Depends where you live realy

I have a place in the Haute Vienne ( near Limoges) and living in Devon I could drive to Dover bloody awful route 225 miles then do 400 miles the other side which would involve a night stop on route

But I prefer to pay extra and sail Plymouth Roscoff, why because I finnnish work, go home jump in my car drive 70 miles to Plymouth and get on the overnight ferry so my sleep patterns are not interupted, wake up fresh at Roscoff and drive 400 miles. This route saves me 2 days holiday per visit

Apparently when you finally open your lungs and inspire water, its a relief..

That doesn’t seem to make much sense to me. Does the water take away the CO2? I suspect it doesn’t, and I suspect it wouldn’t do it quickly if it did. Having personally held my breath until I started to black out (as a teen, proving a point), I can say it doesn’t hurt at all, it feels a bit odd and panicky, but doesn’t hurt. After yo’ve blacked out you feel nowt anyway. The fun white-out when you come round is a bit exciting, but what it does to your hearing and vision is not something I’d like to repeat any time soon.

The panic reaction is caused by the co2, I meant to type that, but its still painful (at least is is for me). Otherwise you suspect wrong. Yes the water absorbs the co2 very quickly. Google Le Chatelier.

Before you inspire the water it hurts like hell, after its peaceful.. Science fact.