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If you are on the South Coast, consider the Newhaven-Dieppe Ferry.
The downside is only two or three sailings a day, so on your return you need to plan to arrive on tOf course, the reason there are so few sailings is because they've only got one or two boats. Or NONE as we found when we arrived. There's not a lot to do in Dieppe for 8 hours, unless you're the three other people in my car, you can get blind drunk and then fall asleep.
I've used Newhaven plenty of times and only had one bad experience, just be aware, unlike Dover - Calais, there's no plan B.
I've used both on many occasions, have just started to use the tunnel crossing which is great and cuts out some time coming from the Midlands.
If don't want to pay the tolls, go towards Brussels on the E429 then pick up the E411 then on to the N40 towards Luxembourg. Then head back into France. Zero Tolls. Do it over two days, or rotate the driving duties.
re rebuilding the bikes we take ours apart and stick them in bags everytime to save the inside of the bus - we take a 12v jetwash which is ace. if you get a routine together it really doesnt take so long to do - just dont leave pedals or allen keys at the side of the road.
i remove wheels, rr mech and stick dummy brake disks in (bits of bent over card if i lose the proper plastic things) put wheels in wheel bags and stick the whole lot in the bike bag. if we are staying in a hotel we can take them in the room if the carpark looks a bit dodgy.
i would like to think both bikes in bags within 15 minutes, plus 5 mins of hosing. on an alps trip i pack the bike bags with spares and clothing and so on. i can get 5 bikes in bags/boxes, plus luggage in the back of the bus with ease so they don't smash themselves to bits against each other
Went round this earlier this year as we are off to Morz in the summer for 2 weeks. From Edinburgh, on balance, we're flying. Realistically it was looking like a 11am start from Ed to get to hull or tunnel. Then a stop for a night then another 8-9 hours from there so circa 18 hours of driving. Assuming no issues. I wasn't against it on the way there but on the way back decided it would be a ballache. Costwise it was cheaper albeit not by much whatever way you look - flight plus bags plus 2 bikes for 3 people wasn't as bad as I feared.
Has anyone taken the train from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice? That could be an option that I hadn't thought about.
Yes. Evening Eurostar to Paris, had dinner, then the overnight train to Bourg. Got the funicular up to Les Arcs, bought my ski pass and was on the slopes at 9am. In effect, we gained a day's skiing compared with flying.
Does the ski train only run in winter though?
Does the ski train only run in winter though?
It wasn't a ski train - standard Eurostar and TGV services. There are also direct Eurostar services to Lyon all year round.
Both are pretty straight forward, driving is very easy in France as you can cruise along a 80+ mph most of the way. Driving in Germany is a ball ache, the auto bahns are, fly along at 120mph, crawl in a jam at 10mph. Repeat, repeat again and again, it broke me. If you drive something to bare in mind, is if there are only 2 of you and one person comes off there bike and can't help drive back because of injuries, it's a bummer of a drive by yourself or with a whinging mate. 3 is a good number.