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We have used the Dover - Dunkirk sailing a few times. Slightly more miles but the roads seem to be quieter & the driving easier, plus there’s a good stretch before the tolls start. Dunkirk is a grim, grim place though.
I’m with the poster above though in having a stop over. Trying to drive through the night, on either side of the channel, is a grim affair. UK side your at the mercy of incessant overnight lane closeures, to change a freaking light bulb. French side, Northern France is bloody awful. We tried it once but ended up parking up at an Air till morning.
Take food. Despite the rest of France being impossible to get bad food if you try, autoroute services are in their own world, 10 Euros for shite that wouldn't be discounted at closing time in the grimmest of Greggs
Take food. Despite the rest of France being impossible to get bad food if you try, autoroute services are in their own world, 10 Euros for shite that wouldn’t be discounted at closing time in the grimmest of Greggs
I’ll admit that I look forward to those special rolls they sell in Franch service stations - bread with the consistency of glue and sweet enough to be considered cake? Check, strange butter/mustard/mayo stuff? Check. strangely tasteless ham? Check, plastic cheese? Check - all served in a plastic tube? Check!
I love ‘em 😉
I keep hearing people say French services are shit, are you stopping at the proper ones with restaurants food made whilst wait , or just the petrol station ones?
All sorted now, grateful to Elshalimo for flagging the ferry option as that is what we have gone for. 8:30 sailing from hull on the Friday evening so plenty of time to get there and we don’t forfeit a night in the accommodation in Morzine.
Lots of us (frogs) are having trouble with credit cards not being accepted at toll booths. A wallet full of 5, 10 and 20e notes to feed into the machines (which give change) is an essential backup.
The best route from York to LesGets IMHO and having done several times via Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Calais is probably Zeebrugge out, Calais back.
Calais is the easiest continental drive but the south of England is worth avoiding if possible. Zeebrugge is a good balance and only slightly longer on the other side than Calais.
If cost / time is an issue, then an evening drive to the tunnel and a hotel on the French side can be the best bet. Takes all the time pressure off on the coast down l’autoroute.
A Sanef tag isn’t necessary (or cheaper 😡), but can save 10-15 minutes on the journey, means you don’t need to get close to those monstrous concrete kerbs on the passenger side, and if your passenger likes to sleep on long journeys means you don’t have to wake them.
Hull to zeebrugge or rotterdam for me.
Misses all the shitty UK out.