Best way to go to France from Ireland

Direct from Dublin/wexford or thru the UK Ferry or Tunnel?

 
 
 
 
 
mmi1
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Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 20.03.2014  ·  #1
Two adults, 4 kids and a dog in camper van. Went last year from Wexford. Have plenty time . Is it cheaper to go any other way or when you take fuel costs into account is it much of a muchness?
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 20.03.2014  ·  #2
It depends on a few things in my opinion;

Which part of France you want to visit.
The amount of time you have for your trip.
Which month you travel.
How you feel about driving through traffic in England.
Fuel economy of your vehicle.

We have tried most options over the years but now only go Rosslare - Cherbourg due to time and not liking the English drive.


If we leave home on Saturday morning and sail Ireland France Saturday afternoon/evening we are in France Sunday morning. We are usually around Bordeaux by Sunday evening.
I can't do this if I go through England.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 20.03.2014  ·  #3
Having the dog means the direct route involves putting it into kennels and not all owners want to do that, where you intend to go in France also adds to the choice of route. I have done both land bridge and direct and each has it's pros and cons
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 20.03.2014  ·  #4
Having gone all ways, we'd only go direct. Last two years Rosslare / Cherbourg, this year Dublin /Cherbourg. So looking forward to a really short drive to the ferry, and should be in the Vendee Sunday eve.
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Thnaks

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #5
Thanks folks. Heading to Bordeaux and are in no hurry.Can take a month if we need it. Perhaps we'll do direct. I have been toying with the idea of leaving the dog with my parents - anly thing is she is very attached to us. Thanks Again
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #6
mmi1 thinking about Bordeaux ourselves in September. theres a very good article in MMM about cycling along the canal if you're interested.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #7
Quite a few nice motorhome dealers around there as well, we usually stop and kick tyres for an hour or two on the way past
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #8
Rosslare /France is the best way ,too much driving and getting on /off ferries the other way
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #9
Quote

this year Dublin /Cherbourg.


This sounds interesting. who is the Ferry Company?
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #10
Quote by jacktherev

Quote

this year Dublin /Cherbourg.


This sounds interesting. who is the Ferry Company?


Irish ferries. Saturday sailings only
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #11
I didn't know Mark but I must have a look. Thanks.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #12
Just as a matter of interest I priced Ldlines last night to go from Rosslare to St Nazier on 18th July return on 23rd Aug its now over £600. (£292 when I booked in dec last). 100% price rise.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 21.03.2014  ·  #13
You lucky boy Andy.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 22.03.2014  ·  #14
Irish Ferries, as Mark said, about e200 dearer than Rosslare route, but more than made up by the 2.5 hour drive to Dublin rather than the 6+hours to Rosslare. Less fuel, less hassle = happy teens/wife = happy me : ) Can"t wait already booking sites in Vendee and Landes for 4 weeks.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 23.03.2014  ·  #15
Quote by PaulH

Can"t wait already booking sites in Vendee and Landes for 4 weeks.


Do you need to book sites ahead for the last two weeks of August?

We always went in June and never needed to book ahead, there was always plenty Aires and sites available.
I would not like to tie myself down by booking sites ahead if I can avoid it.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 23.03.2014  ·  #16
Pat, most French sites will hold back a space or two until about 6pm.

They don't like to turn anyone away in the evenings.
Many municipal sites definitely do this
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 23.03.2014  ·  #17
I've never been turned away over all the years more that I care to remember from a French Site. It's not like here if the don't have a proper site they will fit you in somewhere until the next day.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 23.03.2014  ·  #18
Mark and Jack thanks for your input!

That was what I was thinking but when some craickers were booking sites it put me thinking. We only decide where we are going when we get off the ferry, we follow the sun!
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 23.03.2014  ·  #19
Quote by CHAUSSON
We only decide where we are going when we get off the ferry, we follow the sun!


Pat, you know from last year that we do just that. It is the best way for us.

PaulH has a large RV and two boys to keep happy. Not everywhere would suit them so that is why he books sites.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 24.03.2014  ·  #20
Yep, as Mark said, I prefer to know my sites, distances and pitch size etc. I also go for fully serviced pitches as we"re a bit big to go moving around to empty tanks, we stay on sites for 1/2 weeks at a time . We"re in La France in the high season so I wouldn"t want to get turned away. However, I do look forward to a time when it"s just us and we"ve more freedom (no boys, although Chris is Autistic,so may not happen) and we can pick time of year, type of site and just generally go further afield. :-)
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crossing options

 ·  Posted: 07.04.2014  ·  #21
hi, we've done all options several times each and the one we like best is Day ferry from Belfast (or Dublin) the direct through motorways to Folkstone in evening after rush hour traffic has gone arriving at channel tunnel about 1am (after break for dinner on M1). Stayed in car park at Cite de Europe for free and then first shop in am in the vast supermarket which has the cheapest wine in France. We even used tesco vouchers for tunnel to get return for 6m MH for £30. Last year we left home in Donegal at 7.30am and were in Calais at 2.30am. After a night's sleep we were on the Autoroute south refreshed and stocked up. The Irish ferries mean you are not hitting autorroute until lunchtime next day, of course it depends on your destination. We always hit Alpes first for cycling so the Calais route suits us best.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 08.04.2014  ·  #22
Not for me mate, had many years of driving down through England, nightmare M6, M25 etc. So glad to go direct from this island into Cherbourg after a nights kip, getting off at 12 suits me as we'll get to our first site, St Jean de Monts, for 5/6pm and sitting with a beer by 7, lervely.... Then after a week, further down to Biscarross, 2 weeks there, then up to Saumur for a week then the boat home, simples! : )
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 08.04.2014  ·  #23
Don't forget Cork either. I've found it a brilliant service and a brilliant ferry. That said never in the RV but jeep and race trailer.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 08.04.2014  ·  #24
Best way to France is by plane and someone else drive the camper over >_<
Isn't that right Pat? :D :devil:


:sick: :sick: :sick:
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #25
Yeah Shiv thats what Liz does. She flies I drive and pick her up at the airport.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #26
by the way mmi it is also far cheaper to go through UK. Total cost inc stena belfast/liverpool return with cabin, chunnel over and back to calais and a tank of diesel it worked out <£500 for a 6m MH and 2 adults with 3 children from mid July to mid august last 3 summers. Same again this year, in fact cheaper as stena have a free children offer. Driving M6/M1/M25 in evening/night is plain sailing with plenty of clear roads and services are plentiful.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #27
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by the way mmi it is also far cheaper to go through UK


Depends on the time of year, outside of the main holiday period in July and August the direct sailing can be a lot cheaper when you take fuel into account. Having done the crossing quite a number of times I prefer the direct route but will not pay the prices in the main summer period and do the landbridge.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #28
It also depends on the time you have and which part of France you intend to visit.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #29
of course it depends on time of year and what suits the user but the originsal post, which I was commenting on, was for a family with children. Therefore limiting them to holiday season when the direct route prices are rediculous. With this in mind i would be very confident no one will find a cheaper route than through UK. Again the original post was asking about cost.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #30
Great thread overall and lots of good information to help one to weight up all the pros and cons boys! :up:
Although I am staying put this year because we have to take holidays in high season I would like to go next year. Thanks for all the info.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 09.04.2014  ·  #31
Quote by Hymer544

of course it depends on time of year and what suits the user but the originsal post, which I was commenting on, was for a family with children. Therefore limiting them to holiday season when the direct route prices are rediculous. With this in mind i would be very confident no one will find a cheaper route than through UK. Again the original post was asking about cost.



And the ferry from Dover is cheaper usually than the tunnel, unless you are organised and book way in advance.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 24.04.2014  ·  #32
I agonised over the options for this for two different trips a couple of years back. Albeit on a motorbike, I'd imagine the comparisons / contrasts between the options are similar for motorhomes. Just add a few hundred on the pricing.

Anyway, for what it's worth:

We found that taking UK routes were no more beneficial and possibly a little bit more expensive than direct routes.
The factors you need to take into account are as follows.

UK OPTION: 1. fuel to irish ferryport; 2. ferry to uk; 3. fuel to uk ferry port; 4. ferry to france; 5. fuel to final destination

DIRECT OPTION: 1. fuel to irish ferryport; 2. ferry to france; 3. fuel to final destination.

The main areas we found to make the UK option non-viable were:

A. The exorbitant fares between Ireland and UK.
B. Your landing point in France can add as much as 50euro to your fuel bill as you are that bit furhter North.
C. The time and hassle of driving through the UK, personally we would rather spend that time relaxing on the ferry to France and driving in France.

To help you calculate the above details we find the following sites helpful.

For ferry prices: aferry.ie
For fueling prices: viamichelin.co.uk and http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/fuel_prices_europe.html
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 24.04.2014  ·  #33
Furthermore, Irish Ferries is very expensive by comparison.

We prefer Celtic Link for price, or Stena as it is now.

Also, as I have seen already mentioned here, LD Lines now offer a service to France.
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Re: Best way to go to France from Ireland

 ·  Posted: 24.04.2014  ·  #34
Some of your points are very valid but the point of landing via the Dover routes can suit some people more than Cherbourg. I have used both routes many times and have found it can depend on the time of year as to which works out the best option on price. We are about to return to Ireland via the direct route and the ferry is costing approx £150 including a cabin (one way) but move that to July and a return crossing can cost in excess of £1000. The last time we did the land bridge crossing it was mid July and cost approx £400 plus a tank of fuel through England. Some people consider the whole journey as a part of their holiday and not a chore.
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