Which way to France

The distance doing the landbridge option is very similar, you can do Belfast to Cairnryan then drive all the way down to Dover approx 8 hours non stop or 2 hours to Dublin then cross to Holyhead and drive for 6 hours to Dover. Dover offers the quickest ferry crossing to France and the tunnel the fastest method. You could sail direct but depending on when you want to go and return it can be expensive as well as that already on certain sailings there are no cabins left during July and August.

I landbridged it to France in the car last July. I opted for the Channel Tunnel for speed/convenience although there was little additional cost to add Dover Calais onto the Larne Cairnryan P&O route - this may well be the cheapest ferry route. Stena do deals taking a Motorhome for the price of a car on selected days/dates (Nutt Travel are good for this). It also depends where in France you are heading as Dover can be quite a trek if you are heading west.

In August we are going Stena from Rosslare to Cherbourg and the cost is 947.20 Euro This includes inside cabins (no outward available) and pre-booked meals. As we are only able to go to France for 9 days, I couldn't face driving from Cairnryan to Dover and back at 55-60mphr. I am hoping the 16hr crossing will be part of the holiday...weather permitting!

Roslare every time

The drive from cairnryan to Felixstowe you are just a zombie on the motorway for 9 hours unless you stop over halfway

Irish ferries, book a cabin have a few beers wake up in france

Hi Jonny., Worth a look is run down to Rosslare ( I live the other side of the Foyle) I allow about 6hrs without rushing. Go accross to Pembroke Then down to Newhaven Sussex There are 4 boats a day to Dieppe run by DFDS and take 4 hrs to cross .Very good prices and not as much hassle as Dover You dont need cabins on any of these crossings and no diesel in U.K.

Everyone has their own idea of what is best for them.
It isn't easy to advise as it depends on many factors.

Which part of France you intend to visit.
How long you intend to spend in France.
If you are happy driving through England.
Which month you travel.

These are only a few.

If we were to suggest Caen as a place two routes might cross.
Two people were leaving the same place and meeting in Caen via two different routes. (There are many route options)

This is from my home in August. 7meter Motorhome. Two adults, no kids or dogs. With a cabin on the direct sailing.

Home to Rosslare is about 250 miles
Cherbourg to Caen is about 75 miles

Direct sailing price £400 (this year)
Total 325 miles – about 60% of a tank of fuel

Leave home on Monday morning and sail that evening.
Sleep all night in a cabin.
Arrive in cherbourg at 11am local time Tuesday (irish ferries) (4pm with Stenna)
Drive for 1 hour 30 minutes
Arrive Caen at about 12:30

OR

Home to Belfast is about 20 miles (no cabin)
Cairnryan to Dover is about 500 miles
Calais to Caen is about 210 miles

Landbridge price about £360
Total 730 miles about 150% of tank of fuel.

Leave home Monday morning and sail that morning.
Arrive Cairnryan about 10am
Drive to Dover by 7 pm (with no stops)
Sail to Calais
Arrive about 10:30 Pm local time
Drive for about 4 hours
Arrive in Caen at about 02:30
Sleep for 10 hours until I arrive. (Or stop for 10 hours somewhere in England)


In my opinion the second option is more hassle, more miles and more fuel but as I say, it is my opinion.

The reason I use this example is I have actually made this comparison with a friend a few years ago. He went the landbridge route and stopped in England. We met up in Caen about the same time and he complained bitterly about the amount of fuel he had used. When I was filling up for the first time he was putting his second tankful in. At that time the extra tank of fuel was about the same price as the difference between sailing prices so costs were much the same.

We all need to work out what is best for us.

I never want to do the direct sailing again after being stuck for 24hrs in a storm on the sailing home from France, the less boat time the better for me.

All I know is the milegae to where I end up is roughly the same no matter which point in France I start from, the only thing I will avoid when in France is Paris as the traffic around it is worse than the M25

ps jonny, thats for 2 adults, 3 kids, 8m MH. Irish Ferries have kids free deal and no cabins needed on the crossing. Also there is no way that anyone got a direct sailing from Rosslare to France in July/Aug for much less than 1000Euro. Another point is that at calais there is a hugh Carrefour at Cite De Europe where you can fill your boots and get diesel before getting directly on to Autoroute, this is actually at the exit from the tunnel terminal. If u are heading south you wont have to pay tolls until down near Orleans and by passing PAris is a doddle if you follow Rouen - Evreux - Orleans route south.

Newhaven - Dieppe is a good choice, especially if you are over 60, as there is a 20% discount available on that route if you book by phone (over 60's concession fare offer is not available online).
Just choose your crossings and then ring the 0800 number to book.

See concession fares here.
http://ldlines.co.uk/offers/dieppe-newhaven

If you book the 10am crossing you can get all the M.25 bits out of the way when it's quiet and then just park up outside the check-in booths at Newhaven - last time I went there were 6 vans spending the night there.

Both Newhaven and Dieppe are far nicer places to travel through than Dover and Calais.

From Dieppe there is a fast, empty and free dual carriageway nearly all of the way to south of Rouen.

Uhhhhhhhhhh?

We are going a week later than you Mark, for €441 return with Stena including 4 berth inside cabins and Flexi fare. We got 20% Discount and booked it last September.

Yes ours was also reasonable, 471 euro return with 4 berth outside cabins with Stena in August.

some great information to digest.love this site