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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to prefer to drive from Calais to Brittany than do the overnight crossing, shudder..

70 replies

lowfatiscrap12 · 04/07/2012 09:57

We did the overnight crossing from Portsmouth to St. Malo several years ago.
It was hideous.
This year we've decided to drive from Calais to Brittany. We're off to Chateau Des Ormes in Dol De Bretagne, Brittany. Google maps says it's beyween 4.5-6.5 hour drive, depending on the route we take.
Some people have said we are mad.
Some people have suggested it will take longer than 6 hours.
But after spending all night in a tiny cabin with no windows, with a rough sea, and sea sickness tablets which didn't work (puking my guts up all night), I think dh and I would prefer to be in our car on the open toll road, rather than a bloody boat.
AIBU?

OP posts:

hopenglory · 04/07/2012 10:02

I far prefer the overnight crossing - Plymouth to Roscoff and a lovely breakfast on arrival having slept all night - but then we don't get sea sickness. Would far prefer that to being cooped in a car with bickering children all day. It's your holiday so you are not BU to spend it how you want

squidworth · 04/07/2012 10:03

We do the drive (a bit further) every year. We go the night before and stay at ibis in cite europe which is just by the Eurotunnel, so when we wake up we have just the French journey. Coming Back we do it all in one go. Quicker and cheaper than ferry.

Goolash · 04/07/2012 10:05

We reguarly drive to the SW of France from Calais, last year we made it to Italy. So I don't think you're mad :) Remember to factor in break times to your estimated arrival. Depending on the age of children stopping for a quick petrol and toilet break can take a surprising amount of time.

witchwithallthetrimmings · 04/07/2012 10:06

i don't understand the logic of preferring a long crossing to a long french drive. In many cases you are substituting a drive in france (where roads are generally clear, fast and "work") for a drive in england (where they are over congested and too often have road works).

tyler80 · 04/07/2012 10:07

it is not unreasonable to have a preference either way

we've just done an overnight crossing and an 8 hour drive!

duckdodgers · 04/07/2012 10:11

You are not mad!

We drive from Glasgow to France every year, staying in Folkestone, getting an early train and then a drive in France the next day. Last year we drove by Carcassonne, almost in Spain, in a day. It was fine, we left Calais at about 8ish and got there at half 8 at night, plenty of stops.

Quenelle · 04/07/2012 10:14

I booked and then cancelled an overnight crossing from Portsmouth to Caen. The boat left at 11.45pm and arrived at 7am the next morning. I decided that I would rather not spend £600 on a sleepless night.

Instead we did Dover - Calais and two overnight stops to the Dordogne and saved £400. The roads were great so two stops weren't really necessary, we could have done it comfortably with one stop, or less comfortably in one hit.

kerala · 04/07/2012 10:40

YABU for driving that far and driving west. Why not use the time to floor it to the south? I speak as someone having endured 2 "summer" holidays in Brittany freezing in the rain. Head to the Dorgogne or Lot valley you will have a much better time. Brittany gets the same weather as England.

SusanneLinder · 04/07/2012 10:46

I did the Vomit Comit from Weymouth to St Malo once.Never again, would rather do Calais. The stop in Guernsey for 3 hours put me off, saying that it was a lovely day, and we enjoyed the shops.

Coming back St Malo is a LOVELY town :), but would never repeat that crossing, and its expensive.

Original poster

lowfatiscrap12 · 04/07/2012 11:14

we love Brittany though. I'm hoping praying for good weather there this summer.

OP posts:

Poledra · 04/07/2012 11:21

We do the overnight crossing but DH doesn't drive, so all the driving is down to me. And I can sleep on the ferry (I could probably sleep on a knife's edge, TBH).

On another note, we went to Chateau Des Ormes a few years ago and had a lovely holiday. It was a good summer though, which helps. Have a lovely time!

belgo · 04/07/2012 11:23

I'd say it's about a 6 hour drive, with a very nice bridge and estuary.

Why did you dislike the ferry crossing? We did St Malo- Portsmouth last year, hired a cabin, and it was fine.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 04/07/2012 11:24

I love overnight crossings, assuming you have a cabin, but they're not for everyone.

The drive from Calais goes on for EVER, it always seems to me - and watch out for Rennes, where the autoroute suddenly becomes just a road through the city and is bloody awful!

Original poster

lowfatiscrap12 · 04/07/2012 11:27

why did I dislike the crossing? Oh, where do I start:
tiny tiny bathroom in the cabin (with no windows, like a cell) which nobody could use cos I had my head in it all night being sick (seasickness tablets didn't work)
it felt like it was delaying the start of our holiday
cost a fortune. £600 quid versus £80, which we've paid to go from Dover to Calais.
To the person who has already been to Chateau Des Ormes: what's the area like, and how much privacy do you have on site, are the mobile homes right next to each other?

OP posts:

Caerlaverock · 04/07/2012 11:27

We did plymouth ros off during the day last year. It was v. Pleasant!

belgo · 04/07/2012 11:33

You can request a cabin with a window.

When comparing prices, don't forget to factor in petrol cost and road tolls.

But of course if you don't want to go on the boat again, then don't!

BarbieDahl · 04/07/2012 11:34

I live in south brittany and we prefer the Caen - Portsmouth. 6 hr crossing and 3 hour drive. Driving from Calais seems to take forever (at least 6 hrs) but it is a much cheaper option (Brittany Ferries' prices are scandalous). Mind you, fuel ain't cheap either these days.

Hope you're not coming just yet, as weather is crap here

NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe · 04/07/2012 11:34

Hvae done quite a few trips using Brittany ferries as tend to holiday in the Vendee region - so a bit further South get better weather and not quite as far to go.

Personally prefer the fast ferry - early start to drive down but it gets the journey done quickly and then can drive.

Did one over night ferry and didn't enjoy it and the return was a long day ferry - why do the actual journeys NEVER look like the adverts for the same trips !!

Stayed at Chateau Des Ormes for an overnight break when we did a multi site KeyCamp holiday as few years ago (when we only had 2 DS') - as I recall the site was good with the on site facilities but didn't explore the area as it was an en route stop off.

Have a nice holiday - not going abroad this year due to other family problems on going but will make up for it next year.

spammertime · 04/07/2012 11:38

No YANBU!

Ferries are evil things that make me terribly sick - infact I think YABU to get the ferry at all. Chunnel all the way!!

Seriously it's totally up to you, if you don't get seasick then overnight crossings are a fab idea. But I'm guessing if you've never had seasickness its probably not possible to imagine just how horrid it can be.

Mrsjay · 04/07/2012 11:40

we usually break it up last time we stopped over night on a campsite in normandy then drove to brittany (sp) but we have done the drive i hate sailing the hour crossing does me fine ,

Poledra · 04/07/2012 11:44

Well, we went with Siblu, who I don't think use it any more. The mobile home we had was right at the back of the site, as Siblu billed themselves as 'quiet family holidays' then, which suited us fine. It was a fair walk down to the pools etc but as the DDs were both under 3, they weren't going anywhere without us anyway. The site is lovely, you can have a nice walk round it, there was a good playpark. The waterpark gets very busy, but there are a couple of quieter pools which we liked - I imagine that older DCs would have a ball at the waterpark but it was a bit chaotic for little ones. We didn't really use the clubhouse or restaurants/activities on site, as that's not really our kind of thing and the DDs were too young to protest.

Our mobile home was on the end of a row, which did give us more space but I didn't think the spacing was too bad - we weren't disturbed by next door. There was space for them to have their car up between the two caravans and still not feel crushed (enough room for their outdoor table and chairs etc).

Area's lovely, you can easily reach Dinan, St Malo, Dinard etc. The site itself is out of town, so you really have to drive anywhere, unless you're all fit hiker types

Lillabet · 04/07/2012 11:49

We've done the Portsmouth - St Malo crossing a couple of times always with a cabin. Last time we spent a little extra and got a bigger cabin with complimentary breakfast, which was great. We have also been very lucky with our crossings. It's what works for us, but go with whatever works for you!
As for sea sickness, most of the tablets don't work ime, the only ones I have found that work are Stugeron. I use those when racing offshore on a 36ft yacht (which in anything over a Force 4 gets bouncy!) and have been advised it is what the Royal Navy use hth.

Pendeen · 04/07/2012 11:53

YANBU - it's often an awful crossing but it all depends from where you start (as the old farmer said). :)

I wish I could go via the tunnel but it's a very, very long drive from here (Cornwall) to the south east and I pass Plymouth on the way so I force myself to suffer the vomit voyage.

LentillyFart · 04/07/2012 11:53

As someone who has puked continuously from outside Newhaven harbour to the very edge of Dieppe I can absolutely say YANBU! There is nothing quite as miserable as seasickness - and there's no escape from it once you're afloat. Drive Drive Drive every time!

littlemissstan · 04/07/2012 11:57

I lived near Dol for ages - and was a member of Les Ormes :) How about a compromise - when I go back to visit my family there we go Portsmouth - Cherbourg on the fast ferry which takes about 2.5 hours, then it's about a 2 hour drive.

Have fun, I am jealous...

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