Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
JosephineCD · 04/07/2012 16:30

Why not use Eurostar if you don't like boats?

HauntedLittleLunatic · 04/07/2012 18:59

The main reason for the overnight ferry is that you can get the ferry to a locations close to the final destination.

The eurostar has the same problems as the Dover to Calais short ferry in that it is a 5hr+ drive when you get off the ferry.

Glittertwins · 04/07/2012 20:46

We've just come back from the Vendee and used Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth-Caen. Calm both directions and we prefer longer crossing to drive so the children can wander about instead of being in a car and stopping. They did manage Caen to holiday park no problem though, about 5 hours drive with lunch in the middle.

otchayaniye · 04/07/2012 20:48

i don't like the crossing (father killed himself on a ferry) so do the tunnel and drive. lovely roads on the payages...

Glittertwins · 04/07/2012 20:49

Understandable. Sorry to hear that.

otchayaniye · 04/07/2012 20:55

service stations on the toll roads are appalling, so take food and drink (and a chemical toilet!)

thanks glittertwins.

HandMadeTail · 04/07/2012 20:57

If you intend travelling on a Saturday in July or August, at least double your travel estimate.

ineedabodytransplant · 04/07/2012 20:57

Quite a few years ago (when Eurodisney as it was then had just opened) the company I worked for did a lot of work for Disney and as employees we were offered a great deal which included 5 nights in the Santa Fe hotel, 6 days in the park and ALL our meals for £250 for the four of us. Ok we had to pay out for transport but it was a very good deal. We decided to stay in a Eurocamp site just outside Paris both before and after the Disney break to make a fortnights holiday.

Now we live less than 5 minutes from the Portsmouth international ferry port so thought 'great, we are on our hols as soon as we leave home'.

Now I can get seasick on a wet pavement so I wasn't really looking forward to the Portsmouth- Le Havre crossing but it turned out to be a lovely August afternoon, flat as a pancake and took about 5 hours.

Coming back was a TOTALLY different story. Night crossing and the waves were already crashing against the harbour walls in Le Havre when we checked in. Took 9 hours, and when the front of the boat wasn't pointing towards the centre of the earth it was pointing towards the moon! It was horrendous. Spent the whole crossing in the toilets etc etc.

I refuse to use a ferry now and will travel to Folkestone for the EUrotunel every time

Sorry to waffle but still have nightmares about that trip backBlush, wasn't very manly

Choufleur · 04/07/2012 20:58

We did calais to brittany a long time ago. If you are doing it I would probably stop overnight somewhere half way to break up the journey. It's a hell of a drive. Or go on a day time ferry to St malo.

Glittertwins · 04/07/2012 20:58

I got within a few feet of the "aire" toilet block, stopped and shouted back at DH to get potette out for DD as we were not going in there!!

ineedabodytransplant · 04/07/2012 21:02

Sorry, with all my waffling forgot to say....

No OP you are definitely NBU

Enjoy your holiday

poorbuthappy · 04/07/2012 21:04

YANBU
We tunnel it in the car.
Drive 8 hours to around the Valence area and stop in Novotel (secure parking Wink) then drive on down to Port Grimaud the next day.

Reverse it 10 days later.
Tis doable...and you get guaranteed sun for a whole 7/10/14 (insert days of holidays as applicable)

I can't wait! (5 weeks and counting.)

Glittertwins · 04/07/2012 21:05

Guilty too. OP, YANBU if the start to your holiday is spent being violently ill.

madhairday · 04/07/2012 21:12

Oh yes the aires are v basic, ds was fascinated by the holes in the floor Grin

We did Dover-Calais and a drive to the Vendee all in one day last year - drive was 7 hours. It was fine, good clear roads, toll charges still much much cheaper than doing the Caen or Le Havre crossings and I would prefer to not be on a night crossing as I get seasick.

Do what is best for you - YANBU!

I8toys · 05/07/2012 18:47

YADNBU - Couple of weeks ago did Rotterdam to Hull. Force 11 gales - Force 12 is hurricane force. One car smashed into ours during the full force of it - now liability is being disputed! Grrrrr. Spent all night awake trying to keep the kids on their bunkbeds. I will never ever ever do it again!! The had to stop the band from playing because the drumkit was moving across the stage from side to side!!! It was a bonus though cos the entertainment was dire!

Glittertwins · 05/07/2012 19:31

The ferry company sailed in force 11??

I8toys · 06/07/2012 09:29

They did. It wasn't too bad when we set off about force 9 but it picked up to force 11 about 1am - that's when the car smashed into ours! It must happen all the time because we got a pre printed note under our cabin door saying to go to and the chief petty officer or whatever he is called.

We were at Centre Parcs in Belgium and watching the weather forecasts we knew it would be bad but what can you do!

juneau · 06/07/2012 09:38

service stations on the toll roads are appalling, so take food and drink (and a chemical toilet!)

No they aren't! We drove from Calais to Charente Maritime and back on toll roads in June and thought the motorway stops were good. You have to stop at the full-service ones if you want the best facilities i.e. the ones that have a restaurant, not just a petrol station and a shop. The L'Arche ones were the best IMO. A little indoor play area, a proper baby changing room, and sometimes an outdoor playground too. They're not as good as Swiss ones, admittedly (they're fabulous!), but they're clean and decent.

footphobic · 06/07/2012 09:55

Some aires are basic, loos can be revolting, sometimes not too bad, they often have a nice picnic and play area, they do vary. I agree with juneau, service stations are usually pretty decent, loos are fine, shop Ok, we always take a full electric coolbox of food but stop for coffee and pastries and an ice cream etc with fuel stops, some have lovely picnic areas (well, lovely in context of being next to a motorway), never found one that was appalling in years of driving south. Italian ones not so good.

The thing I can never get used to is the smoking at french petrol stations, what is that about?

juneau · 06/07/2012 10:08

This one was lovely - it was on a nature reserve and had a nice playground:

www.baiedesomme.fr/fr/aire-autoroutiere-de-la-baie-de-somme

New posts on this thread. Refresh page