Ferry vs Eurotunnel?

[IsabellaofFrance]

We are off to France for 2 weeks next summer, we are going to a farmhouse in the Vendee.

We are taking our car, but can't decide between the tunnel or a ferry. Not much price difference. My reasoning for tunnel is that its quick, DH wants the ferry because it will break the 10 hour driving up a bit.

How close to the tunnel/ferry are you? Not much point having a break after only driving for an hour. Personally I would pick the tunnel.

Well if you've been in the tunnel you'll know that you don't actually DRIVE through it . DH and I often have a quick nap in the tunnel. Of course you don't get a refreshing walk on deck and a 'healthy' meal. Though the tunnel terminus is much better than it was.

Also, and this is very much in the tunnel's favour the weather is not a worry (I get quite seasick).

We often drive down to Poitiers and the services are very good (you can sleep while parked in them).

Also remember how long it is to get on/off the ferry. It is so much quicker with the tunnel

Of course if you live near Plymouth you can get the ferry to Le Havre and the drive would be quicker to the Vendee though. Though that IS expensive and there are only 2 sailings a day; very early and very late.

We checked it out when our GD lived down that way.

We did ferry one way and tunnel the other! Can be quicker to get in and off tunnel - but obvs you are in. A train in the tunnel, your dh will not be driving! But the ferry is more scenic.

the tunnel is quite a nasty experience; you never see the sea, the waiting area is a motorway service station and you are stuck in a fume-filled carriage with the car. (OK, it won't kill you but it smells like it).

only do it if you are a really bad sailor.

We use the tunnel every time, much quicker and I've never been bothered by the fumes. I don't like the extra time and hanging around waiting to load on/off if you take the ferry.

We do ferry. It's a 3 hr drive to Dover and it gives us chance to feed the kids, stretch our legs etc. The kids also love to watch us leaving England from the deck.

We have done both...both you and your DH are correct. The tunnel is unpleasant, but quick. We use it more in the winter due to the weather being dodgier. Depends on how important the timing is to you. In the summer you will find many service stations have small playgrounds. Or you can break the journey with a brief lunch stop off the mway.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I know we wont be driving. What DH means is that the tunnel is quick, so there isn't a real break.

Its a 3 hour to Dover at least (we are in the Midlands) and I think the kids will be going crazy even with their portable DVD players so maybe the ferry is the way to go.

I would go for the tunnel but travel with a dog.

If you were going to the east of France I would suggest the Hull Zeebrugge overnight ferry. But not at all worth it for the Vendée.

You could also get the tunnel and look up a coastal spot not too far from the motorway a little on from Calais. Have lunch and a beach or dune walk there. Would be a nice break.

The tunnel is a bloody long way round for you (speaks from experience this year). Are you sure it's only ten hours? If it's really not much difference in cost for a general ferry, with small kids I'd spring for a cabin and go Portsmouth St Malo overnight.

DS2 would love that!

If you do decide to go in the tunnel, the Somme services area is lovely IMO and I wish we'd stayed longer.

We've gone from Bristol to vendee two years in a row - ferry last year, tunnel this year. Tunnel was better because of the freedom to stop whenever we needed. Time was identical on way there. We took fast ferry over and night ferry back. If money were no object I'd probably do the st malo ferry.

The Somme services is AMAZING. We liked it so much on the way we deliberately stopped on the way back.

It's peaceful and lovely with reed banks and ducks and fish that you can feed. After hours of driving, walking on a path listening to the gentle soughing of the wind is such as tonic.

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

We do tunnel another bonus is you can use Tesco vouchers - our return crossing this year cost us £7

The vendee is a bloody long haul in the car. We did it a few years back and decided if we ever go again were going on the Plymouth ferry. The drive from Calais is epic! That's about 9 hours on its own.

We're in manchester so further up the m6/m1 and it was just the longest drive ever. If you're intent on doing it via Calais go on the ferry. Don't forget to factor in your toll costs across France.

We always do the tunnel now.

But we have to do a ferry first from Ireland so the tunnel is a change for us.

We find it quicker and not much difference in price