Drivning to south west France.

tfak85

next june my mother and her boyfriend will be driving to cahors in south west france.. their dilema is this:
the prices for ireland - france ferries return cost 750e..
the prices for the ferries to the uk and from there have not been released yet..

does anyone have experience with this type of trip, they are wondering whether it's better (cheaper) to go directly to france or go through the uk, ie, extra night stop over, more petrol etc....

thanks so much.
tara

kindalen

if you could leave at the end of may, it will prob be a lot cheaper. have you looked at usung tesco clubcard tokens? you can x4 the amount you have in tokens with irish ferries. land bridge can be cheaper,you could even overnight in a travelodge for £9/15 if you keep an eye out for offers. stena have online codes for discount,try and google them. usually from 10-15%.
try ringing celtic link,stena, irish ferries etc and ask for offers. also see if booking online in euro/sterling makes any difference.

dont forget to factor in tolls. use viamichelin site to route plan, it gives you toll costs. motorway petrol can be very expensive too, can save to fill off motorway at supermarkets.

hope this helps.

rugbyman

this year many travelled on the direct ferries having booked during the winter. those who booked last minute got better rates due to falling demand. it is likely to be the same next year imo.

going through the uk can be pleasant enough but the UK motorways are very busy

crossing by Dover is generally avaailable for small money, booked in advance. They can consider buying a day return and throw away the return, though this is frowned upon.

factor in about 80/90 euro for tolls , a bit less from cherbourg.

Cheap ,clean ,comfortable roadside hotels are available
all over france for 40 euro upwards
rugbyman