France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

davepatr07

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has done the cheap option of booking recliner seats on the over night Dublin to Cherbourg WB Yeats ferry? Is this the Hazelwood Quiet Lounge or somewhere else on the boat and what was your experience? Long time since I slept on a recliner on a ferry but done a lot of long haul flights in economy and managed to get some sleep on those so can't be bad. I usually bring ear plugs and that does the trick. I also can imagine it's similar but just a heck more space to move around... Tks

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821906#Comment_121821906

Seats are in the cinema.

Duckylucky

Would recommend La Chapelle in Argeles sur mer in the south of France. Fab campsite and 5 mins walk from the town . Our kids loved the pool. It's not as impressive as some of the out of town pool complexes but ours loved it. And you just can't beat the location. You can fly into Perpignan or Barcelona Girona and drive there. The little village/town town is buzzing with families walking round every evening and there are night markets every night too. There is a long beach and promenade and often things on there...parades, music, festivals. It's all families, really lovely place. There are loads of campsites further out with little street trains going out to them but we just loved strolling in every night for food or ice cream or just soak up the atmosphere.You can walk to the marina and get a boat to Couilliere. The only thing is that the beach at Argeles has a shelf and goes quite deep not far from the shore so we didn't go there with the kids. We had a car so we drove to another beach.

ECO_Mental

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821906#Comment_121821906

Did it 2 years ago on Brittnay Ferries as all the cabins were booked out (its was a last minute decision to go), it was myself the Missus and my two 17 and 19 year old kids...we got over it, but it was a nighmare really. Some people know where all the spots are and bring pillows and mats, if you are lucky you can find a nice sofa but most of the good ones will be taken by the people who do it all the time. I found the recliner seats to be even more uncomfortable, they are grand for a snooze but not a nights sleep. Also the recliner seat room was packed and very stuffy with kids playing and people in and out all night😥

UNfortunaley on the way back I was suffering from a water slide accident 🙄  and hurt my coccyx bone which made sitting down on a recliner even worse...for the few extra bob if you can afford it get a cabin...

the_amazing_raisin

Has anyone tried the DFDS service to Dunkirk with younger kids (8 and 5 yo)?

It seems reasonable value considering meals are included and it leaves a much shorter drive if heading further East

It does look a bit more basic than the like of WB Yeats, I'm worried we'd be bored after 5 mins with 24 left hours to kill (each other)

I noticed the ferries depart at 4am, I'm struggling to decide if that's genius or insanity. I guess it's smart since you'll be sleeping for a significant part of the trip

How did the meals work, is it like a voucher system or just a buffet you can go up when you want to eat? The menu seems decent, although I suspect it's a bit more basic than described. Is there a decent selection for fussy eaters?

Officer999

Hi all,

We’re getting the ferry to Cherbourg in June and driving down to Grambois in the south west.

Just planning the driving itinerary at the minute and wondering what are Sundays like in France? Are cafes, pubs, markets etc open? If everything is closed I might just use Sunday as a long driving day instead.

Dinkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901995#Comment_121901995

We were looking at this (similar age kids to you) - but our issue was that the boat docked at midnight and left at midnight (maybe they have changed since I checked) and this is what put us off it. The thought of waking up the kids to get off the boat and then trying to get them back to sleep is more then its worth!

Else, I'd have no issue doing it. Plenty of games, movies on the ipad, cards, colours and paper!

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904869#Comment_121904869

Supermarkets often close early or don't open at all.

Markets would be in the morning

An idea for grub is the self service pizza machines that are popping up at filling stations

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905113#Comment_121905113

Yeah when I looked it was 4am to 4am

I guess in theory the kids could sleep on the drive to Rosslare, wake up to go to the cabin and then sleep some more

You'd probably be hitting the hay pretty early too, so I guess in theory you spend the majority of the cruise sleeping

I'm not sure my kids would be that flexible with their sleep schedules. They're generally very good, and don't have issues with hour changes. But a 3-4 hour shift in either direction isn't likely to go down very well

Actually I'd probably be the worst one from a sleeping perspective, generally if I try to go to sleep early my body responds with a bout of insomnia

Maybe the trick is to just keep going from 4am when yo board until you collapse from exhaustion

kindalen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904869#Comment_121904869

Have done similar, Sunday driving in France in June is ideal. Use viamichelin as well as google maps. Not very French but Mcdonalds at motorway stops and stops every 2 hours for coffee etc and def use it as a driving day.

Heiser

I'll be going to vendee in late May. Does anyone know if prices are likely to rise, get cheaper or stay the same as it gets closer to me going?

Im thinking of not deciding on a camp until I see what the weather is going to be like the day or so before I set off

browne_rob5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121910851#Comment_121910851

We booked Pin Parasol in November to stay for over 2 weeks from end of May and I checked there and prices are still the same. I think they will hold around the same price up until you go as its not peak season. I think its good to plan it based on the weather if you don't have a particular site in mind.

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901995#Comment_121901995

one of the days a ferry leaves at 4am but the other days its an evening/night departure, evening/night arrival so you either drive through the night or pay for a hotel, and depending on where youre looking to go landbridge (there are deals if you book both ferries together) or a ferry to Cherbourg might make more sense cost or timewise

Heres the DFDS timetable

https://www.dfds.com/en/freight-shipping/routes-and-schedules/rosslare-dunkirk

And heres the landbridge deals with Stena. I havent seen Irish Ferries deals in a long time, so either they dont exist or they cant be bothered updating their website

https://www.stenaline.ie/europe-by-car

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121912073#Comment_121912073

Irish Ferries don't do land bridge. We used to do Stena Landbridge, then we booked Stena & Channel Tunnel separately, can't recall why, maybe no price difference and needed flexibility. Latterly we've been doing IF Swift and Tunnel so that we get a few hours into France/Belgium for the hotel stop.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901995#Comment_121901995

It's a freight-focused service, and the majority of freight they carry is unaccompanied freight. Bear that in mind when setting your expectation of what amenities you'll find on board.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121913411#Comment_121913411

InYeah fair point, I'm under no illusions that they're aiming for a different market than Irish Ferries or Brittany Ferries

I'm sure trying to gauge how big the difference is

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121912073#Comment_121912073

It's something of a balancing act. As an exercise, I worked out that the land bridge was around €350 for the Holyhead ferry and charging, plus €110 for the tunnel

This is against €500 one way for the Dunkirk ferry

Not exactly a huge saving, I could probably hunt around and find cheaper dates but my suspicion is they'll always be fairly close in price since they're competing

The land bridge is obviously faster, but it's about 8 hours if driving just to get to Calais from Holyhead, on top of whatever onward driving you'll be doing

I've done similar distance myself in a day so I'm fine, but I'm not sure my kids will be able for it. Okay, more accurately I'm not sure I could stay sane driving that amount with the kids 🤣

So it'll be an added hotel stay which probably gets rid of any savings

I kind of like the idea of doing the ferry one way and land bridge back. Gives some variety to the journey

suilegorma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121913491#Comment_121913491

Timewise on the boat would not be a worry at all if you are well prepared. We did the Rosslare-Bilbao two nighter and the time flew. My main concern was having to buy pricey food/water on board so we were well stocked up - less of an issue with DFDS I am sure but no harm in having plenty of snacks. Had plenty of downloads (wifi is astronomical), books, games, arts and crafts etc. I would always prefer the freedom of being able to sleep flat/move around on a boat even if the journey is longer. We did the Dublin-Cherbourg last year and I found the ferry too busy/party like (as it should be for people on hols!) and I preferred the quieter less brash Brittany one.

Fann Linn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121746987#Comment_121746987

If it's not already taken, I'll have it. Booked into Honfleur for the 80 DDay commemorations this year. Thanks.

webpal

Yep, send a pm there and I’ll send it off

Fann Linn

Received today, thanks very much.👍

jopper

Hello, I’m looking for peoples feedback on Irish Ferry v Stena Line… So going by car with a cabin for 2 adults and a toddler it’s working out Stena Vision (from Rosslare) is half the price of both Irish Ferries WB Yeats and Oscar Wilde from Dublin to Cherbourg in the first week of June. It’s been over 20 years since I’ve been on a ferry so I welcome anyone’s feedback on travelling on these ferries (Stena Vision, WB Yeats & Oscar Wilde). Many thanks.

Fann Linn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962141#Comment_121962141

I've travelled with both IF and Stena plus Brittany Ferries and in fairness they all offer a similar product and service. At this stage now I normally just book whatever dates suits my itinerary followed by price. Early-ish arrival in the French ports would also be a priority.

If that means traveling from Dublin, Rosslare or Cork I just add in a round trip of fuel to get me back to the Wesht!

davepatr07

Just thought I'd give some feedback on the Dublin to Cherbourg WB Yeats Irish Ferries trip a fortnight ago as a foot passenger.

I originally planned on booking a recliner seat for the overnight, and having seen some feedback reviews I'm so glad I forked out the extra expense for a cabin. I decided to do a trains, planes, automobiles and boats rtn trip to Paris just for the experience for a few days….life's too short…. :)

The ferry was delayed 2hrs so left Dublin at 6pm however despite the delay the crossing was fine.. though having 3 coach loads of French school kids running around the ship didn't give a good first impression. Luckily they did quieten down after 10pm, so surprised I was able to sleep even with some pretty choppy seas during the night.

The WB Yeats is fine for a ferry journey of 18 hrs, there's 2 cinemas there which I didn't use, bars, restaurants (so expensive), lounges, and the peace and quiet of your own cabin for reading and chilling out. I had to change my train time from Cherbourg to Paris St Lazare twice online due to the delays.. the ship hit some strong currents which slowed it down so wouldn't get into Cherbourg until 1:30pm.. I found they don't treat foot passengers with the same urgency to get off the ship as car, apparantly the gangway was out of service. Just made the train by a min to spare. Flew back from Beauvais a couple of days later… Place was a jammed cattle shed, was thinking for a moment in the queues and chaos, I would of gladly taken the ferry/train on the return.

sceach16

Anybody cancelled at the weekend by either Brittany F or Irish F?

We were scheduled on Brittany last Friday (5 April) Roscoff to Cork. It was cancelled on Thursday (rightly so ….Storm Kathleen). We got a text and emails giving alternatives and were rebooked for Tuesday 9 April within 30 minutes. The Brittany service was excellent.

We did not seek any assistance with accomodation and simply extended our stay in an apartment which cost 400 for 4 nights for 3 persons.

Anybody been in this position before? Do Brittany (or Irish Ferries in their case) have any obligation to refund/compensate for additional expenses we incurred? Advice welcomed?

donal.hunt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991506#Comment_121991506

Scheduled on the same ferry. The obligations for ferry companies are not comparable to airlines unfortunately.

See https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/ship/index_en.htm for what you're entitled to (tl;dr feck all). Check your travel insurance to see if you are covered for delays (we were).

Fingers crossed the Armorique sails tonight (Apr 9) but already delayed a few hours and weather at sea doesn't look great today. 😢

CuriousCucumber

Simple question hopefully.

First time going on a camping holiday this summer, and staying in Le Littoral.

Watched a few youtube videos of people walking around the site, and noticed a number of people had clothes horses outside their mobile homes.

Do people bring their own, or are these provided with the mobile homes?

We have a small neat one, that we could bring, but will avoid, if they are already provided

Miley Byrne

They are usually provided Curious. Definitely were the last time I was in Le Littoral anyway. That was with Sandaya but any site I've been to with eurocamp have provided them too

Dinkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009402#Comment_122009402

They are provided.

CuriousCucumber

Great, thanks