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

La Croix du Vieux Pont

This place has everything you need.

If i want to book a ferry and campsite do i book separately or do people generally use a travel agent?

Can't wait to get back to France. It will have been 3 years by the time we get there. Heading back to the Vendée again - Le Pin Parasol this year.

Have done Les Ecureils and Sol a GoGo before. Sol a GoGo being our favourite - can't recommend it enough for younger kids.

Looking at doing a day to Puy du Fou this year. Anyone have any tips?

Has anyone ever taken surfing lessons at Labenne and any recommendations for a surf school?

We're staying a week at Yelloh Sylvamar and want to book our daughter (13) into surf school.

@McSween

We always booked separately, directly with campsite and travelled with Brittany-Ferries, but in 2019 booked the full thing through Brittany-Ferries We got brilliant accommodation at an excellent price. We were so impressed that we booked our full 2020 holiday through them as well which was a relief when Covid hit. Also you only pay a deposit of 80 euro per person with the as opposed to 50%of the ferry price.

The agents are also very helpful so worth giving them a call.

I haven't travelled on the W.B. Yeats yet. Will be going out on it the middle of July. Has anyone recently eaten in Boylan's Brasserie? Trying to decide if we need to leave home really early so we can have dinner before we board or do the easiest thing and eat on it.

Have a club cabin and an inside cabin booked so will be able to use the club class lounge.

Anybody have an idea how long it takes to disembark when the ship is fairly full? Can't get speedy exit as the car is too high.

Can't wait to go back to France, 2019 feels so long ago.

I think the queuing on the stairs is on every ferry. It's madness. Thanks so much for the information.

Thanks for bringing up the discussion about disembarkation times. It's timely as I was wondering what they are generally like for Brittany Ferries' Pont Aven on arrival into Roscoff. We're scheduled to arrive in for 7am and I have a long drive ahead. Is it generally quick to empty out?

We normally sail back from France on the Pont Aven, only travelled once to France on it. It all depends on where you are parked on the ship. Twice we were sitting in the car on the car deck in Cork for an hour and half queuing to get off. In Roscoff we were lucky and were on the deck that unloads first so we were on our way in no time.

The Sunday morning early arrival is fantastic as the roads are very quiet.

Mazda 6 with a roofbox. Some years we were sitting at Roscoff port for ages waiting to board as we seem to always be put on nearly last on the Pont Aven. No clue how to get the best deck, we could never figure it out as other cars with roof boxes the same height as ours would arrive a good while after us and nearly drive straight on the ship.

We used to sail out of Rosslare and buy the speedy exit which was fantastic. Brittany Ferries don't offer that unfortunately.

We have a Rav4 now with a roofbox so will have to see how having a higher car plays out this year.

We went over Easter. Ferry was due in 11, actual 11.15 ish. We cleared customs/immigration at 12.32. Most of delay was on the ship. I have to say we were pleased.....we have been stuck longer!

Eating on the WBY is not good. The fancy restaurant is 60 a head. Food was good the last time we tried it but 3 lunches in France are more enjoyable. Boylans is about 15 for a main and its cafeteria food.

Breakfast in the fancy is actually very good (20euro)and good value compared to Boylans.....juice/coffee and a full irish or eggs benedict .....refills of juice and coffee make the difference. Boylans is per item/cup/glass. The big breakfast means you can hit the road and a small top up in a motorway caf.

We are 3 adults.

Depends on your objective really, Jack0125. The motorway (N137) between Rennes and Nantes is very good at 1 hour and 5 mins between the two at 105km distance. The alternative is the D-roads, but these can be slow, especially if there is agricultural traffic on them.

If you're landing in Roscoff at 7am on a Sunday (as will I) you could take the Western road via Pontivy and Vannes which crosses the "Parc naturel régional d'Armorique". You can then cross the Loire at St Nazaire or go in-land to Nantes and join up with the route to Challans, etc. It's working out at a easy enough 5h50 for that route. If you are planning that route in Google Maps, just click "Avoid Highways" between Roscoff and Sol a Gogo. Frankly, you have more than enough time as most campsites only allow arrivals after 4pm.

I can recommend Saint Nazaire as a stop-off, there is a massive WWII submarine pen in the docks area and it's worth experiencing that just to marvel at the scale of it all.