New Ferry to France (Launch Offer)

paddydriver wrote: »

I saved about €800 and didn't have to fill the tank yet since leaving on the holiday... and I am home since last Thurs:D

lol, did you set up a tent in the ferry terminal?

paddydriver wrote: »

I saved about €800 and didn't have to fill the tank yet since leaving on the holiday... and I am home since last Thurs:D

The cost of classic car touring. We filled up in Wexford, Châtelaillon-Plage, Limoges, Chenoncaux, Ecommoy, Rochfort-sur-Loire (post-loss-of-fuel-guage - was about half full) and, on the way back to Dublin, Enniscorthy (pretty empty by then). Tank only holds 45 litres. We covered around 1300km. I reckon we were getting about 23mpg at best, and typically in the teens, but I knew the car was running too rich before setting off - just didn't have time to get it sorted beforehand. If we had opted to travel in the daily driver (Audi A2 TDI), it would have made quite the saving, if a bit less glamorous. I treated each visit to the petrol pump as eating into the ferry savings, which made it a little easier to bear.

Car is now back on the road with electrical gremlins mostly sorted.

Hi all,

Thanks to OP for the bargain alert, I'm on the sailing next Friday. 4x4 with roof box, 4 x bikes, 2 adults, 2 kids and a 4 berth outside cabin for €168. Where would you be going?????

So we'll be checking in at 7:45/8pm or so and we want to eat dinner locally before we board. Any recommendations?

Ben

BenThere wrote: »

Hi all,

Thanks to OP for the bargain alert, I'm on the sailing next Friday. 4x4 with roof box, 4 x bikes, 2 adults, 2 kids and a 4 berth outside cabin for €168. Where would you be going?????

So we'll be checking in at 7:45/8pm or so and we want to eat dinner locally before we board. Any recommendations?

Ben

Depends on your budget but plenty to choose from....coming from Dublin there's the Whitford Hotel signposted on the Wexford ring road, there's McDonalds at the Drinagh roundabout, again signposted, steak or seafood then Coopers of Killinick, on the N25 just after the Texaco service station about 7 miles from Rosslare Harbour, decent pub food then try Culletons of Kilrane just 1 mile from Rosslare or last of all try the Harbour View Hotel. As the name suggests it's located on the right hand side just before you enter the port. They have a decent Chinese chef or they also do standard chicken, kids fare etc.

Enjoy the holidays .......sent from my IPad while sitting in the sun on the deck of my caravan in the Loire Vally :-)

DC

Wally Runs wrote: »

If coming down the N11 I can recommend the Heritage Park just after you cross the Slaney river. Plenty of parking, very good restaurant, you do not need to go into the park itself to eat and I think you have access to one of the playgrounds. If you do want to make a day of it (maybe you have someone in your group who likes to be early) it is very worth while.

The food on the ferry is fine and there is plenty of room in the dining areas, you are also free to bring some of your own, get a cup of tea and have it there. High chairs, there are plenty BUT if there are a lot of babies they can be hard to get (parents are reluctant to give them up once they have them).

I would recommend, getting on board, find a seat in the bar/show area and let the kids enjoy Sammy Sausages and his gang. Leave himself to sort out the cabin, tour of the decks etc. Stay up as late as you dare, bring a multi-pack of cereals for breakfast (or buy the gut buster and get extra toast and share) and let the kids sleep off any exhaustion in the car the next day on your way your destination.


Enjoy.

Great advice. Thanks

mcgarrett wrote: »

Just filled up at InterMarche in La Roche Sur Yon and diesel was 120.9c. At filling station on auto route it was 138.9c.

I don't think they have the dodgy washed diesel over here! #@!

Fill up with fuel at the supermarkets and avoid the main filling stations.

When we were in France a couple of weeks back we were advised if possible not to buy at the supermarkets, it's a lower grade fuel we were told. Generally you are talking about a 10c per litre difference between the supermarkets and the garage's.

September1 wrote: »

I did complete my trip and it seems that ferry is nice, however quite basic. It beats IF with lower prices, friendly staff and being much cleaner. However experience is failed by terrible check-in system in St-Nazaire mixed with terrible schedule. You have to queue to office before you can pass customs and go to the ship.

We also came back yesterday and apparently they had issues with some double bookings. A lot more bureaucracy on the French side it would seem (we didn't even have to show passports when we got into Rosslare).

Overall, we had a very good experience with LD Lines, for the price certainly. Clean cabin, basic but adequate on-board facilities (never travelled with IF or anyone else to France), food was not bad at all.

As for France and the region around St. Nazaire in general, we went south to St. Jean De Monts for 7 days and stayed in Sol a Gogo. Good family campsite right beside the beach (literally 30 seconds walk), lots of other Irish staying there. The site is probably better suited to families with younger kids. Plenty to do in the area (zip-lining and Velo Rail were great fun and good exercise). Wasn't very impressed by Jean De Mont's town itself, far too many roundabouts and too clinical for my liking. Some good restaurants but some overpriced tourist kips as well. St. Giles Croix de Vie (next town down the coast) had a lovely harbour area, plenty of French families and some very good places for food.

We then drove back up past St. Nazaire towards the Vannes area and spent another 5 days in a beautiful 'gite' B&B, basically an old mill/farmhouse with the outhouses converted to guest accommodation. Very friendly host, swimming pool, animals in the back garden, old mill pond, very nice indeed. Surrounding area was more authentic I thought than down around Jean de Monts, Rochefort en Terre is a very picturesque village worth a visit, and we joined in the local firework celebrations in Questembert on the 14th of July. Vannes is a larger provincial town with an interesting historic centre and marina in the port, loads of restaurants. On our last day, we went up as far as Carnac to take a look at the alignments (nice town as well). Best beaches near Vannes were about 30 minutes drive south of Surzur, lovely white sandy grit with no seaweed.

Again, thanks to the OP and all who have contributed to this thread. We have always flown to either Spain or Italy for our holidays so I had a bit of convincing to do to get my bunch to go to France for a change. It was worth it !

galait wrote: »

I agree , I paid £260 and heading out on August 1st , Reading that drivel makes me laugh ,

September1 was only expressing their opinion and sharing their experience... I think it's very rude to call their post 'drivel' ... Surely this is what the thread if for - to share experiences??

I guess you got your fare at the discounted price?

roundymac wrote: »

When we were in France a couple of weeks back we were advised if possible not to buy at the supermarkets, it's a lower grade fuel we were told. Generally you are talking about a 10c per litre difference between the supermarkets and the garage's.

I spend a lot of time in France and AlWAYS buy my diesel (and in the past, petrol) and have never had any reason to question the quality. I just don't believe that the fuel is lower grade in the supermarkets. All of my French friends buy in the supermarket too. In my experience the French are very smart with money - they waste nothing - and if the supermarked diesel was not the best value, they would have figured that out.

September1 wrote: »

I did complete my trip and it seems that ferry is nice, however quite basic. It beats IF with lower prices, friendly staff and being much cleaner. However experience is failed by terrible check-in system in St-Nazaire mixed with terrible schedule. You have to queue to office before you can pass customs and go to the ship.

In fairness there did seem to be some sort of a programme glitch on the computer for checking in at Saint Nazaire on 16th July. I was one of the first families to check in at 6pm and it was giving trouble then. I found them to be helpful and friendly , maybe it backed up later on.

As we had driven a very long way from the South West corner of France, we asked staff to recommend a nearby restaurant / cafe. She sent us to a really nice homely truckers bar/ restaurant a stones throw away. You just go back out the exit, up to the roundabout and take the second exit to the right and it is there. Called L'air Bleu / the blue air.

We had a lovely meal all grilled on a fireplace bbq in the dining room steak / pork chops/ sausages and chips and veg. 4 meals for €30. Super meal.


The boat trip back was great again. I found the cabins to be big and comfortable and it was a calm sailing too. Restaurant was lovely. Meals were tasty and wholesome. Dont forget your travel kettle, french adapter, and cool box!!

It was hard driving 3 hrs from Rosslare last night. You don't get on the road until 10.30pm really. If the sailing came in a few hours earlier it would make a huge difference.

So now we are back, 3250km done. Even visited Spain for a day! A great experience and we are well pleased with LD Lines especially for the price we got it at. Happy sailing to everyone going out tonight and over the rest of the Summer