ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I need to shift some stuff to spain, so I was wondering on the prices of taking the van on the ferry....

I've a done a little searching on the net and rather shocked at the price - about £800 return for 3 people in a SWB box van!!
Is this right? - or is it like flights, if you shop about you can get alot cheaper?

If anyone knows - Some pointers to the right company/website would be helpful.

Also anyone know how long the crossing takes?

It doesn't really matter where we sail from, as we have to drive down from the midlands anyway - also doesn't matter if the destination is Bilboa instead.

Thanks
AL

albob

that price probably includes a cabin - overnighter????

Scooby96

Brittany Ferries are £622 return with a 2 berth inside cabin - deduct £134 if you dont take a cabin.

Might be cheaper to get Dover to Calais and drive!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

It's a bloody long way to drive....it's already a 1500mile round trip as it is - works out at about £150 in diesel (crappy fully loaded transit box van = 24mpg)

Managed to get it down to £475 including 4 berth cabin so far can I get lower tha that?

I think its a 24 hour crossing - yet to confirm that though - anyone???

David Lock

I did that trip years ago. French boat - super food with loads of wine and then a cabin overnight. Deffo take a cabin though for a clean (ish) loo if nothing else! DL

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

£475 is a very good deal.

I was looking to do this a couple of years ago and the cheapest I found with room was about £600............ suffice to say I decided to drive - and good fun it was too.....went in the Scoob - cost a fortune in Petrol..........

Drove all the way to Madrid - (Calais/overnight in Arcachon, then we went through Biarritz and down to San Sebastian - hated SS - so went back to Biarritz and stayed there for a day/night - then the next day we drove all the way to Madrid............. on the way back we stopped at a few places - but I remember it taking about 6 hrs to do the last 700 miles!! (someone overtook me at 160mph on the way down to Arcachon from Bordeaux.....I was not impressed - it was an Audi RS8 I think

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Cheers

Just out of interest anyone know what it normally costs for the ferry to Calais?

I'm considering the options, but I don't like the idea of being squeezed in a transit and driving for any further than I have to

Scooby96

If you do a Calais crossing book a day return on the way out and on the way back as its way cheaper!

image doctor

Dover to Calais is about £100.

Have a look how far that is, then compare to how far Santander is, then tell me £500 is not good value.

Chris L

It is a 24 hour crossing. We did it a couple of years ago, when we drove down to the Catalunya Rally. The crossing actually ended taking about 29 hours because we encountered serious rough weather in the Bay of Biscay (force 9 gale). The Bay is well known for its bad weather, so if you're not a good sailor, I would go prepared with the sea sickness pills!

Chris

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Doesnt it take ages to get the ferry to Santander - how many nights is it - must be a few? - cant remember - was another thing that definately put me off (i.e. the very long crossing time - but then expected given the distance involved!!)

Just seen the post....about 29hrs - thats not too bad then

In the scoob we made it to Arcachon from Calais in 7 hrs!! - so in a van it would be about 20 hrs!

Re the crossing to Calais - I was looking at this option a while ago....... if you do a return and dont use up the return portion cant they then fine you a fair amount.......... people have certainly tried this before on Eurotunnel - given that an overnight is about £39.....and a 5 day is about £200....... if you opt for 2 returns at say £78 then I know that you will get fined by several £100 pounds for non-completion of the return leg - unless the ferry companies arent as diligent (unlikely)

If you go for several days the ferry is certainly cheaper than the Tunnel - I think theres a discount site 'aferry.to' - which offers cheaper tickets

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Just did the figures for fuel costs:

Distance to travel from home to the destination in spain via calais is 1266 miles!
So total trip there and back is 2532 miles

Now, for the fuel there and back using fuel prices sourced from the AA website:

£263.5 in diesel assuming average of 24mpg.
add to that the ferry, say: £200 for now: £463.5

The operators have these figures sussed don't they!
Still have to include food and hotels in that little lot too, so should take 2 days each way (once in france), so that's 2 nights at say £50 per room. plus food for 3 say £20 per person per day, so we're looking at least another £220 on top of that!


So yes, the £500 to spain is looking very cheap now - seeing that once we've arrived , it's 1 day of driving to get there

Diesel

Keep us posted mate - I hear the ferry lands almost in La Rioja; yum!

I drove from Cherbourg to the Rioja region (religious pilgrimage) once. Got to Biaritz by evening - about 700 miles if I remember rightly and several tankfulls of petrol.

Quote CSMA to get 15% off - this might help (pretend you are a civil servant)...

Let me know, as I'm planning this one too.

ChrisB

I was on the same crossing as Chris L - 24 hours is as boring as sin, let alone 29 hours. The only thing to do is get shedded in the bar

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I think that's the plan anyway...drink, then sleep for most of the journey

Chris L

ChrisB - that is just a rumour - I believe we were all perfectly sober I could go into a few things that amused us, but I fear they wouldn't come across so well on the forum

Chris