Ferry Trip to France 2011 Holiday- Help Please

mattthemiller

This is my first activity ever on boards. I am already thinking about my holiday for 2011 in the summer. I am thinking about going back to France. I was there years ago and I was looking to get some advice on how to get there. There are a choice of three companies that go to France Irish, Britanny and Celtic Link Ferries. I hear and see pros and cons to the three companies. I have heard so much over the years about Irish and Britanny Ferries e.g. issues with workers, good/ bad prices etc. But I have heard much less about Celtic Link Ferries.

It will be my wife and two kids that will be going and I just wanted to get an opinion of somebody that would have travelled with either of them recently and I find the best and cheapest way of going.

Thanks for your help

LisaO

Hi. We have travelled back & forth to France by ferry several times a year during past 10 years. Originally with Irish Ferries from Rosslare because there was no other choice. Then Brittany introduced service on the Pont Aven from Cork. We were happy to do the extra drive to Cork & pay a bit more for a much better appointed & faster boat. Good cabins, lots to do on-board, good restaurants, etc. Only drawback is Brittany only have a once a week sailing - boat out on Saturday afternoon, arrive in France Sun morning. Boat back on Fri night, arriving in Cork at Sat lunchtime. Means if you go for 2 weeks you only get 12 days in France & if you have a bit of a drive the other side, this cuts into your holiday even more. For us, we found only having 1 weekend in France out of a 2 week holiday made the trip seem very short. But big bonus arriving in France at 7am on a Sunday morning - no traffic, so you can get on with your onward journey.

Then Irish Ferries started accepting the T*sc* Clubcard vouchers, so it was back to Irish Ferries. Several sailings a week & go from Rosslare to both Cherbourg & Roscoff (during high season). The "new" boat isn't a new boat but re-furbished and new to Irish Ferries & isn't too bad. Big improvement on old boat, especially in standards of food and public areas. Cabins are fine but some can be noisy. We like the flexibility with sailing dates - can go out on a Thursday & back on a Sunday, giving a full 16 days in France, including 2 weekends. Just have to watch arrival times - if a boat is scheduled to dock in Cherbourg at 5 or 6 pm you may well not be off the boat before 6.30 or 7. We have then been stuck at port for 2 hours before now due to customs & security checks on every vehicle. You are then not leaving Cherbourg until maybe 9pm or later - not great if you are facing into a 4 hour or more drive

Have been looking with interest at Celtic Link. Seems to be no-frills basic but good value service and several sailings a week. For our next trip I am comparing cost of Irish Ferries with T*sc* vouchers & cost of Celtic Link & going for cheaper of the 2.

Also think about where you will be travelling on to in France & how convenient journey will be from Roscoff or Cherbourg.

ollaetta

Discussed here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055759600&highlight=celtic+link