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

54and56

darragh o meara wrote: »

I can’t see IF giving up the Rosslare route and if they were we would surely have heard about it by now. The OW will need to make money for the company in 2019 so you can be sure they will announce the rosslare dates soon, however they would really need to hurry up as it’s getting late.

.....

I still expect there to be some deals coming up in the new year.

I agree. My Stena booking is Flexible (can cancel for a full refund) so I'm going to be keeping a keen eye out for flash sales on IF particularly if they confirm the OW will be servicing the Roscoff route.

mr_edge_to_you

We got fed up waiting so went ahead with BF. Even after the €150 is applied BF is still cheaper. The fact that you don’t have time to fork out €40 for a family breakfast saves another few quid too!!!! The big pluses for me on BF are times and much prefer Roscoff.

IF are still messing customers around. Last year their big selling point was they could offer sailings to France 7 days a week.

The appeal of the nice new ship is gone for me. When we were sailing this year it would’ve been four weeks old and the fact that my 2018 IF customer experience has been a massive disappointment. To be honest, I think IF are selling this as a hotel that floats which is fine but I just want to get to France in comfort a for reasonable price - this craic of different levels of lounge access is not for me. Both the OW and the PA are perfectly fine for me.

Deeman83

Moving on from the ferry debacle, what campsites are you looking at this year?

I am going to go to Domaine des Ormes on the way home for a week.

We are looking for somewhere in vendee/ile de Re area.

Any recommendations? Kids, good pool, close to beach, nice mix of irish, i.e. not 100% french (kids preference)

talla

Deeman83 wrote: »

Moving on from the ferry debacle, what campsites are you looking at this year?

I am going to go to Domaine des Ormes on the way home for a week.

We are looking for somewhere in vendee/ile de Re area.

Any recommendations? Kids, good pool, close to beach, nice mix of irish, i.e. not 100% french (kids preference)

Clarys plage would probably suit.
Big Irish crowd, good pool and slides and beach is only a 5 minute walk down the road.

mr_edge_to_you

Deeman83 wrote: »

Moving on from the ferry debacle, what campsites are you looking at this year?

I am going to go to Domaine des Ormes on the way home for a week.

We are looking for somewhere in vendee/ile de Re area.

Any recommendations? Kids, good pool, close to beach, nice mix of irish, i.e. not 100% french (kids preference)

We stayed in Les Ecureils in 2017. Nice spot.

Stayed in Sol a GoGo this year. Thought it was much nicer - lovely pool, “direct access” to the beach (you wouldn’t be bring a buggy!), lovely takeaway on site, a really good toddler pool. Booked it again for next year.

jay0109

I'm going to Sol a Gogo next year also, last there in 2015. Much smaller than a lot of the sites and has direct access to the beach which was a big winner for us. And it's practically all Irish or English with some continental Europeans also.
We stayed in a very French (and very large) site in 2017 and our kids didn't get to mix at all...older French kids had the football pitch tied up nearly all day. So going to avoid that scenario this time

molly dolly

1300 this year vs 930 last year. 4 star cabins return 3 star and speedy disembarkment for that price. We're an hour from Rosslare, hate te thought of going Dublin. IF are a disgrace in how they refuse to engage honestly or truthfully with customers.

though have booked a small trip to Wales so will get my free trip to UK out of them in June. Going to Bluestone resort for 4 days.

France is looking unlikely this year. Unless we go to paris. The nearly 15 year old is reluctant to do another ferry. Truth be told he probably would hate the normal package experience but he isn't buying that.

valtra2

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

MorganIRL

valtra2 wrote: »

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

Have being to le eccuriels 3 yrs ago and heading to le clarys-plage nxt year. Plenty to do in the area for kids that age. Hiring of bikes isn't essential, but makes the area more fun to explore.

mr_edge_to_you

valtra2 wrote: »

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

Kids at that age - has to be Sol a GoGo.

As Morgan says, hire yourself bikes and away ye go.

westgolf

valtra2 wrote: »

Hi first year heading to campsite in France. Was going fly drive. Vendee region. 4 and 6 year old any recommendations. Tia.

If Clary's plage isn't your thing have a look at Genet's, bout 150m up the road. Both great sites but Genet's is smaller and not as crazy as Clary's at peak times. St Jean de Monts is a lovely area for exploring and not too far from the ferry ports.

mr_edge_to_you

MorganIRL wrote: »

Have being to le eccuriels 3 yrs ago and heading to le clarys-plage nxt year. Plenty to do in the area for kids that age. Hiring of bikes isn't essential, but makes the area more fun to explore.

Only criticism we had with Les Ecureils, and appreciate its a very small one, is the toddler pool is hidden a corner at the back of the pool area. While this does have some benefits for shade it did get a little chilly at times which meant the kids weren’t as keen on staying in the water. But a lovely quiet resort all the same.

MorganIRL

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

Only criticism we had with Les Ecureils, and appreciate its a very small one, is the toddler pool is hidden a corner at the back of the pool area. While this does have some benefits for shade it did get a little chilly at times which meant the kids weren’t as keen on staying in the water. But a lovely quiet resort all the same.

I agree with the kiddies pool statement, only affected us for first day or 2 as our toddler went back to sleeping schedule as he was a bit otta sorts after ferry and travel, which ment he wasn't in it when it got colder once he went back to normality.

Nekarsulm

A look inside the W B Lates

https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Flensburger-Werft-uebergibt-neue-Riesenfaehre,wbyeats102.html?fbclid=IwAR3Od2TwLlhhYBoOieMqXH7kcbYgaCsu6nKnM1ypZQ4Uka6fM1QOZYxA6Z8

Nekarsulm

Well, she mafe it to Cherbourg this morning anywsy.

spockety

Is there any way to avoid having to purchase a reclining seat with Irish Ferries?

There 5 of us booked into a 4 berth cabin. The two smallies easily share a bed. Last year with Stena there was the option of explicitly saying you didn't want a cabin or seat for individual 5, but with Irish Ferries it looks like €60 return for a reclining seat I won't be using.

Any way out of it?


UPDATE: Looks like you can add it to get rid of the warning, then just take it away again after you have added it to your booking, no warnings.

SusanC10

There is a rumour on the Irish Ferries Enthusiasts Forum that the OW is "sale agreed" and that is why no Rosslare route has been released.

Our friends who we are meeting on the Campsite have now booked Stena from Rosslare. They wanted to have it booked as Eurocamp told them that Free Amendments are ending Dec 24th.

SusanC10

Has anyone been to Cote d'Argent Campsite at Hourtin Plage?

DavyD_83

SusanC10 wrote: »

There is a rumour on the Irish Ferries Enthusiasts Forum that the OW is "sale agreed" and that is why no Rosslare route has been released.

Our friends who we are meeting on the Campsite have now booked Stena from Rosslare. They wanted to have it booked as Eurocamp told them that Free Amendments are ending Dec 24th.

Interesting, I for one will be very disappointed (and pissed off) of there is no IF Rosslare - Roscoff route after all this waiting

eldamo

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Interesting, I for one will be very disappointed (and pissed off) of there is no IF Rosslare - Roscoff route after all this waiting

I much prefer arriving in roscoff, but I am just about ready to pull the trigger on cherbourg because I am fed up waiting and arriving at 11am seems pretty ok.

SusanC10

From IF Facebook Page :-

"Irish Ferries wish to inform our customers that we are unlikely to operate a service between Rosslare and France in 2019. We continue to keep this situation under review.

Our new W.B. Yeats ship will operate from Dublin to Cherbourg up to 4 days per week and is now available for booking on Irishferries.com"

First Up

SusanC10 wrote:

From IF Facebook Page :


"Irish Ferries wish to inform our customers that we are unlikely to operate a service between Rosslare and France in 2019. We continue to keep this situation under review.


Our new W.B. Yeats ship will operate from Dublin to Cherbourg up to 4 days per week and is now available for booking on Irishferries.com"

Mmmm. No mention of the Oscar Wilde so maybe it has been sold.

Sailings from Dublin suit me fine - I've seen enough of Ferns and Enniscorthy!

average_runner

First Up wrote: »

Mmmm. No mention of the Oscar Wilde so maybe it has been sold.

Sailings from Dublin suit me fine - I've seen enough of Ferns and Enniscorthy!

Wonder is it cheaper for IF to sail from Dublin!!!!

First Up

average_runner wrote:

Wonder is it cheaper for IF to sail from Dublin!!!!

More to do with port facilities I'd imagine.

nirvana78

After seeing the sad update on IF Facebook page, I ended up booking the WB Yates. I was holding out for the Oscar Wilde but it wasn't to be. So in the end I got it for €1372, going out Thu 20th Jun back 5th Jul, 4 berth outside, 1 adult & 3 children. I priced it online and it was €1510 but when I rang them to avail of the Tesco vouchers the price came down with their discount. I had to bring my holiday forward by one day so when I rang Canvas Holidays, I got €20 off the price because it's a day earlier.
I'm glad it's booked now, and going on a new ship is a bonus. We're going to Domaine des Ormes in Brittany so it's no big deal changing from Roscoff to Cherbourg. On this side it will be better because we live in the Midlands so Dublin will be closer

average_runner

First Up wrote: »

More to do with port facilities I'd imagine.

Longer journey now for the boat. facilities at Rosslare are very good

kippy

I think the OW is due a major service/kit out next year. Thought I read it earlier in this thread.

I priced IF for the same dates we went last year, worked out about 400 euro dearer.
Can't justify that with a 200 euro increase in the accommodation on the price last year also.

Looking like flying or another options altogether this year.

First Up

average_runner wrote:

Longer journey now for the boat. facilities at Rosslare are very good

Not sure I agree about Rosslare - at least from the car/driver perspective. Very little by way of facilities while waiting (which is a pain if delayed) and the customs queue on exit can be torture.

I'm Dublin based so happy to sail past Wicklow and Wexford.

Peckham

Bit the bullet and booked Yeats.

1600 euro. Out on June 26 and back July 13.

300 euro more expensive than OW for similar dates last year. However includes an extra cabin for a growing family plus speedy exit. Also I live only 30 minutes from Dublin Port.

Not too bad overall.

billbond4

Irish Ferries wish to inform our customers that we're unlikely to operate a service between Rosslare & France in 2019. We continue to keep this situation under review. Our new W.B. Yeats ship will operate from Dublin to Cherbourg & is available to book on http://Irishferries.com