Brittany ferries

OK, ignoring the silly bit about getting over the water, lets assume your 100 miles of motorway / boring roads from Folkestone / Portsmouth and wish to go to the Pyrenees and ride "Route Des Cols" all the way across to the Med and back again.

This is @550 glorious miles of motorcycling bliss each way, and lets say (like me this year) you are going to take the ferry which makes it a 10 day trip, I will also have a couple of "Spare days" to do a looping ride out from a base and will come back a different route (Spanish Side) which equates to about 1500 wonderful miles - plus 100 miles each way to Ferry, and about 80 miles from Bilbao to the start of Route des cols.

So 1860 Miles of which only 360 are boring main roads (and the Motorway from Bilbao to the start of Route Des Cols is actually very scenic, and I could take back roads for much of the way instead (and are doing so) which means in an 1800 mile trip I have about 250 "boring" / tyre squaring roads.

If I went to Calais instead I would still have the 100 boring miles to the crossing and then another 650+ boring miles each way to the start of Route des cols - making a boring 2 day 750 ride each way out and back.

This would make my 1800 mile trip with @250 boring miles into a 3200 mile trip with @ 1500 boring miles - and ensure I arrive to the Pyrenees with a Square rear tyre and come back with an equally square one.

The trip wold be of the same duration, but with the Ferry I can watch movies / drink beer and talk bollox with my mates, rather than slumber along boring roads for a couple of days, add up the extra fuel, tyre wear, servicing costs, depreciation and overnight Hotel and the Ferry is probably a similar price.

It also means if it is pissing down with rain all the way to the Pyrenees I do not care, I will be in a bar / restaurant, cinema / cabin on the ferry and not getting soaked on my bike.
 
Thanks Rasher. An excellent explanation that I couldn't be bothered to supply. :thumb2

Add to this, we'll be on our off road bikes to ride the TET to Tremp and then the trails around the Pyrenees. Travelling all the way through France on knobblies means no more knobblies by the time we get there.
 
It also means if it is pissing down with rain all the way to the Pyrenees I do not care, I will be in a bar / restaurant, cinema / cabin on the ferry and not getting soaked on my bike.

That works, as long as it's not blowing a Force 9 in the Bay of Biscay. Mental note to listen to the Captain's weather word carefully, before partaking of too much food & drink - the Royal Navy actually tipped us off at Santander one calm sunny afternoon, about high waves out in the bay; seemed unlikely as they appeared to have been on the rum ration, but proved correct a few hours later when no one was left standing.

Seriously though, it's the ship every time for me - those Autoroute miles are just too tedious. We have done it in the rain, storms, fog, 30c+ & gridlocks, so enough is enough. Actually though, it was my Hayabusa period that necessitated change, as the rear tyre life was a tad limited if you wanted to explore Spain/Portugal. Still, BF need more capacity on the route, or a serious competitor to keep prices sensible.
 
I've done the Portsmouth to Bilbao or Santander ferry trip a few times - five I think - and only had one horrendous crossing. Force 9 and 5m waves. No damage among the bikes that I could see (certainly none had fallen over) and they were very securely strapped down. Compared to the first time I went and the bike was tied to a handrail with an oily rope.

Needless to say, that's the trip I remember! Although I vowed at the time that I'd never step foot on a boat, I did the same journey again this summer and it was fine.
 
You could well be right,
But,,,it ceases to be a bike trip:beerjug:
Our bike trip,that has now been extended by 3days(total bummer:D)
Starts with a boring ride to Portsmouth from the midlands,
Prob 3/4 hrs or so,but we have all day,so coffee stops,and banter all the way.
Board the ferry and a few(lot of) beers.
Sleep for most of next day.
Depart ferry Santander,5pm ish 10 mins to hotel,right in the middle of the old town.
Beer food ,and cosmopolitan people watching:green gri
Next morning 50 /70km ride to trail then repeat the above scenario each night.
With the bikes in a van,the temptation would be just drive all the way in a day,
Stay in one place and drive back.
Naaaa. It’s a road( or off road ) trip:thumb
 
I've done the Portsmouth to Bilbao or Santander ferry trip a few times - five I think - and only had one horrendous crossing. Force 9 and 5m waves. No damage among the bikes that I could see (certainly none had fallen over) and they were very securely strapped down. Compared to the first time I went and the bike was tied to a handrail with an oily rope.

Needless to say, that's the trip I remember! Although I vowed at the time that I'd never step foot on a boat, I did the same journey again this summer and it was fine.
I paid extra on one trip for an outside cabin,unfortunately the outside cabin was right by one of the promenade decks so had to keep the curtains closed anyway,it’s not like you get a balcony or can open a window ,just go poverty class and rough it.
A rough crossing will confine most to the cabin anyway,I don’t get seasick so am happy to wander when I get bored..
2x crossings in gale force weather ,highly entertaining
Top tip to anyone not done it,if the crossing is rough,it will be at it’s worse across the bay of biscay,so on a sailing at say 5pm from the uk,if you suffer,you need to get fed watered and strapped in,don’t rely on getting breakfast,as it will start getting choppy.:thumby:
 
If you feel the slightest bit queasy in the morning.................

Stay the fcuk out of the dining room - The smell of vomit puts me off my full breakfast.:mad:
 
If you feel the slightest bit queasy in the morning.................

Stay the fcuk out of the dining room - The smell of vomit puts me off my full breakfast.:mad:

Tip no2
Book a table in the restaurant for breakfast,saves mixing with the vomit smelling riff raff
In fact,book a table in the restaurant for all meals,for a few squid more it’s aworld away form scumscramm.:D
 
I’ve crossed the Bay of Biscay several times and those ferries have got nothing on the level of puke encountered on an Isle of Man crossing when the weather is bad :barf

When I was a small child under 10 my parents took us to the Scilly Isles either 4 or 5 times and every time I spewed my guts up and it reached the point where I stayed with relatives rather than go one year but by the time I was a teenager seasickness was a distant memory and the closest I’ve been since was going out in a pilot boat on sea trials after a heavy session on Old Speckled Hen :beerjug:
 
I paid extra on one trip for an outside cabin,unfortunately the outside cabin was right by one of the promenade decks so had to keep the curtains closed anyway,
i had the same thing, Stark naked getting changed some family walked past the window, Whipped the curtains shut,It was only when i went for a walk later i found out the glass is no see through :D

Dave :thumby:
 
And the Cheaper 2 bed outside cabins are ridiculously small for 2 grown men


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
i agree about two man berth, i always book outside four berth for two people, still bit small but top bunks store all your gear,


Dave :thumby:
 


Back
Top Bottom