Accommodation in Dieppe
- Thread starter gspod
- Start date
Decathlon , put up demo tents in their carpark , i've slept in one , when i missed a ferry . even got the bike inside ! nice and secure , cos there is a Gendarmes station at the top of the carpark.
https://goo.gl/maps/MeGPHRbqBVZhr4mJA shows secure yard at the Windsor in Streetview - note Le Cambridge Pub just along the street where you can get steak, frites and Guinness if you have those not inclined to be adventurous with their diet. We preferred the Cafe des Tribunaux on the end of the Grand Rue https://goo.gl/maps/VP9D4qgGPrYmA9ZF7 - finish off in the Cambridge as it is only a short crawl back to the Windsor.
Is Dieppe a viable crossing these days? It used to be my crossing of choice when it was two hours
DFDS now have three crossings a day, each taking four hours, exclusive of the hour lost / gained due to the time difference.
They might well make sense if bods lived near to Newhaven and / or if Dieppe suited them for an arrival port in France.
Newhaven is two hours away for me, compared with an hour and a half to Folkestone / Dover. On that criteria alone, it probably wouldn’t make a lot of sense for me to use it, other than through its novelty factor. On the whole Dieppe is somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Not as close as Calais, nor as strategically well placed as say St Malo or Caen, both of which benefit from overnight crossings.
They might well make sense if bods lived near to Newhaven and / or if Dieppe suited them for an arrival port in France.
Newhaven is two hours away for me, compared with an hour and a half to Folkestone / Dover. On that criteria alone, it probably wouldn’t make a lot of sense for me to use it, other than through its novelty factor. On the whole Dieppe is somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Not as close as Calais, nor as strategically well placed as say St Malo or Caen, both of which benefit from overnight crossings.
I used it as I was attending a function in Dieppe for 2 nights. This made it a no brainer really.
Advantages for those living some distance from the port:
1. 0930 or overnight sailings make it easier for those who have some distance - we stayed in a pub 10 mins from the port in Rottingdean and had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and rock up to the port for 0830
2. Nicer journey from the Welsh Marches if you avoid the M25 & M23 and cut across the rolling hills of Hampshire & Sussex.
3. Very short queues at the port and not much waiting around. I love small ports for this aspect. The French Douane were a bit sluggish in Dieppe but soon opened up the truck lane to cars & bikes.
4. Price - from £30 one way in day time, overnight return with cabins £150 to £200
5. Good crew on board, front wheel braces, ratchet straps fitted for you (and the chap even asked me for my gloves to add extra padding on the seat).
Disadvantages: 4 hour crossing and lunchtime arrival does not lend itself to onward travel over great distance if you take the 0930 ferry.
As for onward travel, Coquelles to Reims is 2hr35mins, from Dieppe it's 3 hours so not a lot in it if heading that way. Poitiers is 5hr16min from Caen, an hour more from Dieppe so not much more and a lot cheaper than Brittany Ferries. Take the overnight ferry and leave the boat at 6am ish and you can be 200km into France before breakfast.
Good points, well made.
Quick update.
We stayed here:
https://www.dieppe-hostel-lesroches...roches-votre-auberge-collective-a-dieppe.html
It’s a cross between a hotel and hostel. We had a twin with en-suite shower room, it felt a bit like a hospital but both rooms were huge and the beds were comfortable. Off street parking, there is a garage - although the entrance is only suitable for smaller bikes not GSs - great for throwing all your camping gear into, rather than taking it up to your room.
The reception staff were brilliant.
It’s a 5 minute walk into the centre. It was the cheapest accommodation we could find and short term booking ie the day before was possible because of its unusual nature.
We’ve never done the dieppe/newhaven crossing before but Wessie summed up the pros perfectly, we were pottering around Normandy for a week. Having heard the reports of waiting times at Dover/Folkestone I can see us considering it again in the peak season.
We stayed here:
https://www.dieppe-hostel-lesroches...roches-votre-auberge-collective-a-dieppe.html
It’s a cross between a hotel and hostel. We had a twin with en-suite shower room, it felt a bit like a hospital but both rooms were huge and the beds were comfortable. Off street parking, there is a garage - although the entrance is only suitable for smaller bikes not GSs - great for throwing all your camping gear into, rather than taking it up to your room.
The reception staff were brilliant.
It’s a 5 minute walk into the centre. It was the cheapest accommodation we could find and short term booking ie the day before was possible because of its unusual nature.
We’ve never done the dieppe/newhaven crossing before but Wessie summed up the pros perfectly, we were pottering around Normandy for a week. Having heard the reports of waiting times at Dover/Folkestone I can see us considering it again in the peak season.
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