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Viewing Ferry Crossings to FranceFerry Crossings to France
By Martyn Davis
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Have you ever traveled to France by ferry? If you have, you will know how convenient it is having all the onboard facilities from duty-free shopping, restaurants, cafes etc. and for families you will be grateful for the children's amusement areas. If you are looking at visiting France, then going over the water by ferry crossing is a very popular way of traveling, especially from the United Kingdom. For some, it is a lot more fun than sitting in an airport hoping that the plane is going to depart on time! With so many different ferry operators and the numerous departure points in and around Europe, which range from Dover in England, Cork in Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Olbia in Sardinia, and Bastia in Corsica, you will be able to find the best possible crossing for your particular needs. Personally, we prefer traveling by ferry crossing to France, as we make it part of our holiday experience. It gives you flexibility of travel, because even though we leave in plenty of time to negotiate the atrocious UK roads, we can quite easily end up stuck in a jam. If we travel by plane, we can have a lot more hassle getting another flight. However, if we are early, sometimes we can get an earlier crossing, or if late, the cross channel operators will do their best to get us on the next ferry, which is not too long to wait. There is no extra charge, providing that we book in within three hours either way of our designated booking time. However, instead of the standard ferry crossings we think about, for example, Dover to Calais. There are also speed ferries now operating exclusively for car passengers between Britain and France, and the crossing takes just 50 minutes. SpeedFerries has exclusive port facilities in Dover and Boulogne, and offers low cost tickets from £20 one-way on the all-year Dover to Boulogne fast ferry service. Brittany Ferries is another cross channel operator that is able to offer the classic cruise, along with high-speed services. They sail from Portsmouth, Poole, and Plymouth to the ports of Cherbourg, Caen, Roscoff, and St. Malo in France, and provide the option of getting further down into France to places like the port of St Malo. This can mean far less driving to get to your desired destination. While on board, you can relax while enjoying the many facilities they have to offer, even opting for a cabin that has en-suite facilities; so you can get a great rest and arrive at your port of call ready and refreshed before the next part of your journey. For a short ferry crossing, you may like to do a bit of duty-free shopping and catch a bite to eat or a have lovely cafe latte before walking out on deck to experience the sea breeze and the scenery as you are entering the harbor. However, in comparison to a longer ferry crossing, not only do you also have the option of a cabin, but the services on offer are even vaster, with numerous different restaurants, bars, and activities, obviously the ever important onboard duty free shopping, and in some cases they even have entertainment. They all have Bureau de Change facilities for exchanging your currency into Euros, which is the French currency. It is a good idea to get some Euro coins as well. If you cannot do this on board, then try to do it as soon as possible. You will find this extremely useful for things such as a coffee in a petrol station or for utilizing some public toilets. You can convert your Euro coins back to your own currency onboard the ferries, which you cannot do back in your country. However, if you think you will be taking a trip to Europe in the near future, it is worthwhile saving a few coins, as it will save you time and hassle next time around. You are probably aware that you can also get to France via the Channel Tunnel, which is quicker even than by traveling via high-speed ferry. The EuroTunnel will only take around 35 minutes from Folkestone, whereas the high-speed catamarans take just under an hour. A ferry crossing is an average of 90 minutes. However, we have found that with the onboard ferry facilities that cater to children of all ages, including the provisions of baby food, changing areas, play areas, and video arcades, it can make for a more peaceful trip for the stressed out adults. It beats being stuck in a train, even if it is only for a short time! If you have decided on a weekend break, or traveling back over the weekend so that your children get back to school on time, then don't forget that most places are shut on a Sunday. Therefore, if you have certain activities in mind, double check that it is not a national holiday or odd hours, otherwise you will end up with rather a bored party! Planning is very important, especially in France, when they tend to stop for at least two hours every day for lunch! This is especially important if you are traveling through France and want to stock up with your beer and wine before heading for the ferry port. Providing you know to avoid the national holidays (which are always cheaper crossings), if you hunt around you can find some excellent deals. They range from day trips to France, a 5-day return, or even an open-ended ticket for any length of time. We have found that Norfolk Line and Sea France offer some fantastic prices, but not all operators take all credit cards on board, which also applies to paying for your ticket, so it is worth checking if you always use a card such as American Express. The only other thing we have to say, is, 'Enjoy the whole experience, as it can become part of your French holiday'. About the Author: www.placesinfrance.com Martyn Davis, European traveler, author, photographer and business development manager. For all your French holiday needs and a travel guide to France, with tourist information, landmarks, and attractions, visit Ferry Crossings to France. Article Source: 1st Rate Articles - http://1stRateArticles.com |
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