Anyone off for Christmas?
Discussion
Puggit said:
Sadly not - our guests have decided the 8 hour ferry cross (Portsmouth-Le Harve) is too dodgey if the wind blows.
Why on earth would anyone use the ferry? let alone on a longer crossing, when there is the tunnel?We used the ferry in October for the first time since the tunnel opened, just for the novelty, and because BG junior hadn't ever been on one.
It was s
t!
Balmoral Green said:
Puggit said:
Sadly not - our guests have decided the 8 hour ferry cross (Portsmouth-Le Harve) is too dodgey if the wind blows.
Why on earth would anyone use the ferry? let alone on a longer crossing, when there is the tunnel?We used the ferry in October for the first time since the tunnel opened, just for the novelty, and because BG junior hadn't ever been on one.
It was s
t!
We do the ferry as Portsmouth is one hour from Reading, then we travel overnight and have a 2.5 hour drive to our house, arriving before lunch - including a supermarket shop.
Otherwise we're up early, 2 hour drive to Folkstone, find the trains are up the creek, get pushed back one or two trains, then get to Calais and face a 5.5 hour drive (inc frequent kiddie stops)...
Otherwise we're up early, 2 hour drive to Folkstone, find the trains are up the creek, get pushed back one or two trains, then get to Calais and face a 5.5 hour drive (inc frequent kiddie stops)...
Puggit said:
We do the ferry as Portsmouth is one hour from Reading, then we travel overnight and have a 2.5 hour drive to our house, arriving before lunch - including a supermarket shop.
Otherwise we're up early, 2 hour drive to Folkstone, find the trains are up the creek, get pushed back one or two trains, then get to Calais and face a 5.5 hour drive (inc frequent kiddie stops)...
You and me both Otherwise we're up early, 2 hour drive to Folkstone, find the trains are up the creek, get pushed back one or two trains, then get to Calais and face a 5.5 hour drive (inc frequent kiddie stops)...
Portsmouth to St Malo on the night ferry. Takes us about 1.5 hrs to Portsmouth and crossing is bearable (with a 4 year old to amuse) as we eat, have a beer (or three in my case then back to the bar for crap entertainment whilst the wife/child go to the cabin) then sleep for the rest of it. We're about 2hrs into Brittany - quite a civilised way of getting there and having tried many ways of doing it - it's the best for us.
What a fecking nightmare that was. Especially with a 3 and a half month old with us.
Having finally managed to get across to France, despite the port of Dover and its staff conspiring against us, we break down due to the extreme cold somewhere north of Reims. Fortunately, I could nurse it off the motorway and pulled in to a car park after the tolls. My European Breakdown cover would not assist us as apparently, written right at the bottom of the small print (you know, the bit where it's actually printed within the spine and in size -11 font) that we have to notify them in advance should we be planning a journey abroad. They will most certainly never again be my First Call whether in GB or otherwise. Their response: "No we can't bend the rules despite the fact you purchased the policy through moneyfacts and therefore didn't have the full T&C's". Me: "Ok, so you're actually telling me you're going to leave my family and I stranded at the roadside in -15 deg c?" Them: "Yes".
Right.
So, we by this point my Mrs had completely had enough and walked over to the gendarmerie whereupon she burst into tears. Say what you will about the Gendarmes but in my opinion, those chaps were superb (they also didn't arrest me for forgetting to put my beam deflectors on and only having one hi-vis vest). They got the local mechanic to pop out and have a look whereupon he pronounced the car as absolutely fine except for the cold making it stutter at high speeds. Bleh.
We nursed it onto Langres and finally arrived a good 11 hours behind schedule.
The journey back was great too, I especially loved the bit where the brake fluid warning light came on and having checked it and found no visible issue, an already shaky mrs is left wondering if the brakes are going to fail on the M6 toll when the snow is hammering it down.
Got to love old cars.
Still, France was brilliant, I've eaten my weight in Snails, Oysters & Foie Gras and drank an unhealthy amount of wine.
Having finally managed to get across to France, despite the port of Dover and its staff conspiring against us, we break down due to the extreme cold somewhere north of Reims. Fortunately, I could nurse it off the motorway and pulled in to a car park after the tolls. My European Breakdown cover would not assist us as apparently, written right at the bottom of the small print (you know, the bit where it's actually printed within the spine and in size -11 font) that we have to notify them in advance should we be planning a journey abroad. They will most certainly never again be my First Call whether in GB or otherwise. Their response: "No we can't bend the rules despite the fact you purchased the policy through moneyfacts and therefore didn't have the full T&C's". Me: "Ok, so you're actually telling me you're going to leave my family and I stranded at the roadside in -15 deg c?" Them: "Yes".
Right.
So, we by this point my Mrs had completely had enough and walked over to the gendarmerie whereupon she burst into tears. Say what you will about the Gendarmes but in my opinion, those chaps were superb (they also didn't arrest me for forgetting to put my beam deflectors on and only having one hi-vis vest). They got the local mechanic to pop out and have a look whereupon he pronounced the car as absolutely fine except for the cold making it stutter at high speeds. Bleh.
We nursed it onto Langres and finally arrived a good 11 hours behind schedule.
The journey back was great too, I especially loved the bit where the brake fluid warning light came on and having checked it and found no visible issue, an already shaky mrs is left wondering if the brakes are going to fail on the M6 toll when the snow is hammering it down.
Got to love old cars.
Still, France was brilliant, I've eaten my weight in Snails, Oysters & Foie Gras and drank an unhealthy amount of wine.
Edited by escargot on Wednesday 30th December 18:29
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