Portsmouth Ferry

[JOldcastle]

Hello,

Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth - departure at 0800. I have to check in by an hour before departure, but I'm keen to avoid sitting in a car with 2 small kids for longer than I need to. As we have a good few hours to drive, I'll also be in trouble for waking everyone up unnecessarily early! How long before departure do people normally arrive? Main issue is toilets really - don't want to get stuck in a queue with the kids about to spring a leak...

Thanks

[loskie]

I'm sure you will be able to get out of the car, stretch your legs. Eat and st at the ferry terminal. Depending on how small the kids are they may see it as a bit of an adventure.

https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ferry-routes/pl...


Ferry is such a more civilised way to travel than flying. The ferry IS part of the holiday. Relax and enjoy it.

[Rob 131 Sport]

I suppose it depends on what distance you are from Portsmouth. We have travelled from Portsmouth many times coming from Chester and would allow plenty of time for the inevitable hold ups.

Generally we would arrive (mostly for the evening ferry to St. Malo) at least 2 hours prior to departure. There are facilities there and you can go for a walk.

[RGG]

There's plenty of large supermarkets / big car parks very close by to stop in and stretch legs, buy a snack and stuff.

[hiccy18]

As others have suggested, get there in plenty of time, there's toilets just past check-in. We use it quite often and plan to get there 2-3 hours beforehand normally to give a contingency as there are plenty of places nearby to get a bite to eat, stretch legs etc. For an 08:00 ferry I'd be thinking about going down the night before, getting a hotel within an hour of the port and getting breakfast on the ferry.

You might get moaned at for turning up a bit early, you'll get moaned at a lot more if there's a holdup enroute and you miss your ferry!

Edited by hiccy18 on Friday 9th August 20:34

[JOldcastle]

Thanks everyone! Early it is 😀

[loskie]

Enjoy it. It's a great way to travel.

[Rob 131 Sport]

OP, where are you going in France.

[numtumfutunch]

Rob 131 Sport said:

OP, where are you going in France.

Basically this

We had lots of great France holidays when the kids were little
The fact you can stuff all your gear in the car to have on the other side was a significant factor

When they were really little we used the Portsmouth Ferries to break the journey
Usually the 8AM passage taking them from cot to car seat as getting there for the night crossing on a Friday meant an extra days leave plus it was a lot more expensive after paying for a cabin which youd only snooze in till 5AM when they sounded a klaxon to announce duty free was open. Frustrating to say the least.......

We'd leave Leeds in good time to get to Portsmouth a couple of hours before departure and at that time the roads were a dream

And then we discovered the tunnel

You dont get an enforced 6h break however when on the other side cover a lot more ground at 130kph than the ferry does at sea

5h drive to Folkestone, snacks at the terminal and then woof it down the Peage remains our preferred option with stops whenever you fancy for as long as you like on the autoroute

OP, where are you going?

The advantage of starting your trip in Caen/Ouistreham is likely countered by the tunnel taking a fraction of the time leaving you to make huge gains on the road in France. We even did Brittany via the tunnel and were comfortable when the youngest was about 4. Younger than that Id say the long ferry wins

Happy holidays

[JOldcastle]

Im only going to Normandy/Brittany, and as I'm coming from Gloucestershire the ferry made more sense than the chunnel. Just need to get the kids to bed early enough tonight to avoid meltdowns tomorrow!

[anyoldcardave]

JOldcastle said:

Hello,

Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth - departure at 0800. I have to check in by an hour before departure, but I'm keen to avoid sitting in a car with 2 small kids for longer than I need to. As we have a good few hours to drive, I'll also be in trouble for waking everyone up unnecessarily early! How long before departure do people normally arrive? Main issue is toilets really - don't want to get stuck in a queue with the kids about to spring a leak...

Thanks

Whatever you do, do not cut journey times short and plan to arrive last minute.

Arriving to see the ramps going up, knowing it is how ever many hours for the next one is a sickening feeling, yep, done that, and it was 12 hours. Must be worse with kids on board, and it makes for a stressful journey.

Waking up early is the least stressful option.

[Mr Magooagain]

3 hours to Portsmouth is not really a long drive so all should be well both sides. Nothing to worry about.

[WyrleyD]

We normally call in to the M&S/Sainsbury Superstore at Hedge End for something to eat and top-up the fuel, it's about 10-15 mins from the ferry port. As mentioned above there are toilets after check-in.

[djc206]

WyrleyD said:

We normally call in to the M&S/Sainsbury Superstore at Hedge End for something to eat and top-up the fuel, it's about 10-15 mins from the ferry port. As mentioned above there are toilets after check-in.

There are some overnight closures and a daytime contra flow on the M27 at the moment. If you get yourself in lane 3 you then can’t come off at a number of junctions including J7 for Hedge End so just be aware of that OP.

[Rob 131 Sport]

JOldcastle said:

Im only going to Normandy/Brittany, and as I'm coming from Gloucestershire the ferry made more sense than the chunnel. Just need to get the kids to bed early enough tonight to avoid meltdowns tomorrow!

Great choice with young children. We did Brittany, the Dordogne, the Loire and the Vendee many times when the children were young. Always self catering in a mobile home.

It was absolute bliss after tourist hotels in Spain and one ghastly experience of Devon in a mobile home.

Just watch where you park as the French have zero respect for a nice car. I was warning a friend of this whose holiday in southern France. Haven’t me some pictures last night of the off side rear door of his Porsche that has been dented and scratched by a 20 year old Peugeot 206.

[ecsrobin]

WyrleyD said:

We normally call in to the M&S/Sainsbury Superstore at Hedge End for something to eat and top-up the fuel, it's about 10-15 mins from the ferry port. As mentioned above there are toilets after check-in.

20min on a good run and the time the OP is getting a ferry it won’t be open.

[Puggit]

Ultra regulars here on the Portsmouth ferry (we have a holiday home in France) - fortunately we live only an hour from Portsmouth, latest we'll cut an arrival is 45 mins before departure. We have got there occasionally after the 'cut off' and had no issues, but with your distance... make it early.

There are toilets after check in, in the terminal (on your right) - also there are toilets when waiting to board after being called through security(on your left).

The other benefit of being early is you tend to board early, which means towards the front, which means less passport queue in France. Prepare for that one also, make sure kids pee before getting in car. If you have a tall car/roof box you'll be downstairs which also helps get off first (we tend to carry a roof box just for this... ok, ok - also so we can bring more wine home).

[Rob 131 Sport]

[quote=Puggit]Ultra regulars here on the Portsmouth ferry (we have a holiday home in France) -

I suppose the benefits (I’m due there must be some) and the lows of owning a holiday home in France is a whole new topic….

[hiccy18]

Hope the OP made their ferry!

[JOldcastle]

hiccy18 said:

Hope the OP made their ferry!

I did, rolled up about 0600 with no issues. Thanks everyone for all of the tips