Cheap but a bit dull (Amsterdam-Newcastle)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Amsterdam-Newcastle
Date:	06/08/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Alright for people who just want to sleep

Disadvantages: Not much of a social atmosphere!

DFDS Seaways runs a ferry service from Newcastle to Ijmuiden and back, it packages itself as Amsterdam but in reality Amsterdam is not even on the coast, so the boat goes to Ijmuiden from where you are transported to Amsterdam by coach long the North Sea Canal.

DFDS Seaways always have different offers on and I managed to get a ticket for around £35 one way including a shared cabin, whilst a flight takes little over an hour, the boat was around 14 hours. I travelled in midweek and the boat was absolutely dead, after standing out on deck watching North Shields disappear in to the distance, I headed in to find few people on the boat - it seemed that everyone had headed straight for their cabins.

The boat had the usual services, such as a shop, restaurant and bar but it seemed like a boat largely designed for sleeping and their were floors and rows filled with cabins. I shared an "inside cabin" with two other guys, both of whom went to sleep relatively early. Not much in the way of excitement on this night crossing which was pretty smooth.

Sniffer dogs were waiting at the ferry terminal in Ijmuiden which I found quite amusing as surely drugs would be going in the opposite direction! Likewise the coach to take people in to Amsterdam was also waiting. Overall, a rather uneventful ferry trip that can be rather cheap at the right times.

Summary: Simple way of getting to Holland through the night