We're going this way, that way, forwards and backwards...over the English channel (Brittany Ferries)

Name: ~*pink-pilgrim*~

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Product:	Brittany Ferries
Date:	12.01.08 (208 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great service, pleasant journey

Disadvantages: not as quick as flying

I have just recently saved up some vouchers from a local paper and taken a short holiday in France and the trip to and from my holiday was very enjoyable. Many people would choose to avoid travelling via ferry due to sea sickness, time constraints and the general ease of flying but the journey really was like a mini cruise.

BRITTANY FERRIES
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Brittany ferries was originally formed in 1972 to transport fruit and vegetables from Roscoff to Plymouth. Living near to Plymouth I am quite familiar with the close relationship between towns in Devon and Cornwall with the towns and villages in Brittany. After recognising the benefits of tourism in Brittany it was decided that produce being brought into Plymouth would continue but on the return they would transport passengers to Brittany to benefit tourism. Since this Brittany Ferries has grown in size and popularity meaning that they make a great profit every year.

BOOKING
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The website is very helpful and easy to use. The website can be read in 5 different languages (English, Irish, French, Spanish and German) and is very easy to navigate. The website offers advice on the transportation of pets etc. they are quite strict on transporting meats etc into/out of the country so the website offers great support on this before booking.
The booking process is thorough requiring specific measurements of your car. By booking online you can save money. The tickets are e-tickets and these are sent after full receipt of payment. If you do choose to deal with a person when booking you can contact the Brittany Ferries office by telephone, email or in person. Some travel agents also deal with ferry bookings.

THE PORTS
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The staff at Plymouth seemed highly efficient at organising the traffic and checking passports so much so we were severely held up on the return journey. The port is easy to find as it is situated in the 'red light district' of Plymouth. We went by night so we didn't really see a lot else that would be of interest. There is a nice little café for cars waiting and a nice little area to take pictures of Plymouth Sound and Mount Edgcumbe (beautiful country park in Cornwall).

The staff at Roscoff seemed quite short tempered, passport control were very lapse and did not check passports on arrival or departure. The cafe sold a selection of continental cakes and had a few arcade games to keep the children happy. We stood at the gates and watched the ferry arrive apart from this the view was obscured by large buildings.

THE FERRY
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On the way to Brittany we traveled on the Pont L'Abbe this ferry serves the Plymouth to Roscoff route. Its first journey was in March 2006. The ferry can hold 410 cars and a maximum of 1,200 passengers.

Accommodation
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As we chose a night time journey we could not book without choosing a cabin or reclining seat to sleep in/on. Due to the seats being £25 each we decided a cabin would be more comfortable. We chose a 4 berth cabin with two bunk beds and a toilet. The room had a small table and wardrobe.
On arrival the room had a very foul smell and we quickly left to check out the rest of the ship on our return 3 hours later the cabin was fine. There is something quite nice about falling asleep on a rocking ship.

There are many other types of cabin ranging from the deluxe cabins (for 2,3 and 4 people) with a porthole, basic cabins such as the one we had (for 2,3 and 4 people) and the couchettes with shared washroom and toilet.
The beds were comfortable but the bedding was very basic. The rooms were very cold so its best to take a spare blanket.

The bar
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There are two bars on the Pont L'Abbe. We sat in the largest one where we could watch the live cabaret, although admittedly this was rather awful. On the way back we had a music quiz and the boffin we were with got every question right resulting in a prize from the onboard shop and a new record was set.
The drinks and snacks served in the bar were more expensive than we had expected although quite cheap compared to English prices, however the drinks were on the very small size (obviously based on French sizes). The rocking motion of the boat however made us feel so sick food or drink was out of the question anyway. We could pay for the drinks in either Euros or Pound sterling.

The shop
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The shop was very useful to us as realising that motoring rules in France requires drivers to have a fluorescent vest, first aid kit, GB sticker and warning triangle in the boot in case of inspection we rushed to buy all the items. The items although over priced could have saved us from harsh fines. It was clear to see that the shop was taking advantage of unprepared drivers.
The shop was spacious and interesting to look around. Whilst the prices for alcoholic products were cheaper than most shops it was still quite expensive compared to the shops the other side of the ferry in Roscoff. We visited the shop before returning to stock up on beer and wine with a 70% discount compared to English prices who could complain.

The cinemas
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When we went Stardust was being shown, along with another film we had already seen so didn't use this facility. We would rather wander around the ferry anyway. I think there was an extra charge for this facility but it wasn't too much.

Entertainment
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When we went we watched a 'duo' try to do caberet. It was rather disappointing as the woman was too quiet and the man seemed to drown her out. The disco afterwards was rather entertaining. The DJ was a funny guy and seemed to have a laugh with the passengers. A few jokes were made about sickness however at this point we were accustomed the rocking and had put it to the back of our minds. Elsewhere in the ship children were playing in arcades and some were playing in the other bar area. We enjoyed the entertainment a lot more on the way home. A quiet quiz was what we needed after a busy week. The quiz was based on music and fortunately enough the guy we were with seemed to know every song since 1920. With 100% correct and the best score the quiz master had ever seen we were given extra prizes. Over in the other bar there was a magician and balloon man entertaining the kids.

STAFF
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The staff were very friendly and polite. They couldn't do enough to help. Most of the staff were French but spoke excellent English. On arrival the people showing cars to their places were slightly abrupt but I think I would be to if I was stuck on the car deck inhaling fumes and dealing with obnoxious passengers who think they own the roads. The cleaning staff were quite friendly although they spoke little English so when we were trying to get back to the car deck we ended up getting highly confused and lost.

FOOD
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We only had breakfast on the ferry on our outward journey. We were amazed at the service we received in the restuarant. The waiters went out of their way to provide us with an excellent service. The breakfast which was both continental and English was a mixture of self service and waiter service. The food was lovely and was very reasonably priced. The tables were positioned next to the window and we could see the coast of France in the distance.

THE PRICE
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I was very impressed with the price. When split between 3 of us we realised that it was our cheapest option. Put it this way if you plan to go over to France to stock up on alcohol then it's probably worth it. As mentioned previously we managed to get a voucher entitling us to a crossing for £20 per person per night so it is very worthwhile looking out for these offers.

The current prices for two people with a small car is £440 (noting that by selecting different days or crossing times will significantly reduce this)
For a family of four with a roof box or trailer the price is £320. Strangely with more passengers and a trailer this crossing is cheaper which shows that the day and time does make a huge difference. I am sure however that you will agree that compared to flying it does work out at a good price.

DEPARTURES
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You can travel by ferry everyday with crossings ranging between 3-6 times daily. The crossing times also change depending on the time of day or weather conditions. The average length of crossing is 7 hours. I have based my review on the Plymouth to Roscoff crossing however you can also travel from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, Caen and St Malo, Poole to Cherbourg, Corke to Roscoff and Plymouth to Santander (Spain). These routes involve different ferries but are similar to the one mentioned in this review. For more information visit the website https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

SUMMARY
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I really enjoyed my ferry crossing it was hard to imagine that we were stuck in the middle of the ocean as the facilities onboard were great. With so much to do the crossing seemed to pass really quickly. With cheap petrol and drink abroad it really makes sense to pop over for a few days for a cheap holiday and bring back necessary items! As a non-smoker I have little interest in cheap cigarettes but would imagine that this would be another great incentive to go to France via the ferry.

Summary: The holiday starts on-board!