UK to South of France - travel options/suggestions?

mgdavid

andygb wrote: »

Diesel is a lot cheaper in France, but please only use supermarket stations for the best deals.
We came back yesterday and the diesel cost us around 1E30 per litre - that is about £1.11 - happy days:D

agreed; last week in Carrefour in Lievin I paid €128.5 for diesel. Autoroute stations were high 140's :eek:

Bob_the_Saver

For anyone who still doesn't know you can check fuel prices in France region by region here

http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/

Gazole = Diesel
GPL = LPG (they spell it backwards to confuse the English!)

STSAVER

mcfisco wrote: »

I do Thirsk to France a couple of times a year at least

Hull-Zeebrugge was seriously expensive during the Summer Hols when I last looked at it.
I tend to leave home 5am ish for a midday tunnel crossing and then do another 3 or 4 hours before stopping for the night.

I also find the A1 a better option than the M1 for the Channel ports as it avoids the very busy bottom end of the M1 and a good bit of the M25

Rough calculations at present
Home to Dover return fuel cost approx. £85 (50mpg) plus £4 dartford crossing.
Ferry Return going to cost at least £110 without any fliexibility on times.
£195 all in, assuming we just drive straight through to France, but in reality might have to factor in stopovers somewhere as well (so you'd be looking at £300 minimum if include two nights for each way for a like for like comparison to Hull route)

Hull to Zeebrugge - £438 return.
Return Fuel to Hull approx £30.

Like for like (i.e. include two night accomodation for the Dover option), then the ferry from Hull is looking to be approx. £168 more expensive.

Question is - is that worth it for the saving of about 12/13 hours of driving in total, and for the extra adventure to the journey (for the little fella anyway).

andygb

STSAVER wrote: »

Rough calculations at present
Home to Dover return fuel cost approx. £85 (50mpg) plus £4 dartford crossing.
Ferry Return going to cost at least £110 without any fliexibility on times.
£195 all in, assuming we just drive straight through to France

You really need to factor in a lot more money for tolls on French motorways, unless you intend to use non toll roads and take more time.

mcfisco

Hull to Zeebrugge - £438 return.

Is that cabin inc?
I would have expected £700+ for August

STSAVER

andygb wrote: »

You really need to factor in a lot more money for tolls on French motorways, unless you intend to use non toll roads and take more time.

I am simply comparing the cost of getting to France in this instance though.

Only difference in the routes after that are driving from Calais or Zeebruge to Frejus, which from initial look doesn't cost too much different.

Edit - using Via Michelin, it estimates additional £20 each way if do Zeebrugge rather than Calais as starting point.

STSAVER

mcfisco wrote: »

Is that cabin inc?
I would have expected £700+ for August

Yes that includes the basic cheapest 4 berth cabin for the 3 of us (travelling out on a Wednesday night and back on a Friday - rises significantly if return on the Saturday night).

Another option is to just use the Hull option going out, then come back via Calais / Dover, as would probably be happy to just plough on driving when its at the end of the holiday!!

mcfisco

STSAVER wrote: »

Yes that includes the basic cheapest 4 berth cabin for the 3 of us (travelling out on a Wednesday night and back on a Friday - rises significantly if return on the Saturday night).

Another option is to just use the Hull option going out, then come back via Calais / Dover, as would probably be happy to just plough on driving when its at the end of the holiday!!

That's not too bad then

I'm not sure you'd save 12/13 hrs though
It'd only be maybe 3hrs each way saving

STSAVER

mcfisco wrote: »

That's not too bad then

I'm not sure you'd save 12/13 hrs though
It'd only be maybe 3hrs each way saving

Yep sorry forgetting to deduct time to drive to Hull & back as well. Although a plus side could be that i could do a days work in Yorkshire / Humberside area to the just head for the ferry at Hull rather than drive to Dover.

Decisions decisions

PS - What's your experience of the Hull to Zeebrugge ferry trip?

mcfisco

STSAVER wrote: »

PS - What's your experience of the Hull to Zeebrugge ferry trip?

I've been on it loads of times but not in the last 3 or 4 years, they weren't the newest boats around but OK.
It deliberately takes all night to get to Zeebrugge so you'll have the added pleasure of watching and listening to the delights of Skegness as you saunter past
Otherwise, it's a pleasant enough crossing, food and drink is not too bad.
Cabins are small but clean and comfy, plenty to do for kids with play areas and entertainment
Good location at either end for motorways etc.