Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

donny-gal

Another one here

I will be there in 10 days - snow and ice permiting (driving).
DG

hartcjhart

that is a good one,

which route are you taking? normally the Spanish are very good at keeping the main roads clear,unlike here:mad:

donny-gal

We have found the best and most cost effective is to go down the west coast of France, avoids a lot of the motorway tolls, cross and stay the night at Dunkerque (cheaper than UK and already crossed ready for the next day, as we have 250 miles to Dover. Next stop this time will be Poitiers, then Hendaye, and then a full day and we get to our house, Normally going over via Pau but at this time of year will keep to the coast to cross the Pyrenees, then down via Pamplona, Saragoza, Valencia, round the back of Benidorm to Torre.

DG

seven-day-weekend

Just heard some terrible news (for us).

P&O Ferries are closing their Bibao-Portsmouth route on September 27th this year.

This is for us the by far preferred route to the UK.

There is a Brittany Ferries route still running from Portsmouth/Plymouth (alternating) to Santander, but last time we checked it was more expensive than the Portsmouth-Bilbao crossing.

We will try it for our return journey.

In the article it says that P&O can't replace the Pride of Bilbao which is now fifteen years old and that is why they are closing it. but it also says the route makes a loss. If that's the case, why should the Brittany Ferrries route be any different?

Beginning of the end for us I think, seeing as we don't like flying nor driving through France.

droopsnout

Whole thread about it here.

seven-day-weekend

Thank you droopsnout, things look dire. Brittany Ferries is already more expensive then P&O, with no competition it will probably out price us (we can only just afford it as it is) or drop out altogether if the route makes a loss; unless another line takes over that will mean no Ferries between UK-Spain in a few years.

Time to sell up (if we can) methinks!

droopsnout

LD Lines seem likely to start a new service in 2010 between Gijon in Spain and Saint-Nazaire in North-West France. This may solve some of your problems, s-d-w.

There is a blog done by the Chairman of LD here. And here's a quote from it:

Dear Steve and Roger,

Thank you very much for your interest in our future service between St Nazaire and Gijon.

We expect to start operating early 2010 but I’m afraid I cannot tell you much more at the moment as we priorily need to get the green light from the French government as the service will be part of the Sea Highway Project which aims at reducing the volume of road haulage and consequently traffic congestion on the highway network.

We do not have any present plan to interconnect this future run with a direct service to the South of England but, as always, we will keep an eye on how the market is evolving and will react to the demand.

I will keep you informed.

Best regards,

seven-day-weekend

Thank you droopsnout; where is Saint Nazaire? (Don't know France, where is it in relation to other Ferry Ports or Paris?). I see that Gijon is on the coast of Asturias; that is fine as we intended to visit Asturias anyway on one of our trips.

droopsnout

Saint-Nazaire is at the very south of Brittany, on the Atlantic:



It becomes possible to sail to Saint-Malo or Roscoff, for example, then motor on to Sanit-Nazaire for the ferry to Gijon.

This is by no means an ideal solution, but I hated reading that the loss of the Bilbao route could spell the end of your Spanish home, so perhaps this new route (if it materialises) will be an acceptable solution.

Personally, I'm waiting for the Hull or Liverpool to Bordeaux route to start! (In my dreams!!)

seven-day-weekend

Thank youfor all your help droopsnout, I don't think we will sell our house yetawhile, that was just me panicking! If needs be we will have to bite the bullet and drive through France.