Chez nous, enfin
Jul 21st 2020, 6:26 am
#16
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
Ha! My satnav made exactly the same mistake. It didn't know that you can access the M11 directly from the A1M theses days. Anyway we arrived in our house yesterday at about 4 pm (French time). All is well here even after months of neglect. The garden needs work but it's as gorgeous as ever.
We arrived yesterday about 2.30 pm after a bit of a blockage in Rouen because roadworks reduced the road to one lane and it seemed that every lorry in France had arrived at the same time.
Jul 22nd 2020, 1:47 pm
#17
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
I would be interested to know of your journey time from Newcastle to the tunnel when it happens?
I had been planning to meet up with my brother in Berwick On Tweed (obscure family business stuff) this last April; he coming from just east of Plymouth, us either Zeebrugge-Hull or Rotterdam-Newcastle, but obviously it's all been put on hold, most likely until next April at best now.
I really don't fancy overnighting on the ferry, so looking at tunnel and longer drive as a possibility.
Wishing yourselves and Cyrian smooth trips.
I had been planning to meet up with my brother in Berwick On Tweed (obscure family business stuff) this last April; he coming from just east of Plymouth, us either Zeebrugge-Hull or Rotterdam-Newcastle, but obviously it's all been put on hold, most likely until next April at best now.
I really don't fancy overnighting on the ferry, so looking at tunnel and longer drive as a possibility.
Wishing yourselves and Cyrian smooth trips.
I'd recommend the Rotterdam -Newcastle DFDS ferry. It's usually a bit cheaper than Zeebrugge- Hull, but we pay the extra because the dinner on the P&O is really very high class stuff.
Last edited by Novocastrian; Jul 22nd 2020 at 1:50 pm.
Jul 22nd 2020, 2:34 pm
#18
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Jul 22nd 2020, 2:57 pm
#19
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
i said I'd report back. Because of the sat-nav cockup that both cyrian and I encountered the travel time Newcastle to the Chunnel was more, about 6.5 hours. On a Sunday. Figure on adding another hour and a half on top to Berwick.
I'd recommend the Rotterdam -Newcastle DFDS ferry. It's usually a bit cheaper than Zeebrugge- Hull, but we pay the extra because the dinner on the P&O is really very high class stuff.
I'd recommend the Rotterdam -Newcastle DFDS ferry. It's usually a bit cheaper than Zeebrugge- Hull, but we pay the extra because the dinner on the P&O is really very high class stuff.
Reply take 2, having read it properly this time
Good to know that DFDS is usually the cheaper, that route has the appeal of less driving on the wrong side of the road, but that's OH not me... but if I tell her about the posh supper on P&O, then that will likely seal it.
In terms of distance/travel time from home to departure point for blighty, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge are kif-kif, so I feel no great pull either way.
I need to check in again with brother, but my gut feel is that this "family jaunt" won't be happening in 2020 given all that is still panning out.
Again thanks for the feedback, enjoy the next few months.
You too, cyrian.
Last edited by BuckinghamshireBoy; Jul 22nd 2020 at 3:05 pm.
Jul 23rd 2020, 8:03 am
#20
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
Also for any of you worried about social distancing on the ferries I would say there were about 10 lorries, 5 vans and maybe 25 cars on the 6:30pm crossing. Keeping a safe distance was easy.
Jul 23rd 2020, 9:50 am
#21
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
I can confirm that DFDS is the cheapest ferry service we have come across. I would also suggest it would be hard to find worse food on a ferry. We came across from Calais to Dover on the 17th and were agreeably surprised to receive free meal vouchers at check in. There was only one food outlet open and all I can say is that it was edible. If we'd paid for it we would have been very miffed.
Also for any of you worried about social distancing on the ferries I would say there were about 10 lorries, 5 vans and maybe 25 cars on the 6:30pm crossing. Keeping a safe distance was easy.
Also for any of you worried about social distancing on the ferries I would say there were about 10 lorries, 5 vans and maybe 25 cars on the 6:30pm crossing. Keeping a safe distance was easy.
Oct 2nd 2020, 12:00 pm
#22
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
It would seem that Hull-Zeebrugge will no longer be an option as of next April, Hull-Rotterdam will stay.
Pride of Bruges. © P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries has announced it will end its crossing between Zeebrugge and Hull in April, bringing to an end a 20-year-old service that has been losing money in recent years.
Like virtually every other industry, passengers ferries have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the precipitous fall in demand for transport in general, and ferry transport in particular.
The Zeebrugge route also carries a lot of freight, a business that is also under threat from Brexit and the coming changes in the trading relationship between the EU and the UK.
The company’s more popular Rotterdam-Hull route, however, will continue.
How many jobs will be lost as a result of the decision remains unclear, as the end of the route has only today been announced. P&O is reported to be in preliminary talks with unions over redundancies. Some reports suggest as many as 140 could could be at risk, among sea-faring staff and port staff in both Zeebrugge and Hull.
The two ships working the route, Pride of Bruges and Pride of York, are expected to be scrapped. Pride of Bruges, the older of the two originally named Norsun, came into service on the route in 2001, and carries up to 1,050 passengers and 141 crew, as well as 850 cars.
Pride of York, built in Glasgow in 1986 and originally named Norsea, joined the route later.
Both ships came into service for what was then called North Sea Ferries. Under the new name P&O Ferries, the transport was taken over last year by Dubai-based DP World, which operates container terminals worldwide, for the equivalent of €370 million.
The ships were taken out of service at the height of the pandemic in March and April, and only Pride of Bruges came back in August.
P&O has operated between Belgium and the UK since 1972, and before the advent of the Channel Tunnel and cheap flights, was one of the main ways people would travel between the two countries.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
Originally Posted by The Brussels Times
P&O Ferries scraps Zeebrugge-Hull crossing
Thursday, 01 October 2020Pride of Bruges. © P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries has announced it will end its crossing between Zeebrugge and Hull in April, bringing to an end a 20-year-old service that has been losing money in recent years.
Like virtually every other industry, passengers ferries have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the precipitous fall in demand for transport in general, and ferry transport in particular.
The Zeebrugge route also carries a lot of freight, a business that is also under threat from Brexit and the coming changes in the trading relationship between the EU and the UK.
The company’s more popular Rotterdam-Hull route, however, will continue.
How many jobs will be lost as a result of the decision remains unclear, as the end of the route has only today been announced. P&O is reported to be in preliminary talks with unions over redundancies. Some reports suggest as many as 140 could could be at risk, among sea-faring staff and port staff in both Zeebrugge and Hull.
The two ships working the route, Pride of Bruges and Pride of York, are expected to be scrapped. Pride of Bruges, the older of the two originally named Norsun, came into service on the route in 2001, and carries up to 1,050 passengers and 141 crew, as well as 850 cars.
Pride of York, built in Glasgow in 1986 and originally named Norsea, joined the route later.
Both ships came into service for what was then called North Sea Ferries. Under the new name P&O Ferries, the transport was taken over last year by Dubai-based DP World, which operates container terminals worldwide, for the equivalent of €370 million.
The ships were taken out of service at the height of the pandemic in March and April, and only Pride of Bruges came back in August.
P&O has operated between Belgium and the UK since 1972, and before the advent of the Channel Tunnel and cheap flights, was one of the main ways people would travel between the two countries.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
Oct 2nd 2020, 12:05 pm
#23
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
That's bad news for Hull.
And Zeebrugge too of course.
And Zeebrugge too of course.
Oct 3rd 2020, 9:36 am
#24
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Oct 3rd 2020, 10:09 am
#25
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
I still can't feel comfortable with the idea of sharing a ferry with other travellers, unless it's a very short crossing and you can stay out on deck..
When your fellow travellers step off the ferry in the UK they will be obliged to quarantine for a fortnight because they're considered a danger to the public.
And you've just spend the last how many hours in their company.
It will be Le Shuttle for me every time for the foreseeable future, even though it never was my preferred option pre Covid..
When your fellow travellers step off the ferry in the UK they will be obliged to quarantine for a fortnight because they're considered a danger to the public.
And you've just spend the last how many hours in their company.
It will be Le Shuttle for me every time for the foreseeable future, even though it never was my preferred option pre Covid..
Oct 3rd 2020, 10:28 am
#26
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
I still can't feel comfortable with the idea of sharing a ferry with other travellers, unless it's a very short crossing and you can stay out on deck..
When your fellow travellers step off the ferry in the UK they will be obliged to quarantine for a fortnight because they're considered a danger to the public.
And you've just spend the last how many hours in their company.
It will be Le Shuttle for me every time for the foreseeable future, even though it never was my preferred option pre Covid..
When your fellow travellers step off the ferry in the UK they will be obliged to quarantine for a fortnight because they're considered a danger to the public.
And you've just spend the last how many hours in their company.
It will be Le Shuttle for me every time for the foreseeable future, even though it never was my preferred option pre Covid..
Oct 3rd 2020, 11:33 am
#27
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Re: Chez nous, enfin
It's even further from Scotland 
Oct 3rd 2020, 3:08 pm
#28
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Oct 3rd 2020, 3:39 pm
#29
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