Which way do you recommend to get to Normandy?

[MrsW]

We’re planning to visit Normandy in September for a week, travelling from the Midlands. The Eurotunnel is great but not so much the M25! Appreciate your experiences/recommendations of using the ferries?

 

[kp64zl]

Portsmouth ferries relatively painless - have used Cherbourg/ Caen / Le Havre and all ok.

sometimes heavy traffic around Winchester if coming down A34 so need to plan accordingly- but nothing like the hell of M25

 

[Loz]

We prefer the overnight Portsmouth Caen

 

[Big Ted]

Tesco vouchers and the tunnel. Takes the price down to a third if I remember well.
M25 is ok, just try to avoid rush hour.

 

[B J G]

Go Portsmouth to Caen route. Afternoon sailings are cheaper on some days and 08.30 back also can be cheapest (if a sailing). Not a full sailing schedule at present.
Cheapest is Portsmouth to Le Havre but a more basic Ferry.

If booking you can use my Brittany Ferries Club to get 10% discount

Book as a Friend of Member; Grant F93981

 

[MrsW]

Thanks all. Looks like Portsmouth to St Malo going out and Caen to Portsmouth coming back works in terms of timings.

 

[GrannyJen]

Good Grief! Own a Cali and pay someone else to drive it?

The M25 on my last 4 visits has been painless, zap straight down to folkestone, Chunnel, and drive it yourself!

 

[Amarillo]

If you get your timings right the M25 isn't all that bad.

Remember the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge has recently been upgraded, so from the Midlands to Folkstone you can go M6/A14/M11/M25/M20

 

[Ting Tong]

The M25 is bad - always. 230 miles Cardiff to Dover consistently takes 7 hours plus the endless M4 50 limit from Junction 12 to M25. Portsmouth is great but Brittany have the monopoly on prices.

DFDS Newhaven Dieppe is reasonable and gets you almost to Rouen. You still have the M25 M23 but the option of going A34 M3 M27 Portsmouth then A27 if the traffic looks bad around London.

 

[soulstyledevon]

M25 is a breeze if you time it right...

We travel from the midlands and leave at 4am. Arrive at the tunnel well before 7am. Aim for the 8:20am crossing and quite often get bumped up to an earlier train. Bonus.

I wouldn’t go any other way, unless you prefer taking an age to your destination or fancy a puking boat ride...

 

[2haw]

It’s ok if you’re early and if you clear the Dartford Crossing before 6am you’ll save yourself a couple of quid aswell.

 

[westfalia]

From the midlands would you not
do this route
M40 M25 M26 M20
instead of the dartford crossing.

 

[bigmac77]

No matter how bad the M25 I always use the tunnel, I hate ferries.

 

[soulstyledevon]

From the midlands would you not
do this route
M40 M25 M26 M20
instead of the dartford crossing.

Thats the way i drive.
If the traffic is clear. Its around 2hrs 35mins

Brew a coffee before leaving and have the playlist sorted.
Flies by

 

[B J G]

It’s ok if you’re early and if you clear the Dartford Crossing before 6am you’ll save yourself a couple of quid aswell.

Don't forget to add the time and fuel + tolls to get from Calais area down to lower Normandy. No saving and probably more expensive.

 

[Amarillo]

From the midlands would you not
do this route
M40 M25 M26 M20
instead of the dartford crossing.

The M25 between the M11 and M20 is ~24 miles.
The M25 between the M40 and M26 is ~48 miles.

If the objective is to reduce distance travelled on the M25, I wouldn't go that way. Also the south-west quadrant of the M25 (between the M40 and A3) is the busiest section of road in the country.

 

[Jabberwocky]

We live in the West Midlands and would go Portsmouth-Caen with overnight cabin.
From us.......M42, M40, A34 to Oxford, Newbury, Winchester, M27, M275.
To avoid the traffic at Winchester we always try to get past nice and early (say 15:00) and have dinner on the waterfront at Portsmouth and make that the start of our relaxing holiday........

(I shall be using this route in the first week of July when I go to the 24 Classic at Le Mans with the boys.)

 

[soulstyledevon]

Don't forget to add the time and fuel + tolls to get from Calais area down to lower Normandy. No saving and probably more expensive.

Isn't it like a 5-6 hr crossing, plus the two hours loading onto the boat and the same to get off, if your lucky...
They would still need to drive to Portsmouth, which is about the same as driving to the tunnel...?

 

[B J G]

Isn't it like a 5-6 hr crossing, plus the two hours loading onto the boat and the same to get off, if your lucky...
They would still need to drive to Portsmouth, which is about the same as driving to the tunnel...?

No 3+ hour drive to get down to Normandy. In my case approx 160 more road miles via Calais than Caen route.

Unloading is from 25mins up to hour, Cali's stay on lower deck, on last but off first. loading is slow but the sailing time isn't changed normally (but weather can cause delays) Big element of luck as to being in the first or last lane to unload. You can be the fist to book in UK end and last off French side.
There is a noticeable increase in Border Official's checking delay than there was a few years ago.

 

[Skylark2.0]

We slept on the dock at Poole, then the ferry into Cherboug is great. Fabulous street markets, himself is still talking about the macarons 8 years later!!

 

[Borris]

Portsmouth to Caen over night on Brittany Ferries. Book a cabin and be sure to take advantage of the great restaurant. The ferry chugs quietly accross the chanel whilst you have a great meal and a good nights sleep. It's like a mini cruise.

 

[acer]

We’re planning to visit Normandy in September for a week, travelling from the Midlands. The Eurotunnel is great but not so much the M25! Appreciate your experiences/recommendations of using the ferries?

Across the English Channel. The other way is almost a world away!
...Sorry

 

[Toffeeman1]

We’re planning to visit Normandy in September for a week, travelling from the Midlands. The Eurotunnel is great but not so much the M25! Appreciate your experiences/recommendations of using the ferries?

If you end going via the tunnel I’d recommend this campsite.

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[Benh76]

We went to the 75th anniversary last year and drive down from Midlands on the evening and stopped at seaford front overnight. Next morning took the Newhaven to Dieppe crossing. Recommended.

 

[ejmoore]

We're in south London so either way is easy enough for us. But Portsmouth to Le Havre or Caen is a nice trip and you arrive somewhere pleasant straight away. It's a bit more expensive but I'd rather do it that way, especially if I was going to Normandy anyway.