I'm a qualified primary school teacher and love pink fluffy things! If you rate my reviews I'll be h...
I'm a qualified primary school teacher and love pink fluffy things! If you rate my reviews I'll be happy to return the favour. ***FLUFFY***
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Last year I had to attend a European Conference in Brittany (France). We needed to take a lot of equipment and display boards so decided that the ferry would be the easiest option.
I looked on the internet and found that for a small car, 3 passengers and a cabin with bunk beds we would be looking approximately 520 pounds. We considered this price as being quite expensive; however without having to pay for transport to the airport, pay for excess baggage and then transfer to the hotel we would in fact be spending a lot more.
***BRITTANY FERRIES*** 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*** 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*** 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*** 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 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 pounds 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 rom were very cold so I would advise the use of a blanket.
The bar 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.
The drinks and snacks served in the bar were more expensive than we had exoected although quite cheap compared to English prices, however the sdrinks were on the very small size. 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 wither Euros or Pound sterling.
The shop 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 drivers who were a) unsure of the rules or b) unprepared/badly organised.
The shop was spacious and interesting to look around. Whilst the prices for alcoholic products was 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 When we went last year Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Ice Age 2 was being shown in the Cinemas. We had already seen these so had little interest in seeing them again and we wanted to wander around the ferry and stand outside on the deck. I think there was an extra charge for this facility but it wasn’t too much.
Entertainment When we went last August 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 smmed 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 on 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 week of excessive drinking. The quiz was based on music and fortunately enough seemed to know every song since 1920. With 100% correct and the best score the quiz master has ever seen we were given extra prizes. Over in the other bar there was a magician and balloon man entertaining the kids.
***STAFF*** 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 passengers who have no idea how to drive up a ramp at a reasonable speed. 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.
***FOOD*** 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*** 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. The current prices for two people with a small car is 440 pounds (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 pounds. 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*** 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*** 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.
FLUFFY69
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Advantages: Excellent entertainment and facillities on board, especially for children. Disadvantages: The only disadvantage for me is the three hour drive to plymouth.
mandi.47 28.08.2006 (28.08.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Brittany Ferries
Advantages: For me, living in the South West, it is the most convienient option Disadvantages: For me, living in the South West, it is the only convienient option
cwestern 24.05.2005 (24.05.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Brittany Ferries
Advantages: Excellent entertainment and facillities on board, especially for children. Disadvantages: The only disadvantage for me is the three hour drive to plymouth.
mandi.47 28.08.2006 (28.08.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Brittany Ferries
exceptional by (13%):
very helpful by (88%):
