portmouth - bilbao ferries 2009.

[UTS Rich]

hi all,

a friend and i are touring round morocco next easter. does anyone know when the P&O ferry timetables for next april are coming out?

[reggwensie]

I recall that when we were planning our trip to Morocco, it was nearer October before we saw visibility of the timetables. A quick call to P&O will ease your mind. 08705202020 is the number in my mobile. Don't know if it's current though!!

[stuxtttr]

Dont know about the timetables but thats a great crossing, really gets you in the holiday mood. I did Plymouth - Santander the year before and it wasnt as good over to quickly and too many cold miles to do in the UK.

[reggwensie]

Originally Posted by stuxtttr

but thats a great crossing, really gets you in the holiday mood.

I'd like to agree, but I spent the whole crossing being sick due to rough seas and the return leg in my cabin with Moroccan tummy.

I'm hoping Marseilles to Tunis will be smoother next February!

[BruceP]

Originally Posted by reggwensie

I'd like to agree, but I spent the whole crossing being sick due to rough seas and the return leg in my cabin with Moroccan tummy.

I'm hoping Marseilles to Tunis will be smoother next February!

I'd have to agree, my wife was bad on the way back on the Santander crossing at the beginning of this month, and I was bored bored bored both ways.

We both reckon we may as well just do a short channel crossing in future and tonk through France. For us to do the Santander or Bilboa crossings we have to stop overnight near the port on the way out, so it adds a day as it is.

[Walkabout]

Only go to sea as a last resort! And even then, think twice about it - you can't get off, once you've started.

[bikerz]

we have done bilbao - portsmouth, santander - plymouth, and driven through france on numerous occasions.
the santander ferry is by far the nicer ship, the crossing time is quicker than portsmouth, so no hanging about on a ship if you are not keen. If you get sea sick do not go across the bay of biscay in winter!
I f you want to make 3-4 days each way thru france part of the trip then ok but if you are just 'going thru' then dont bother.by the time you've got ferry/train across channel, driven 800 miles worth of fuel, tolls, overnight stop unless 800 miles a day is ok etc the cost difference to taking a ferry is negligable.
take a book, sit back relax and take the santander - plymouth ferry.

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by Walkabout

Only go to sea as a last resort! And even then, think twice about it - you can't get off, once you've started.

Just to qualify that; in the depths of winter - definite lack of daylight hours and probably crap weather - then the boat is attractive to get south "as soon as" (despite the Mal de Mer).In summer, it is a no-brainer, on cost alone - ride, ride and ride.

[BruceP]

Originally Posted by bikerz

we have done bilbao - portsmouth, santander - plymouth, and driven through france on numerous occasions.
the santander ferry is by far the nicer ship, the crossing time is quicker than portsmouth, so no hanging about on a ship if you are not keen. If you get sea sick do not go across the bay of biscay in winter!

Winter ! It was summer ! :-)

Originally Posted by bikerz

I f you want to make 3-4 days each way thru france part of the trip then ok but if you are just 'going thru' then dont bother.by the time you've got ferry/train across channel, driven 800 miles worth of fuel, tolls, overnight stop unless 800 miles a day is ok etc the cost difference to taking a ferry is negligable.
take a book, sit back relax and take the santander - plymouth ferry.

3 -4 days.... 2 :-)

And yes, we have done the maths, which is why we did the long crossing this year, but for the extra at least we would be on the move, and that *is* relaxing for us.

[BruceP]

Originally Posted by Walkabout

Just to qualify that; in the depths of winter - definite lack of daylight hours and probably crap weather - then the boat is attractive to get south "as soon as" (despite the Mal de Mer).In summer, it is a no-brainer, on cost alone - ride, ride and ride.

I can only agree

[stuxtttr]

Hey dont get me wrong if you suffer sea sickness then this crossings not for you. I just found the ease of returning into Portsmouth meant I was home in 2 hours. From Plymouth its a slog. Both times Ive left the UK in Jan to escape the cold. 36 hours goes pretty quick I slept alot and arrived refreshed and able to hit the med the same day. If you enjoy lots of cold miles then ride through France no worries. Id sooner be having fun on the boat.

[stuxtttr]

The boat to morocco thats a different story. I left Almeria and arrived in Milila in the morning. The worst ferry Ive ever been on shity stinking boat. I slept in a cuboard I found because the weather was fowl and below deck was discusting. I slept with my helmet on and visor down to cut out the noise. Next time I would do the miles in spain to make use of the shorter crossing.

[Tourider]

I did Portsmouth - Bilbao once, never again. It's basically a floating pub, as a non-drinker I was bored out of my mind! Take a short Channel crossing and ride through France the timings are exactly the same, two days and one night, and it works out so much cheaper.

[Chris Scott]

The worst ferry Ive ever been on shity stinking boat....

Before anyone freaks out at taking the longer crossings to Mk I have to say this is not my recent experience going to Nador; from Melilla; to Tangiers from Sete.

They may not be on the likes of the Ports-Bilbao 'SS Las Vegas' but I like using the quieter and quicker ports (Tangiers was a detour) - something that first timers to Mk may appreciate.

Ch

I've never thought of sleeping in a full face - sounds like a good way to get high and wake up with a headache ;-)

[Threewheelbonnie]

Originally Posted by Tourider

I did Portsmouth - Bilbao once, never again. It's basically a floating pub, as a non-drinker I was bored out of my mind! Take a short Channel crossing and ride through France the timings are exactly the same, two days and one night, and it works out so much cheaper.

I'd tend to agree. The Bilbao run is a PITA as instead of keeping up a steady speed while you enjoy your food and and get a good nights sleep, it wastes an extra day messing with the tides etc. The food is very average and the "cruise" idea seems to amount to Bingo and rubbish lager or overpriced brasseries serving pizza. Not reccomended.

Bikes and locations in the UK are a factor to me. My outfit is happier at 50 than 80 and Leeds-Plymouth is probably as awful a days run as Leeds-Dover. Once I hit the coast I prefer to keep moving and so would tend to go for the ferry. I don't get sea sick. If I lived within 75 miles of London and had a 100 mph bike I can see the advantages of riding across France, and I would take that route over the Bilbao ferry. That said, if I was riding across Europe I'd go Hull-Zeebrugge and gain time that way.

Andy