as far as i know ,its going to operate from end april until november. sailings are twice weekly and bookings are opening at end of january. it is a NO frills ferry ,but that,s ok.
wicklowelk
Craic'er
Gender: Location: Wicklow Age: 77 Posts: 73 Registered: 07 / 2012 My Motorhome: Swift Escape Base Vehicle:
Good idea having direct Ireland-Spain route, and I'd say it will be popular.
We did Rosslare-Pembroke, and then Plymouth-Santander years ago with Brittany ferries. I'm nearly sure it was the same big boat that does the Cork-Roscoff route, Pont-Aven.
Don't know if I'd fancy the smaller boat for that journey, but it does knock a UK ferry off, and they are never cheap.
RTV
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: n/a Location: Cork Age: 40 Posts: 796 Registered: 08 / 2017 My Motorhome: Rollerteam Auto Roller Base Vehicle: Fiat Ducato 2.0 JTD
i think the price will be ,whatever the haulage compenies think is a fare price for them, i wont be what a few motorhomes ,like us think is a fare price to pay. this ship is designed for freight carriage not for luxury travel.
nilrac
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Inishowen Co Donegal Age: 86 Posts: 694 Registered: 10 / 2012 My Motorhome: Base Vehicle:
Interesting. Would definately use if price is right, and factoring in diesel/tolls it may be a super deal.
No frills services will be fine and leaves the costas within easy reach.
Thorn123
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Laois Age: 48 Posts: 2589 Registered: 07 / 2016 My Motorhome: Chasson flash 03 Base Vehicle: Ford transit 2.2
I got excited looking at this earlier. The European Rugby champion cup final is in Bilbao Saturday 12 May and with 2 Irish teams going really well in the competition , a trip in the MH might be in order.
However after reading a few media articles, I discovered that sailings from Cork are on Wednesday and Friday with the returns on Thursday and Saturday.
That balls up my idea because I would be taking too many days off of work.
Definitely we will look at this route for 2019 trip to Europe.
Malcolm
jacktherev
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Co Antrim Age: 76 Posts: 6952 Registered: 01 / 2012 My Motorhome: Adria Vision Base Vehicle: Renault
Oh the work will be there alright but the wage will go walk about.
CHAUSSON
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Tipperary Posts: 6813 Registered: 02 / 2012 My Motorhome: Knaus Sport Ti 700 UFB Silverline Base Vehicle: Renault Master 150 dci Quickshift
Interesting. Would definately use if price is right, and factoring in diesel/tolls it may be a super deal.
No frills services will be fine and leaves the costas within easy reach.
I would use it too as Cork is much nearer to me than Roslare but as it is I can't consider their Cork to Roscof crossing as there pricing is off the Radar, with a bit of luck and this been a no frills crossing the sums might add up. I will be watching it carefully, Fingers crossed.
Day Dream
Craic'er
Gender: Location: Kerry Age: 45 Posts: 96 Registered: 08 / 2013 My Motorhome: Autotrail Chieftain Base Vehicle: Fiat Ducato
This would be great for our family , however how smooth or rough a crossing would it be in a smaller ferry , I've heard teh Bay of Biscay can be rough on a good day.
I'd be anxious about a rough 26 hour passage with 3 young kids but the sunshine at the end of might just be worth it.
ntg
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Portglenone. Co Antrim Age: 24 Posts: 3822 Registered: 04 / 2012 My Motorhome: Autotrail Base Vehicle: Comanche
Its about 30 or 40 miles more for us than Rosslare, already booked ferries for 2018 but will be very interested to see the pricing. Rough sailing would be the only thing that would worry me with damage to vehicles.
ntg
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Portglenone. Co Antrim Age: 24 Posts: 3822 Registered: 04 / 2012 My Motorhome: Autotrail Base Vehicle: Comanche
This boat is being described as small but in reality it is no dingy, for me if times and prices work I will give it a go.
Id defo like Ulysses size but as they are mainly thinking freight the rock and roll may not come into it lol. Defo a no brainer for cars though , no motels etc to stop in overnight while driving through France. I'm already thing of Portugal in spring summer 2019 lol
<BM>
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: n/a Location: Dublin Age: 45 Posts: 951 Registered: 12 / 2016 My Motorhome: Rimor Superbrig Base Vehicle: Ford Transit
This is the ship we're talking about, it's referred to as the largest ferry to dock in Poole and was doing the trek to Santander from there with a comparable journey time. It's clearly not small and operationally, it looks to be proven on a similar route.
there are ferries travelling all over the bay of biscay daily. in general there are no problems. have a look at www.marinetraffic.com to see what ferries work there
sprinter
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Co Wicklow Age: 92 Posts: 7416 Registered: 01 / 2015 My Motorhome: Matilda 2 Pilote 703FP Explorateur Base Vehicle: 3ltr 318 Sprinter Automatic
there are ferries travelling all over the bay of biscay daily. in general there are no problems. have a look at www.marinetraffic.com to see what ferries work there
Yes you are perfectly correct .
How many of them are open decked like the one suggested in BM,s post http://www.bournemouthecho.co….Santander and the IF Epsilon. and Stena Horizon, or will it be skippered by a guy like the one who sailed into Storm Imogen
I have no problem with rough weather , have been on the Oscar-wilde with the waves breaking on to the front lounge window , even the barman went to bed, but i will never but my vehicle on an open deck again if possible , especially for 26+ hours on the bay of Biscay.
as far as i know, the epsilion was sw of lands- end in the celtic sea ,not the bay of biscay.the storm did a bit of damage all right that night, but that was not the captain,s /skipper,s fault. that happened in february,and the new sailings are only from may to november. there,s are few options to sail to spain and a good few sailings now going from uk and france.
Bounder
Craic Addict
Gender: n/a Location: West Cork Age: 51 Posts: 321 Registered: 12 / 2013 My Motorhome: 2015 Adria 640 SHX Base Vehicle: Ducato X250 2.3
Norman Asturias is a 27k ton vessel, 187m long and 26m beam.
She looks to be well covered in bar the very stern, I don't think freight companies like having salty trucks as some of them cost many multiples of Motorhomes.
Robbie
Starline S680
Gender: Location: Portadown Age: 59 Posts: 186 Registered: 09 / 2017 My Motorhome: Hymer S680 Base Vehicle: Mercedes
The Epsilon is the only one sailing next winter from France to Ireland. Ive booked out at end of August but not sure what way to return, will see how the weather is at the time as there is no problems with sailings late nov or start of dec
TommyS
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: Co Armagh Age: 20 Posts: 2101 Registered: 10 / 2017 My Motorhome: EuraMobil Base Vehicle: Fiat
Great news, it will be interesting to see the prices. We used to drive Cherbourg to the Algarve, it was quite a trek. This route would half the journey. We did it a few times in a 1.6 straight diesel T3 VW and a Transit Autosleeper.
Robbie
Starline S680
Gender: Location: Portadown Age: 59 Posts: 186 Registered: 09 / 2017 My Motorhome: Hymer S680 Base Vehicle: Mercedes
Been reading the blogs about ferry crossings and think, no matter how you plan it lady luck has a big say. Came into Plymouth once on Brittany Ferries and we were stuck for Three hours as they cleared two 40 ft trailers of apples had rolled over at the front ,But I then sat on the upper deck a month later watching either porpoise or dolphins playing jumping the stern wake on a calm sea, thats the Bay of Biscay, but think of the lads who work on the ferries, they do it day and day out no matter what, except for the extreme,so you pays your money and takes your chance.
kevinmoore
Craic Addict
Gender: Location: Meath Age: 66 Posts: 398 Registered: 04 / 2016 My Motorhome: Benimar 494 Tessoro Base Vehicle: Ford Transit
Either way it's great to have options. We're already booked for May to Cherbourg and probably only make one trip this year, but it would be great to sail straight to Santanar for a trip to Spain and save the drive through France, enjoyable enough as that is. But a direct ferry would make a sneaky 10 day or 2 week trip to Spain or Portugal a viable option if the price is reasonable!
Flipperdipper
Eat's Sleep's craic
Gender: Location: WEXFORD Age: 73 Posts: 1667 Registered: 12 / 2012 My Motorhome: HOBBY 600 Base Vehicle: Fiat Ducato 2.8
reference to open top deck ferries ,sometimes it is necessary to people who are infirm or with difficulties and people with young children to get on level access to the accomodation decks to save that long steep climb up from the lower decks. These are commercial vessels without any lifts. If you find yourself in that position and worried about the spray whilst in passage then make sure and go through a car wash or do it yourself as soon after your trip as you can.
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