Europe 2022

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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mjr
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mjr »

Looking at the route map on the Cycling UK page, it also shows Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire which ended in 2015 and Portsmouth to Le Havre which ended in 2014. I've not checked whether they're mentioned in the text.
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Jdsk
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by Jdsk »

I've told Cycling UK about the map and this discussion.

Jonathan
mattheus
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mattheus »

mjr wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:05pm Looking at the route map on the Cycling UK page, it also shows Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire which ended in 2015 and Portsmouth to Le Havre which ended in 2014. I've not checked whether they're mentioned in the text.
Do you mean the map from www.discoverferries.com ?
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mattheus »

Jdsk wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:13pm I've told Cycling UK about the map and this discussion.

Jonathan
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mjr
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mjr »

mattheus wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:33pm
mjr wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:05pm Looking at the route map on the Cycling UK page, it also shows Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire which ended in 2015 and Portsmouth to Le Havre which ended in 2014. I've not checked whether they're mentioned in the text.
Do you mean the map from www.discoverferries.com ?
No, I mean the map on the Cycling UK page, as I wrote. :roll:

Maybe they got it from www.discoverferries.com because it shows a Discovery Ferries logo, but the one on that page does not show Hull-Zeebrugge or Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire. It still shows Portsmouth-Le Havre so maybe someone has restarted that route now? And it doesn't show Liverpool-Belfast direct, so maybe that's stopped.
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mattheus
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mattheus »

mjr wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:55pm
mattheus wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:33pm
mjr wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:05pm Looking at the route map on the Cycling UK page, it also shows Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire which ended in 2015 and Portsmouth to Le Havre which ended in 2014. I've not checked whether they're mentioned in the text.
Do you mean the map from www.discoverferries.com ?
No, I mean the map on the Cycling UK page, as I wrote. :roll:

Maybe they got it from www.discoverferries.com because it shows a Discovery Ferries logo, but the one on that page does not show Hull-Zeebrugge or Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire. It still shows Portsmouth-Le Havre so maybe someone has restarted that route now? And it doesn't show Liverpool-Belfast direct, so maybe that's stopped.
It's got their URL on it! It couldn't be clearer where it came from. :lol:
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mjr
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mjr »

mattheus wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 4:18pm
mjr wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:55pm
mattheus wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 3:33pm
Do you mean the map from www.discoverferries.com ?
No, I mean the map on the Cycling UK page, as I wrote. :roll:

Maybe they got it from www.discoverferries.com because it shows a Discovery Ferries logo, but the one on that page does not show Hull-Zeebrugge or Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire. It still shows Portsmouth-Le Havre so maybe someone has restarted that route now? And it doesn't show Liverpool-Belfast direct, so maybe that's stopped.
It's got their URL on it! It couldn't be clearer where it came from. :lol:
I can put their URL on an image. Doesn't prove anything. Any road up, it's out of date, which is what matters!
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MrsHJ
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by MrsHJ »

mattheus wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 9:24am Did you actually read the article? It clearly explains what happens:

Passengers travelling with bicycles generally check in at the same time as other foot passengers. With car ferries, you'll usually be directed to queue in a dedicated lane where you will wait until directed to cycle up to the ferry ramp. Sometimes you may have to wait a while, and given it can be quite exposed you'll want to make sure you have the appropriate clothing to hand depending on the weather.

You will have to dismount from your bikes once you reach the vehicle ramp due to the risk of slipping off your bike on the wet metal, and then push your bicycle up the same vehicle ramp as that used by cars. Stewards will be on board to instruct cyclists where to leave and secure your bicycle.
I read it- duh. As stated in my original comment I asked because I last did channel ferry crossing in 2014 so I was checking to see if things have changed as that would be useful to know.

My experience is mostly at Plymouth. There I’ve always cycled to the vehicle check in and checked in with the cars. I’ve had no contact at all with foot passengers until on the ferry so I would categorise my experience as different to what was explained, and I wanted to know if things had changed.
Last edited by MrsHJ on 5 Apr 2022, 1:19am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by mjr »

MrsHJ wrote: 4 Apr 2022, 7:10pm My experience is mostly at Plymouth. There I’ve always cycled to the vehicle check in and checked in with the cars. I’ve had no contact at all with foot passengers until on the ferry so I would categorise my experience as different to what was explained, and I wanted to know if things had changed.
At Harwich (last used 2019), Hoek van Holland (2019) and Dunkerque (2018), you ride in the vehicle gate and check in like a car. You're then directed to a waiting area with motorbikes, ride up the access ramp, are told to walk the ship ramp (most do, as it is wet metal with big ridges if you stray about six inches off line) and then ride along the vehicle deck to the cycle tie-down bars.

At Dover (2018), you ride in the vehicle gate and go to the truck check-in. Then the same as the above.

So in my recent experience, as with yours at Plymouth, the article is wrong to say that "Passengers travelling with bicycles generally check in at the same time as other foot passengers." At Harwich and Hoek, foot passengers use a bridge from the train or metro directly onto a high deck of the boat. Dunkerque doesn't take foot passengers and Dover has a painted line showing a walking route to check-in which you don't follow.

I'd also recommend a mooring hitch (which I think Tangled Metal mentioned to me ages ago) over the more complicated knots because you may need to tether your bike quickly to get out of the way of others. The article's suggestion of a bowline seems a bad idea because it can untie if not loaded, which it might not be if waves tip your bike back towards the fence a bit; and a bungee is an awful way to tie a bike down on a boat because it can stretch as the boat sways and then smash your bike back into what it's tied to! There are good reasons that the crew usually use ropes and straps not bungees... As well as all the usual risks of bungee whiplash hook injuries which is why people on these forums have recommended cam-buckle straps, Restraps, Rok straps, Arno straps, ratchet straps and other alternatives.
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pal
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by pal »

While we're talking about ferries -- here's some interesting news for ferry-fans/plane-dislikers: a new route from Groningen to Kristiansand -- https://www.lifeinnorway.net/netherland ... ay-ferry/ (I haven't worked this out in detail, but I think that -- with a bit of train assistance -- one could get from Newcastle to Amsterdam to Groningen to Norway in two nights/one day. (Perhaps even quicker via Harwich/Hook?)
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by Jdsk »

"Travel disruption as Stena Line moves ships to fill P&O Ferries gaps
"Company cancels sailings between Fishguard in south Wales and Rosslare in Ireland until 12 April":
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... rries-gaps

Jonathan
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by foxyrider »

Jdsk wrote: 5 Apr 2022, 5:03pm "Travel disruption as Stena Line moves ships to fill P&O Ferries gaps
"Company cancels sailings between Fishguard in south Wales and Rosslare in Ireland until 12 April":
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... rries-gaps

Jonathan
The fall out from the P&O decision is far reaching! Are any of their routes currently able to operate?
Convention? what's that then?
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by st599_uk »

foxyrider wrote: 5 Apr 2022, 6:11pm The fall out from the P&O decision is far reaching! Are any of their routes currently able to operate?
I'm not sure that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have signed off on their new working practices yet.
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Jdsk
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by Jdsk »

foxyrider wrote: 5 Apr 2022, 6:11pm
Jdsk wrote: 5 Apr 2022, 5:03pm "Travel disruption as Stena Line moves ships to fill P&O Ferries gaps
"Company cancels sailings between Fishguard in south Wales and Rosslare in Ireland until 12 April":
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... rries-gaps
The fall out from the P&O decision is far reaching! Are any of their routes currently able to operate?
"P&O Ferries services between Dover and Calais remain suspended.
"Passengers with a P&O booking will no longer be accepted on DFDS sailings, which is also seeing delays of up to two hours due to high demand.":

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/news ... os-265254/

Jonathan
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Re: Europe 2022

Post by Jdsk »

Delays in HM Passport Office:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/ ... ter-breaks

"The Passport Office is currently advising travellers to allow up to 10 weeks for applications to be processed, up from an average turnaround time of three weeks before the pandemic.

"Meanwhile, service failings with the government’s official courier, TNT, mean some applicants are waiting weeks for delivery after their passport has been issued."


Jonathan
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