Travelling to southern Europe without flying

[MrsHJ]

The following response may be of some interest to anyone considering Rosslare to Santander. We are from the north of Scotland and we're wondering about a tour crossing to Northern Ireland, down to Rosslare to Santander, tour through Spain then head for Amsterdam and onwards to Newcastle. We'll need to wait and see the outcome. Think I'm just going to have to pluck up courage to try flying with my Thorn Raven tbh.


"Hello,



Thank you for your enquiry.

Unfortunately every passenger travelling from Rosslare to Bilbao must have a motorised vehicle.

This is a commercial decision.

However we will have a new ship operating this route starting after the 6th of November which might allow foot passengers.

This will be set up on our system around the 21/06 and we will then have more information regarding this.

Therefore if you would like to check our website on the 21/06 you should be able to book this then.

Kind Regards,

Mark,
Passenger Services, Cork."

Presumably train to Plymouth for that ferry is way too pricey? I know it’s a trek but I quite like journey. I’d suggest flying to Lisbon and touring up and out if you are heading for Iberia anyways for a big trip.

[Traction_man]

The following response may be of some interest to anyone considering Rosslare to Santander. We are from the north of Scotland and we're wondering about a tour crossing to Northern Ireland, down to Rosslare to Santander, tour through Spain then head for Amsterdam and onwards to Newcastle. We'll need to wait and see the outcome. Think I'm just going to have to pluck up courage to try flying with my Thorn Raven tbh.


"Hello,



Thank you for your enquiry.

Unfortunately every passenger travelling from Rosslare to Bilbao must have a motorised vehicle.

This is a commercial decision.

However we will have a new ship operating this route starting after the 6th of November which might allow foot passengers.

This will be set up on our system around the 21/06 and we will then have more information regarding this.

Therefore if you would like to check our website on the 21/06 you should be able to book this then.

Kind Regards,

Mark,
Passenger Services, Cork."

I'm keen to take the bike to Spain and continue my Camino trip so this news on the Bilbao route sounded promising but an attempt to book online for next year still shows motor vehicles only

[hoogerbooger]

Just checked Brittany Ferries Plymouth to Santander. Can take bikes on that still. Have done this trip a couple of times to tour in Asturias and then Galicia ( using the wonderfully slow but helpful FEVE train line along the north coast. They were fantastic at getting touring cyclists on....even when the train was rammed ( the exception in our experience) or on a replacement bus when there were works on the line. A service, where the word service seemed to really mean something to the staff.

Whilst it's a slow way to get there it was very much part of the holiday. Good whale watching too. We were lucky getting long leave for the trip though.

RE Rosslare.....seems pretty shocking in this day and age to not take bicycles. I think they need to be Climate Shamed. I'd be writing to the most useful politician(s).

( lack of ferry options from uk to Denmark and Norway also a #ummer that could do with some activism to encourage......I think in the old days the CTC would take up such things)

[Jdsk]

Just checked Brittany Ferries Plymouth to Santander. Can take bikes on that still.

There's a comment in another thread from June:

We travelled Plymouth to Santander in 2006 with Britanny Ferries, bike were free as on most ferries. There's now no mention of bikes on their website but it seems they'll take them for the outrageous fee of £75 per bike each way. The crossing is expensive enough as a foot passenger, this makes them absurdly expensive.

Jonathan

[Traction_man]

It is a shame about the Rosslare to Bilbao route.

By way of contrast, from Ireland to the continent, it is possible to take a bicycle on the Dublin--Cherbourg ferry with Irish Ferries, €224 in total, something like this:

Dublin to Cherbourg Flexi
Thu 22 Sep 2022, 16:00 - 11:30

Return
Cherbourg to Dublin Flexi
Sun 25 Sep 2022, 16:30 - 10:45

Onboard Extras
Outward
1 x Bicycle

Return
1 x Bicycle

TOTAL
€224.00

This return fare includes the passenger, a lounge seat each way, and the bike--so pretty reasonable I reckon.

cheers,

Keith

[simonhill]

( lack of ferry options from uk to Denmark and Norway also a #ummer that could do with some activism to encourage......I think in the old days the CTC would take up such things)

I doubt you will be successful in getting (passenger) ferries reinstated. They are being phased out all over the world in favour of budget airlines flying the routes. The only exception I know is Japan which still has plenty of bike friendly ferries.

[hoogerbooger]

Jdsk: yes. Blimey! Just rechecked booking as a footbpassager and it was indeed £75 cheaper than booking with a bike. Disgraceful.

simonhill: yes I won't get passenger ferries reinstated. But where there is still a lorry ferry there may be some chance.....and perhaps Cycling UK should campaign for better ferry route options and sensible costs ?

[pal]

I posted this in another thread, so apologies for the repetition -- but since it's come up here too: there's (again!) some talk of restoring the Newcastle-Norway ferry: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel ... d-ferries/ Who knows if it'll come to anything (past experience suggests probably not...), but we can at least hope...

[MrsHJ]

Just checked Brittany Ferries Plymouth to Santander. Can take bikes on that still.

There's a comment in another thread from June:

We travelled Plymouth to Santander in 2006 with Britanny Ferries, bike were free as on most ferries. There's now no mention of bikes on their website but it seems they'll take them for the outrageous fee of £75 per bike each way. The crossing is expensive enough as a foot passenger, this makes them absurdly expensive.

Jonathan

I use Brittany and they aren’t cheap but I do not understand what you are talking about-- the difference is £5 between a foot passenger and a passenger with a bike on the date I have researched. I looked for my trip back from Spain after doing the via de la plata next spring and I can book me, the bike and a seat for £90 one way early May next year.

I do not think that is expensive. I will be booking a cabin as a seat doesn’t appeal. I’m now tempted to just get on and book it! I tend to go with the flexible tickets and they don’t take the balance of payment until a few weeks before you travel.

[hoogerbooger]

here's the search I did:

Higher price above is with bicycle and at foot of post is on foot.

( no idea why the post is showing the higher price twice ? and can't seem to change it)

[simonhill]

Different ship?

[hoogerbooger]

It's Pont Aven on my 7 Sept.search. I've been on this twice before. It's big with plenty of room for bicycles. Didn't t have to pay before. They did tie up the bike last time.....but £75 a pop seems a tad more than a fair day's pay.

[MrsHJ]

It's Pont Aven on my 7 Sept.search. I've been on this twice before. It's big with plenty of room for bicycles. Didn't t have to pay before. They did tie up the bike last time.....but £75 a pop seems a tad more than a fair day's pay.

I can only assume it’s flexible pricing which really does my head in. Looks like foot passengers are a flat rate though. I used to know some of the back office team at Brittany ferries in Plymouth but haven’t been in touch with them for a long time so no one to ask. Might be worth asking via the main contact point what’s going on. I may well get on and figure out a date and get it booked in a flexible ticket for my trip.

[marmite]

Back on Brittany Ferries again, Santader-Plymouth. The ferry was so late in due to Brexit paperwork that I missed the train with the bike space I had booked. They did alert me in advance to the delays so I sent my bike home by mail.

1) Correos no longer mails bikes to UK due to Brexit; 90 Euros to anywhere else in Europe.
2) UPS will send the bike but for 180 Euros and I have been charged £46 import duty.

So about £200 down, but I would have been stranded in Plymouth overnight due to there being no bike spaces on the only uncancelled train (wires down on the line into Paddington).

I think I will just take short ferry crossings to France in future unless Eurostar pulls its finger out about letting bikes on its trains.

[PH]

2) UPS will send the bike but for 180 Euros and I have been charged £46 import duty.

You should be able to claim that back from HMRC. Keep the UPS invoice, it'll have a unique number on it.
If you have any problem finding the right paperwork, I'll dig mine out.