Travel | The Independent UK – The A-Z of European ferries

Amsterdam

A great way to start a lexicon of the waves, because the city has an excellent free ferry starting on the north side of Centraal Station, across the IJ river, which provides an excellent perspective on the city. And it is also accessible from the UK by a pair of overnight ferry routes that provide a civilised approach to this most human of cities.

Britain’s last-surviving Continental Boat Train departs from Liverpool Street station in London each evening at 8.38, and represents one of the best bargains in rail-and-sea travel. The journey from London, or any station in East Anglia, to Amsterdam or any station in the Netherlands, is £29 each way ? plus the cost of a berth if you take the night service between Harwich and Hook of Holland. Stena Line (08447 70 70 70; stenaline.co.uk) offers comfortable accommodation and carries cars as well as “rail and sail” passengers. This month the route gets the first of two £200m “superferries”, complete with internet.

The other way to go Dutch by sea is on DFDS Seaways (0871 522 9955; dfds.co.uk), which sails overnight between Newcastle and Amsterdam. This is an illustration of a maritime “Ryanair effect”: the vessel actually sails between North Shields and the North Sea port of IJmuiden. But connections to Amsterdam are straightforward by rail or road.

Boulogne

A more attractive town than Calais from a tourism perspective, with a fascinating Old Town, superb seafood, and a new connection on the rapidly expanding LD Lines (0844 576 8836; ldlines.co.uk). There are ferries every six hours or so from Dover.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Nowhere else in Europe is the role of ferry as lifeline better illustrated than in north-western Scotland. Caledonian MacBrayne (08705 650 000; calmac.co.uk) is a heavily subsidised operation, offering regular, usually reliable links between the mainland and the Western Isles. Ordinary fares are high, but for the tourist there is are “Island Hopscotch” tickets that offer options for driving (or cycling) on a range of routes.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is served by ferries every two hours (less frequently at weekends) from Dover on Norfolkline (0844 847 5042; norfolkline.com). The ferry company normally insists that passengers have a mode of transport from a bicycle upwards, but this week has been operating coaches for the benefit of stranded airline passengers ? and, unlike its rivals, the service is free.

Estonia

The Baltic republic with flourishing links across to Helsinki, the best ferry-connected two-centre city-break in Europe. You can sail from the capital, Tallinn, to Helsinki in a couple of hours with a passage booked through an agent such as Direct Ferries (0871 890 0900; directferries.co.uk) ? a journey between the two most handsome cities in the Baltic.

Tragically, Estonia was the name of the ferry that sank in 1994 while sailing between Tallinn and Stockholm, with the loss of 852 lives. As with aviation, the development of ferry safety is written in blood.

Fares

Well, we all know by now that a foot passenger fare from Dover to Calais on P&O Ferries (08716 645 645; poferries.com) is £50, while SeaFrance (0871 423 7119; seafrance.com) will get you across those 20 nautical miles for £45.

In fact, most travellers pay fares that are far less per person. The ferries took one heck of a beating from the more nimble no-frills airlines until they adopted the same dynamic, demand-sensitive pricing model. And what does that mean? If you take an off-peak sailing on Norfolkline between Dover and Dunkirk, you could pay as little as £19 each way for a car and four passengers; but if you book late for a morning sailing on a summer Saturday, the price could be five times higher. Interestingly, you can counteract this ? if you are a late booker ? by buying a carnet of journeys, as offered by SeaFrance, with individual one-way journeys available for as little as £32 each way.

Greece

A very special case, in every sense. Island-hopping around the eastern Mediterranean is about as rewarding as it gets, but be flexible when you contemplate some Aegean ambulation. A web of ferry, jet-boat and hydrofoil services operated by competing companies links the islands with each other and the mainland. The island-hopper’s bible is the Thomas Cook Guide to Greek Island Hopping by Frewin Poffley.

The book contains schedules for every route, but Poffley observes that the region “is not noted for achieving Germanic standards of timekeeping”. Be prepared for your planned itinerary to fall apart ? and beware the sudden Aegean squalls. On what appears to be a brilliantly clear and calm day, the sea can swell quite suddenly and render disembarkation impossible at some exposed ports; the ferry will steam on to her next destination.

Hovercraft

They were big in the Eighties, but almost all services ceased in the Nineties ? the high fuel consumption proved unsustainable, and eventually Hoverspeed abandoned these remarkable craft. If you want to experience one, you can go anywhere you like so long as it is the …

Isle of Wight

A hovercraft still flies between Southsea in Hampshire and Ryde on the island in 12 minutes. A return fare is £17 with Hovertravel (023 9281 1000; hovertravel.co.uk). Traditionally, fares to the Isle of Wight from Wightlink (0871 376 1000; wightlink.co.uk) and Red Funnel (0844 844 9988; redfunnel.co.uk) have been some of the highest, per mile, in Europe. But competition is set to increase, thanks to a new promotion between Greyhound (0900 096 0000; greyhounduk.com), Hovertravel and Southern Vectis that promises to cut one-way fares from London to the Isle of Wight to an average of £14. Incidentally, buses from Victoria to Southampton end their journey just across from the Red Funnel terminal.

Jadrolinija

Remember Marshal Tito? The Yugoslav dictator was big in the Eighties, before his federation fell apart after his death. One of his lasting contributions was a flourishing ferry company, Jadrolinija, which operates along the coast of what is now Croatia and links the many islands strung out offshore. (jadrolinija.hr)

Kirkwall

The Orkney capital is the hub of the Northern Isles’ ferry system. You can reach it from Aberdeen on NorthLink (0845 6000 449; northlinkferries.co.uk), or ? with a much shorter sea V Ccrossing ? from Scrabster near Thurso to Stromness on Orkney.

Le Havre

Le Havre was once the illustrious gateway to the world, with much of the French shipping industry based there. But it was ravaged in the Second World War. The reconstruction has been mostly in concrete, which looks impressive in a brutish sort of way. For many, Honfleur, on the southern (left) bank of the Seine, is more appealing; you can reach it over a spectacular bridge. Le Havre is connected by a new fast ferry, taking only three hours, 15 minutes, from Portsmouth with LD Lines (0844 576 8836; ldlines.co.uk).

Manchester Ship Canal

For most of the time, Mersey Ferries shuttle across the water between Liverpool and the Wirral. But the summer series of cruises along the Manchester Ship Canal from Liverpool to Salford Quays begins on Thursday. Further sailings are approximately weekly in May, June and September, and twice a week in July and August. The one-way fare for the six-hour, 35-mile trip is £36. Book on 0151-330 1444 or at merseyferries.co.uk.

National Ferry Fortnight

National Ferry Fortnight, starting on 8 May, is designed to persuade us of the joys of maritime meanderings. Expect incentives to book for your summer holiday.

Ouistreham

Ouistreham is the port for Caen in northern France, served from Portsmouth by Brittany Ferries (0871 244 0744; brittany-ferries.co.uk). O is also for Ostend, linked from Ramsgate by LD Lines.

Pride

Pride of Bilbao, Pride of Calais and Pride of Dover: all once the prides of the P&O Ferries (08716 645 645; poferries.com) fleet, but all are to sail off into the sunset. The link from Portsmouth to Bilbao will cease in September. The Calais and Dover prides are to be replaced, starting in December, with the biggest ferries ever seen on the Channel.

Quiberon

Quiberon is the ideal base for Breton island-hopping. This pretty port lies at the end of a peninsula south of Lorient and west of St-Nazaire. Ferries seasonally sail from here to Ile d’Houat and Le Palais, which feels like France 20 years ago.

You can reach the region on Brittany Ferries (0871 244 0744; brittany-ferries.co.uk), which has services from Plymouth to Roscoff and Portsmouth to St-Malo.

Brittany is also the location for the most exciting ferry development in Europe this year: a new link from the port of St-Nazaire to Gijon in the beautiful Spanish province of Asturias. This cuts a long, drab drive through France, and opens up possibilities for trips via Brittany to northern Spain, returning from Santander to Plymouth or Portsmouth.

If you would like to add even more sophistication, then build in a stop in the Channel Islands: Condor Ferries (01202 207216; condorferries.co.uk) has a network from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth to Guernsey and Jersey, with links to St-Malo.

Rhine

Ferries still operate along and even across Western Europe’s leading waterway. KD Rhine (kdrhine.com) is the main operator, with plenty of ferries from its base in Cologne. The KD Rhine Pass allows travel between Bonn, Cologne, Koblenz and Mainz.

Seasickness

Seasickness is becoming less of an issue as stabilisation systems get more sophisticated and ships get larger. Nevertheless, if you suffer from motion sickness, try to find the part of the ship where movement is minimised and stabilise head movement by bracing it against a fixed object. Fix your gaze on the horizon.

Timing

Timing is everything, at least on the airlines: fail to meet the check-in deadline, and you usually lose your flight and your money. The attitude of most high-frequency shipping lines could hardly be more different. From Dover, Norfolkline (to Dunkirk), and P&O and SeaFrance (to Calais) generally have plenty of capacity, and usually take the view that if you arrive in time for an earlier sailing they will allow you on board, and they also prove lenient if you miss your booked sailing.

Ulysses

Ulysses is the world’s largest and most reliable car ferry, at least according to Irish Ferries (08717 300 400; irishferries.com); the ship, named after the James Joyce character, operates on the Holyhead-Dublin route, carrying nearly 2,000 passengers. Irish Ferries also operates from Pembroke to Rosslare. Its major competitors across the Irish Sea are P&O from Troon and Cairnryan to Larne, Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferries (0844 499 0007; norfolkline.com) from Liverpool to Belfast; and Stena Line (08447 70 70 70; stenaline.co.uk), which sails from Fishguard to Rosslare and from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire ? ironically, the location just outside Dublin where the opening of Ulysses takes place (specifically, the Martello tower in Sandycove, from where you can watch the ferries arrive and depart).

One other choice across the Irish Sea: the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (08712 221 333; steam-packet.com) goes from Liverpool or Heysham to Douglas, and on to Belfast or Dublin.

Valletta

The southernmost destination in Europe that you can access by ferry and the smallest capital of any EU state. The easiest route from the northern Mediterranean ports is from Genoa to Palermo, the Sicilian capital (0871 890 0900; directferries.co.uk). You then cross the island to Pozzallo, from where ferries depart to Malta (020-8206 3420; viamare.com).

Whales

Whales and dolphins can be seen from many ships in Europe, but a couple worthy of note are P&O from Portsmouth to Bilbao and DFDS from Newcastle to Amsterdam, who often deploy wildlife officers on board to help spot cetaceans.

X -rays

X-rays are part of the misery of airport security. Ferries are less susceptible to terrorist outrages, and car drivers and passengers face no checks ? but on international journeys from Britain foot passengers still have to pass through metal detectors and have their bags checked by X-ray. The restrictions that airline passengers face on hazardous substances from toothpaste to tequila do not apply.

Yachts

Yachts under sail take precedence over ferries under steam, but in practice both try to avoid each other. The radar systems on the bridge of a modern ferry are spectacularly sophisticated.

Zeebrugge

Zeebrugge, a lovely Belgian resort, which also provides the Continental end of the only ferry direct from Scotland to Europe ? with Norfolkline. It is also served by P&O North Sea Ferries (0871 664 5645; poferries.com) from Hull, which also runs to Rotterdam. You can reach Bruges in 15 minutes by train or car, sip a beer and toast your good fortune for going by boat.

Have You Availed the Great Offer on Channel Crossing this year?

Dover ferry operator has come up with a very good offer for its passengers in 2010. They provide a very attractive scheme for the passengers travelling with cheap ferries to France, in which they are offered to save at least £5 on each trip and £2.50 per leg throughout the year which is valid up to 16th of December, 2010. Online booking for the tickets has been closed on 04-03-2010.

I already booked my ticket last month through telephonic reservation for which I had to pay a charge of £5. I could take at least one car and 4 passengers on this trip. The starting fare for each leg costs £19 which is subject to increase following any inclusion of additional passenger or change in the size of the car.

If you have booked your ferry ticket but somehow missed the ferry to board on time, you still have the opportunity to board as the date has been extended up to 31st May, 2010. The bookings are non refundable, so don’t miss the chance and make your trip as your tickets are still valid. You may require to pay an additional surcharge on your tickets.

Why don’t you think for a Pleasant Holiday in Ireland!

Holiday in Ireland is a spectacular!

You plan for holidaying in Ireland and obviously it is a good decision for you. However, you have to collect enough information about the destinations. You surf the internet, browse the sites and go through your favourite destinations and activities you want to enjoy during the break.

An adventurous walk with wildlife in the wilderness or just a culture and heritage break in Ireland is another superb thrilling enjoyment for you. According to your preference, ferry crossing is the obvious choice for travelling on a short break to Ireland. If you are travelling with Norfolk line, one of the leading ferries operating between the UK and Ireland, the best thing about it is that you will be benefitted by its brief guide about some of the best things that Ireland has to offer for the tourists.

Ferry travel from Liverpool to either Belfast or Dublin, which will keep you entertained throughout the journey with its excellent onboard services and I’m sure once you experience your trip on the route as mentioned, will surely acknowledge it.

As the overnight ferries arrive early in the morning around 6AM that will leave you with plenty of time to reach your desired destination from the port. Day time sailings are ideal for situations like if you want to save on your trip by availing great value offers and you may take advantage of your arrival in the late afternoon by having enough time to enjoy the warm receiving welcome waiting in Belfast and Dublin.

At the same time you can enjoy cheap ferry travel with Irish ferries as they offer cheap ferry tickets.

Travel around Provence to Explore Ancient Roman Heritage

I was quite inquisitive about learn something about the Roman Empire and the life ruins present among the most prominent towns around Provence, France. Last Summer I boarded a ferry at Dover port in England, reached Dunkerque, and headed for Paris through the silent motorways to reach Paris. At Paris, I boarded TVS, headed for Avignon, and toured for next few days the seven magnificent hill top towns around Provence. In good old days, Popes and Bishops lived in wonderful castles, which still last to this time and shower the resplendent spell, an impeccable fortress of the medieval times. The culture in this region is cosmopolitan in nature and differs from rest of towns. This is due to its huge tourist gatherings and high density of students’ population. Second, in line, LeBaux de Provence is listed as the best among the all villages for sightseeing around Provence; no doubt, Le Baus de Provence is at a distance away from Provence and history dating to 16th century and is claimed with 22 architectural treasure held together as historical monuments.

In addition, if you count they will be Churches, town halls, chapels’ doorways, etc. The streets are narrow and as you walk to the shop you will get wonderful antiques’ replica of past. Nimes is a relic that reminds of past, Roman heritage and the amphitheatre is the epitome of rich heritage then prevailed. You can observe a Marche de Noel,a “Christian Market” at Maison Carree and in the summer you will find Jeudis de Nimes, conducted on Thursday and during these times you get lot more of food dance, street merchants bargaining with tourists and these activities continue of late night. Just another town, Arles from past holds bull fights not to death, which is not the usual way to play and the custom and tradition of ancient Rome are still continued on this arena. This area is frequent to engage the art displays and many Photographic events are conducted. A great picturesque can be judged at a spot where Rhone River splits into two parts at the upstream of the city. This is a small town that can be scouted on bare foot and then you will definitely find the streets and restored houses lively and appealing to any bystander. Cours Mirabeau is the central point to the Aix and nowhere to compete with this place filled with pleasing terrace cafes and stationary and bookshops. On the other side, you should not miss for the striking avenues among the aligned trees. At this place, you will get warm air with people strolling and a good site for people-watch.

Sle Sur La Sorgue a town to be remembered for the antique markets on Sundays. This town is surrounded by Sorgue River and narrow canals pass through the periphery of the town. Wonderful bridges, water-collecting water wheels, and this village backdrop represent good photographic scenery. This place is internationally well acclaimed for Antiques fairs held twice a year and that attracts huge tourists around the year. We could make our presence at the Easter weekend and lucky enough to get a deal for around $100 and the antiques were Victorian vanity mirror plus holder to hold perfume. Saint Remy de Provence known as enchanting ancient town with streets aligned with beautiful, renovated homes, smart boutiques, attractive cafes with mural paintings and divine sight of old fountains. Pottery is one of the ancient handicraft business well equipped to send delivery to distant places round Europe and America. At saint Remy every week, Wednesday picked up by locale as major market day and Saturday as smaller food markets. These towns are certainly a pleasure trip for enjoying the rich Roman heritage and I sailed to sea by ferries for England .

Ferry Travel On Rise

With the imminent rise in fuel prices, the prices of flights have gone up drastically. Driving during holidays by car which was one of the most popular modes of transport all over Europe is proving too costly, the option of ferries have become quite popular as it is very cheap and more convenient.

Ferry traveling can be more fun than getting stuck up in airport, waiting for the flight to arrive in time, then getting strapped to your seat. As residents of UK, our family prefers ferry traveling as it gives us more flexibility to plan out, with family of five members; it would be very easy to take our own car, take as much baggage as we want without worrying on baggage restrictions.

Our popular destination route is Dover- Calais by speed ferries which take approximately 50 minutes and operates mainly for Britain- France passengers, during the short ferry trip, me and my husband usually catch a bite at the cafe or just walk around the deck to feel the sea breeze, while my two sons and daughter immerse themselves playing video games. For longer ferry crossings, ferry lines have vast options; they have the option for cabins, with numerous restaurants, bars and other activities. In some cases they even have entertainment facilities such as cinema halls, bands and discos.

As an experienced ferry traveler, at this point I can suggest some important tips for new ferry travelers. Always book your trip early to get great deals. If you are planning for short weekend breaks, see that you do not reach your destination during national holidays because most of the places are shut down during the holidays. Planning can make your holiday’s success or failure. Remember to stock essential items especially when you are traveling through France.

Happy bon voyage!