Travel options to Brittany
www.aferry.co.uk/ferry-to-france-ferries-uk.htmThe ports with the shortest driving distance to our holiday cottage are Saint Malo, Roscoff, Caen and Cherbourg. The main roads in France are generally very good, being dual carriageway of a motorway standard for much of the route. Traffic on these roads is generally far lighter than in the UK, and rarely will you encounter road works or traffic jams.
There are no toll roads in Brittany, but there are in Normandy (the Michelin route planning website will identify these for you). When using Cherbourg, we found the motorway services in Normandy to be excellent, with outdoor picnicking areas with tables & benches and good food. Other services can be a bit basic.
There are other crossings including the Channel Tunnel, Dover etc which offer a far quicker and far cheaper option from the UK, but you will have to drive further on the French side.
We are often asked "which is the best way to get to the cottage?" and this is a very difficult question to answer.
There is no right answer. It's really all about your location and your personal preferences. Some of the factors to consider are:
Our best crossing
We live in the North West of England so prefer to drive to Portsmouth for an overnight crossing with Brittany Ferries. We consider this the best crossing because we arrive in the evening, board the ferry have a meal and a drink then retire to our pre-booked cabin and wake up off the French coast, have breakfast on board and be off at 8am to arrive at the Saturday market in Josselin by 10am. We usually look for a fast catamaran crossing on the return journey, or if not available, a day crossing from St Malo, Caen or Cherbourg.
These are longer sea crossings, so you will pay more for the ferry than if you opt for the shorter crossings e.g. Le Havre or Calais, but the shorter sea crossings will involve a longer drive in France.
Useful links
Brittany Ferries - we can now offer guests up to 10% discount off bookings with Brittany Ferries. Ask us for details before you book. In addition to their traditional routes to Western France, they also now offer a budget service called Brittany Ferries économie to/from Le Havre.
The AFerry website contains details of many of the ferry crossings and allows you to compare prices between competing services.
Driving in France
The AA web site has a lot of useful information on driving in France, including legal regulations.
A couple of things worth mentioning:
Note: you should allow extra time when travelling on Saturdays in August, which can get very busy with English, French, Dutch, German and Swiss holiday makers. The toll booths (certain routes via Normandy) can also cause delay and service areas and petrol stations can get very congested.
There are no toll roads in Brittany, but there are in Normandy (the Michelin route planning website will identify these for you). When using Cherbourg, we found the motorway services in Normandy to be excellent, with outdoor picnicking areas with tables & benches and good food. Other services can be a bit basic.
There are other crossings including the Channel Tunnel, Dover etc which offer a far quicker and far cheaper option from the UK, but you will have to drive further on the French side.
We are often asked "which is the best way to get to the cottage?" and this is a very difficult question to answer.
There is no right answer. It's really all about your location and your personal preferences. Some of the factors to consider are:
- Where you live in the UK - your departure point will influence your crossing point e.g. SE England lends itself to Dover crossings and the Channel Tunnel, the North and central England or South coast is best served by Portsmouth and those in the South West via Plymouth.
- Your 'sea-legs' - if you travel well on a ferry you may prefer a longer day crossing or an overnight crossing to arrive refreshed in France. If you hate ferries then go for the Channel Tunnel or consider flying.
- Cost - If you prefer a cheaper crossing then go for the shortest routes such as Dover-Calais, but you will have a longer drive, the route will involve some road tolls and you need to factor in the additional fuel costs.
- Children - if you have children, how well do they travel in the car on a long journey? Brittany Ferries ships now include cinemas, children's clubs, and entertainment in the main bar which can all help time pass more easily than being in a car for long periods.
- Crossing Times - you will need to check whether your itinerary works with the sailing timetable, and if not be prepared to compromise e.g. one route out and a different route on the return.
- Time of year - most crossings from spring to late summer will be smooth, but outside of these times the chance of a rough crossing increases. The summer period will offer the greatest choice of options from the ferry companies, and a reduced service will operate off-season.
- The journey or the destination? We find the ferry the most relaxing option to France because your holiday starts as soon as you step onboard. The quality of food on Brittany Ferries is very good with a wide variety of options such as the snack bar, self-service cafeteria or the restaurant, or if you are organised you can buy a lovely 'picnic' meal at a Boulangerie in France to eat on the return journey.
- Driving in France - driving 'on the wrong side' is easy and straightforward, but if you've never done it before you might be nervous about the prospect of a long drive from Calais to Brittany. To make things as easy as possible we would recommend having a SatNav e.g. dedicated TomTom, or Smartphone App, which takes a lot of the stress out of navigating on unfamiliar roads with unfamiliar road signs e.g. navmii offer a free GPS app for smartphones.
- Flying - if flying would you be happy to hire a French left-hand drive car, or would you prefer to have the familiarity of your own vehicle? How much luggage will you want to bring and how long will you be staying? - if you want a short break and can manage with just hand luggage you can be out from the arrival lounge at Dinan Airport in 5 minutes.
Our best crossing
We live in the North West of England so prefer to drive to Portsmouth for an overnight crossing with Brittany Ferries. We consider this the best crossing because we arrive in the evening, board the ferry have a meal and a drink then retire to our pre-booked cabin and wake up off the French coast, have breakfast on board and be off at 8am to arrive at the Saturday market in Josselin by 10am. We usually look for a fast catamaran crossing on the return journey, or if not available, a day crossing from St Malo, Caen or Cherbourg.
These are longer sea crossings, so you will pay more for the ferry than if you opt for the shorter crossings e.g. Le Havre or Calais, but the shorter sea crossings will involve a longer drive in France.
Useful links
Brittany Ferries - we can now offer guests up to 10% discount off bookings with Brittany Ferries. Ask us for details before you book. In addition to their traditional routes to Western France, they also now offer a budget service called Brittany Ferries économie to/from Le Havre.
The AFerry website contains details of many of the ferry crossings and allows you to compare prices between competing services.
Driving in France
The AA web site has a lot of useful information on driving in France, including legal regulations.
A couple of things worth mentioning:
- The new regulations require you to carry a reflective jacket inside the car. If you have a break-down, you must put the jacket on before you get out of the car, so it's no good in the boot. The French police may conduct spot-checks, and you will see many French drivers now have one slung over the back of the driver's seat so they don't get stopped.
- The drink-drive limit in France is lower than the UK. Penalties are severe for those caught over the limit, so don't risk drinking and driving.
- France has speed cameras which are usually preceded by a warning sign, but these signs are being removed. The police also conduct random roadside checks. Radar detectors are illegal. There are on-the-spot fines. France has recently reduced the speed limit to single carriageway roads outside towns from 90 kmp to 80 kph.
Note: you should allow extra time when travelling on Saturdays in August, which can get very busy with English, French, Dutch, German and Swiss holiday makers. The toll booths (certain routes via Normandy) can also cause delay and service areas and petrol stations can get very congested.
Summary of travel options
Distance & drive times are from the French arrival point to Guegon.
Ferry options with Brittany Ferries - eight different crossings
If travelling with Brittany Ferries you have a choice of eight different crossings
Route
Portsmouth to St Malo Portsmouth to Caen Portsmouth to Cherbourg Portsmouth to Le Havre Poole to Cherbourg Plymouth to Roscoff Plymouth to St Malo Cork to Roscoff |
Details
Overnight ferry 6-7h ferry or overnight ferry 3h fast craft 3h45 fast craft or 5h30 economy ferry 4h30 ferry 6-8h ferry or overnight ferry winter months only (see timetable) Overnight ferry |
Distance / Drive Time
74 miles / 1h40 164 miles / 2h30 188 miles / 3h17 219 miles / 3h28 188 miles / 3h17 110 miles / 2h15 74 miles / 1h40 110 miles / 2h15 |
Distance & drive times are from the French arrival point to Guegon.
Portsmouth to St Malo is our favourite overnight crossing from the UK, and is the shortest drive time in France to the cottage. You pay a premium for cabins & food on Brittany Ferries but the award winning service and quality are excellent compared to some of the alternatives.
Up to 10% discount available when quoting our 'Owners In France' code (please ask for it).
Up to 10% discount available when quoting our 'Owners In France' code (please ask for it).