Crossing from Britain
Tom Evans reviews the choice of routes on offer to groups when travelling by ferry or rail from the UK and considers what on-board features and discounts are available.
The experience of travelling by ferry is one that should not be underestimated by GTOs when planning a trip. The onboard facilities, sights and space can provide a relaxing and enjoyable journey for groups, especially when compared with budget airline travel. Operators are starting to offer a better quality travel experience, with à la carte restaurants, stylish bars and first class lounges. Journeys by ferry are increasingly being seen as an integral part of the holiday experience rather than simply a means of getting to a destination.
With the range of routes and savings on offer, ferry travel can represent a convenient and viable option when taking groups abroad or to one of the numerous islands off the British coast. There are a number of ports across the UK with crossings to a range of destinations, from old favourites like Dover to Calais or more unusual routes such as Newcastle to Bergen, in Norway.
With the huge range of ferry services on offer, GTOs may welcome the arrival of a new service for booking group ferry travel. AferryGroups has been designed to make booking a ferry for groups easier and compares routes, offers and best deals to suit group requirements. Enquiries can be made online or by phone and the company endeavor to respond within 24 hours.
Channel crossings from Dover
Dover is a popular departure point for groups wishing to travel to the continent, offering regular sailings and the fastest sea crossings to France. Four ferry companies operate from the port with connections to Calais, Boulogne and Dunkerque.
P&O Ferries is one of two companies running a service on the popular Dover to Calais route. The company operates up to 25 crossings a day, each way, providing a great deal of flexibility when planning a group trip. During the journey, which takes between 75 and 90 minutes, passengers can make use of a range of facilities including quiet lounges, lively bars and tax paid shopping, as well as a wide choice of coffee shops and restaurants. Special rates are available for groups on self-service meals and pre-packed meals can be arranged for onward coach journeys. If you are looking to make the journey extra special, pre-booked groups can dine in the à la carte Langan’s Brasserie – a floating version of the famous Mayfair restaurant. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more and P&O’s dedicated team for groups offers advice on all services.
The other operator on this route, SeaFrance, offer 15 crossings a day, each way, with journey times from 75 minutes. If you are keen to sample some French culture as soon as you leave British shores, SeaFrance offer a choice of restaurants, bars and cafés all flavoured with a taste of France. Groups can dine in The La Brasserie gourmet restaurant or relax ‘à la française’ with a coffee and croissant in the chic Le Parisien Café. All meals are freshly prepared on board and group menu prices are lower than individual meals. Groups are eligible for discounts on bookings, as well as special short break 36-hour fares.
SpeedFerries operates a low cost cross channel service to Bolougne, departing up to five times a day from Dover. SpeedFerries’ catamaran ‘SpeedOne’ accommodates 200 cars and 800 passengers, but is unable to carry coaches. The crossing time of 55 minutes is the fastest to France. Discounted rates are available for groups of 16 or more.
Another route available when travelling from Dover is to Dunkirk with Norfolkline. Offering round the clock sailings, there are up to 20 crossing each way daily. Three different vessels operate on this route. The latest of Norfolkline’s new purpose-built ferries entered service on the route in July 2006 and takes an average of two hours to reach its destination. Ferries have a capacity for 200 cars and 780 passengers, but unfortunately for larger groups, this doesn’t include coaches.
Departing from Portsmouth and the south
Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port offers a wide range of departures to European destinations.
Brittany Ferries is one of a number of companies that operate from the port, running services to St Malo, Caen and Cherbourg. Most routes have at least two crossings a day, each way, with a choice of overnight or day sailings. Brittany Ferries’ fleet of luxury cruise-ferries have on board cinemas, bars and restaurants serving French food. The company also operates from Poole and Plymouth on the south coast. On its Poole to Cherbourg route, groups can travel on the high speed service, taking just over two hours, or take the leisurely crossing by cruise ferry with a journey time of four and a half hours by day or six and half hours overnight. Departing from Plymouth, there are up to three sailings a day to Roscoff in France and two sailings a week to Santander in Spain, departing on Sundays and Wednesdays. Sailings to Santander are on board the company’s luxurious £100m flagship ferry, Pont-Aven. Groups of at least 10 adults can save significantly on individual fares.
Another operator running services from Portsmouth and the south is LD Lines. Its Portsmouth to Le Havre service operates all year round and offers a range of on board facilities including a choice of seating, with standard, club class recliners or the new ‘Sleeper’ seats available. As well as enjoying the comfort of the two-meter-long armchairs, which recline back to 180°, passengers travelling in ‘Sleeper’ seats class also have use of showering facilities in the designated ‘Sleeper’ lounges. Last year was a busy one for the company, with the take over of Transmanche Ferries and the announcement of a new cross channel route. The new daily summer ferry service, running from April to September, operates from Newhaven to Le Havre in Upper Normandy. Following the take over in March 2007, Transmanche Ferries is now run as a sister company to LD Lines. The all-year Transmanche Ferries service between Newhaven and Dieppe is still in operation and has up to three crossings daily. Special discounted rates are available on all routes for groups of ten or more.
Condor Ferries offers a few different options when travelling from the south coast, with services to France and the Channel Islands. Its Portsmouth to Cherbourg crossing is available on Sundays between July and September, with other routes to France departing from Poole and Weymouth and usually requiring a change of vessel in either Guernsey or Jersey. Services to the Channel Islands are frequent and depart from Portsmouth, Weymouth and Poole. There are discounts of up to 20% on all services for groups of 10 or more.
Another route worth considering when looking at options to travel from Portsmouth is P&O Ferries’ service to Bilbao in Northern Spain. With departures every three days, for much of the year, the crossing gives you good access to Spain, Southern France and Portugal.
Irish Sea journeys
Despite the closure of the Swansea to Cork route, run by Swansea Cork Ferries, groups wishing to travel to Ireland still have a good choice of crossings, with four operators running a total of 10 different routes.
Irish Ferries offers two options for GTOs organising trips to Ireland, with routes from Holyhead to Dublin and from Pembroke to Rosslare. Over the past few years, the company has invested heavily in a new fleet and port facilities and claim to have the most modern fleet in Europe. The world’s largest car ferry, Ulysses, provides a daily service from Holyhead to Dublin, alongside a daily fast ferry service. There are two return crossings a day, on a cruise ferry, available for groups planning to travel from Pembroke to Rosslare. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more on both services.
With five different routes, Stena Line is the largest ferry operator offering crossings to Ireland. Groups can choose to cross from Fishguard in Pembrokeshire to Rosslare, Holyhead in North Wales to Dublin Port or a few miles further south to Dun Laoghaire, Fleetwood in Lancashire to Larne or from Stranraer in Scotland to Belfast. When booking a trip, GTOs might like to consider the option of being able to arrive at one port and leave from another. Fast ferries and a more comfortable conventional ferry service operate on most crossings and, if you have a preference, it is worth checking individual services before booking. The Holyhead to Dublin service, on the Stena Adventurer Speedferry, offers the opportunity to upgrade to the exclusive Stena Plus Lounge, where you can enjoy first-class treatment including express boarding. Groups of more than 10 can benefit from special pre-booked meal deals as well as travel discounts.
P&O Irish Sea also operates services from Britain to Ireland, with regular daily services from Cairnryan and Troon, in Scotland, to Larne in Northern Ireland. Journeys from Cairnryan can take just an hour on the P&O Express, or one hour and 45 minutes on the Superferry, while the Troon to Larne route takes just under two hours. Groups can also travel with P&O Irish Sea from Liverpool to Dublin, with overnight services running every day and a daytime service available from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Reduced rates are available for pre-booked groups of nine or more.
Norfolkline operates two passenger ferry routes across the Irish Sea, with crossings from Liverpool to both Dublin and Belfast. Day and night sailings are available on both crossings, which have a good range of onboard services including restaurants, a cinema and spacious ensuite cabins. It is worth noting that on Norfolkline’s Irish Sea routes, meals are included in the fare.
Island routes
The islands situated off the British coast are well served by ferry routes, which provide an essential service for inhabitants as well as a good value travel option for GTOs.
The Isle of Wight is one of the best served with three ferry companies operating crossings to the Island.
Hovertravel operates one of the quickest routes, with a journey from Southsea in Hampshire to Ryde taking around 10 minutes. A new hovercraft, the Solent Express, was introduced on the route in 2007 and can carry up to 130 passengers. Regular services run throughout the day and discounts of 10 to 15% can be enjoyed by groups of over 15.
Another company operating services to the Island is Wightlink, which runs three different routes with crossings 24 hours a day. A car, coach and foot service is operated from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and from Lymington in Hampshire to Yarmouth. Alternatively, a FastCat foot passenger catamaran can take your group from Portsmouth to Ryde in around 18 minutes. Wightlink has made a major investment in its Lymington to Yarmouth car ferry route with the commissioning of three new ships that will go into service during 2008 and 2009. Lounges, observation decks, a bar and café facilities are available on the Postmouth to Fishbourne and Lyminton to Yarmouth routes, while discounts for group bookings are available on all routes.
Red Funnel also runs a service to the Isle of Wight, operating between Southampton and Cowes. A Passenger Vehicle Ferry sails between Southampton and East Cowes and takes 55 minutes, while the Red Jet High Speed Ferry runs between Southampton and West Cowes with a journey time of 22 minutes. Coaches can be accommodated on the Passenger Vehicle Ferry services and Red Funnel can organise a range of tailor made packages to Isle of Wight attractions and key events. Discounted rates are available for groups on travel.
Meanwhile, GTOs planning trips to the Isles of Scilly might want to consider the crossing from Penzance in Cornwall to St Mary’s with Isles of Scilly Travel. There are up to six sailings a week by steamship, depending on the time of year, with each taking just under three hours. Groups traveling to the Islands can receive a 10% discount.
Moving north, groups are able to travel on the River Mersey onboard a service operated by Mersey Ferries. Although not travelling to an island, the service may be of interest to groups planning a trip to Liverpool during its year as European Capital of Culture. The hourly service calls at Pier Head in Liverpool, Seacombe and Woodside on the Wirral. The company also operates the Manchester Ship Canal Cruise, a six-hour trip through one of Britain’s major waterways. Group discounts are available on request.
Groups wishing to travel to the Isle of Man will find they are well catered for with regular services operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Ferries from Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin and Heysham in Lancashire sail to the island’s capital, Douglas. Following the appointment of a new Chief Executive, plans are underway to improve the service throughout 2008. There are plans for menu improvements, particularly on the fast craft, and the company will continue to support the ‘Freedom to Flourish’ government initiative by using Manx suppliers for its retail and food operations. Coach group rates are available.
Two main operators provide services linking Scotland and its offshore islands.
NorthLink Ferries, a new company that has taken on the contract to operate the Northern Isles lifeline ferry services, operates routes to the Orkney & Shetland Islands. The company offers two services, with three sailings each day from Scrabster on the north coast of Scotland to Stromness, in Orkney, and nightly sailings from Aberdeen to Lerwick in Shetland, with some sailings calling at Orkney’s capital, Kirkwall. Purpose built for the routes, the vessels offer spacious lounges, self-service and à la carte restaurants, bars, cinemas and shops. The other attraction of travelling on this route is, of course, the scenery provided by the far north’s coastline, with its rugged and beautiful cliffscapes. GTOs should enquire about discounted rates on travel and meals.
The other company serving Scotland and its surrounding islands is Caledonian MacBrayne. The company sails to an incredible twenty-four destinations on Scotland’s west coast, from Arran in the south to Lewis in the north. Fortunately, with so many destinations to choose from, groups can book ‘Hopskotch’ itineraries for visiting multiple islands. Discounts are available on travel when booking for 12 or more people.
Options from eastern shores
Groups looking for a change from the usual Continental crossings to France may consider travelling by ferry from the UK’s eastern shores. Norway, Holland and Belgium are some of the destinations on offer and you might also consider the options these crossings give you for onward travel.
P&O Ferries offers daily services from Hull to Rotterdam in Holland and to Zeebrugge in Belgium. As with all P&O ferries, there is a range of bars, coffee shops and restaurants to choose from and a Four Seasons Carvery to look out for when travelling from Hull.
A range of routes from the east coast are operated by DFDS Seaways, including the only service direct to Norway. The crossing from Newcastle calls at Haugesund, Stavanger and Bergen in Norway on board the ‘Queen of Scandinavia’. Also departing from Newcastle is the crossing to Amsterdam, which runs daily and travels overnight. A range of facilities are available on both crossings including cabins, restaurants, cafés and shops. The company also offers a service from Harwich in Essex to Esbjerg in Denmark, which departs early evening, and after an overnight sea crossing, arrives at lunchtime. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for discounts and DFDS Seaway’s dedicated groups department can organise personalised arrangements including dining reservations and welcome drinks.
Superfast Ferries adds to the offer with a service from Rosyth in Scotland to Zeebrugge departing three times a week. The route is serviced by the Blue Star 1 vessel, which can accommodate 830 passengers and 600 vehicles, including coaches. Discounts are available for groups of 16 or more.
Groups can also travel to Holland from Harwich in Essex with Stena Line. Travelling to the Hook of Holland, the twice daily service offers the choice of a day or overnight crossing on board one of the company’s extensively refurbished and lengthened Superferries.