Cross-Channel Travel
I have been absent for a short while in England. What is remarkable is that if I do not add posts to our blog, nobody else will. Really! I think we could all profit from a bit more participation.
But here is another subject for you to consider. What is the best way to organise your trips from where you live in France to England? If you live in the centre of Paris there is not much that will beat the Eurostar to Waterloo Station and the centre of London. I sometimes myself take day trips to see an editor, put an agent back on track or have a short interview. You are two and a half hours from London by train and then, for example, it is only ten minutes by taxi to the BBC studios at Millbank.
But Eurostar is quite expensive. I haven’t done it, but I imagine Ryanair from provincial France to provincial England is probably cheaper. The problem I have with airlines is that they never take me to where I want to go. And there is an awful lot of carrying of bags. Far better to throw all the equipment in the back of a car and drive to the nearest ferry.
Now that is cheap. My last trip to England cost me, with the car € 118, with the car, round-trip Dieppe-Newhaven. The problem was with the winter storms: a delay on the out-trip and a cancellation on the return. On the out-trip I eventually got aboard ship at midnight and took a cabin -- a spacious place with five bunk beds, a shower and basin, all for € 30. Switch out the lights and you will sleep for four hours, cradled by the sway of the boat and a slight creaking sound that will make you dream of sailing on a nineteenth-century schooner with one of Daphne du Maurier’s heroines lying next to you. Make sure your car is loaded with petrol. At night you have to go into the centre of Dieppe or, on the Newhaven side, down an unsigned alley by the docks -- and it will cost you 20 per cent more to fill up your tank in England.
A Newhaven landing in the light of day always brings the amusement of the first roundabout and the first English road signs. The French, and not a few English, stick to the right and then scud down the blind alley that takes you into a railway siding.
Those storms were impressive. The new ferries must be equipped with stabilisers for you barely sense the waves, save the large odd swell that smashes all the cafeteria cutlery -- you’d have thought they would be prepared for it. From starboard you can watch the ships go by, sending their white, luminous spray high into the winter’s sky. What memories in that cross-Channel voyage! Vera Brittan recalled crossing the Channel to England one spring day in 1917 after a dreadful tour of nursing duty; her boat passed a transport heading for France, the ‘men all waved to us and cheered.’ Benjamin Haydon, a painter, was among the first Englishmen to cross the Channel after the announcement, in April 1814, of Napoleon’s abdication. ‘You seem to be going, as it were, beyond yourself,’ wrote Haydon philosophically. ‘I am not ashamed to confess, that I looked earnestly at the hills which rose before me, to discover something French about them.’ To his disappointment, they seemed rather English; but he found the people exotic. If you have a memory like mine, which goes back a few hundred years, you will always spy something awe-inspiring in that cross-Channel voyage -- I do not know any other trip in the world quite like it.
What are your thoughts? And what is the cheapest, most efficient way of getting to England?
But here is another subject for you to consider. What is the best way to organise your trips from where you live in France to England? If you live in the centre of Paris there is not much that will beat the Eurostar to Waterloo Station and the centre of London. I sometimes myself take day trips to see an editor, put an agent back on track or have a short interview. You are two and a half hours from London by train and then, for example, it is only ten minutes by taxi to the BBC studios at Millbank.
But Eurostar is quite expensive. I haven’t done it, but I imagine Ryanair from provincial France to provincial England is probably cheaper. The problem I have with airlines is that they never take me to where I want to go. And there is an awful lot of carrying of bags. Far better to throw all the equipment in the back of a car and drive to the nearest ferry.
Now that is cheap. My last trip to England cost me, with the car € 118, with the car, round-trip Dieppe-Newhaven. The problem was with the winter storms: a delay on the out-trip and a cancellation on the return. On the out-trip I eventually got aboard ship at midnight and took a cabin -- a spacious place with five bunk beds, a shower and basin, all for € 30. Switch out the lights and you will sleep for four hours, cradled by the sway of the boat and a slight creaking sound that will make you dream of sailing on a nineteenth-century schooner with one of Daphne du Maurier’s heroines lying next to you. Make sure your car is loaded with petrol. At night you have to go into the centre of Dieppe or, on the Newhaven side, down an unsigned alley by the docks -- and it will cost you 20 per cent more to fill up your tank in England.
A Newhaven landing in the light of day always brings the amusement of the first roundabout and the first English road signs. The French, and not a few English, stick to the right and then scud down the blind alley that takes you into a railway siding.
Those storms were impressive. The new ferries must be equipped with stabilisers for you barely sense the waves, save the large odd swell that smashes all the cafeteria cutlery -- you’d have thought they would be prepared for it. From starboard you can watch the ships go by, sending their white, luminous spray high into the winter’s sky. What memories in that cross-Channel voyage! Vera Brittan recalled crossing the Channel to England one spring day in 1917 after a dreadful tour of nursing duty; her boat passed a transport heading for France, the ‘men all waved to us and cheered.’ Benjamin Haydon, a painter, was among the first Englishmen to cross the Channel after the announcement, in April 1814, of Napoleon’s abdication. ‘You seem to be going, as it were, beyond yourself,’ wrote Haydon philosophically. ‘I am not ashamed to confess, that I looked earnestly at the hills which rose before me, to discover something French about them.’ To his disappointment, they seemed rather English; but he found the people exotic. If you have a memory like mine, which goes back a few hundred years, you will always spy something awe-inspiring in that cross-Channel voyage -- I do not know any other trip in the world quite like it.
What are your thoughts? And what is the cheapest, most efficient way of getting to England?
posted by SOAF Chairman at 7:12 AM
6 Comments:
Technically, Richard is right. Postings currently go through the SOAF Chairman - because a number of professional blogs have gone bust where there is no editorial control at all. A system of joint control (an 'editorial board' has been suggested in an earlier posting, but so far there has been no response. Practically, a posting forwarded to the Chairman will be published within 24 hours. There are essentially no restrictions at all.
Of course traveling by ferrys give a good advantage over traveling by air. Last year I went on vacation with my friend and we took our car along with us to cut down our expenses, thanks to car ferries. Ferry trip gave us a nice experience
I do agree with your comment, indeed
I do agree with your comment, that ferrys give a good advantage over traveling by Air.
Last weekend, I had lovely experience while traveling by ferries to France/ferrys naar frankrijk. On ferry board I really enjoyed spicy hummus and pita chips. They provide us with great services and also took us across the cross channel in less time.
Thanks for the nice bloging, I do agree with your comment, that ferries give a good advantage over traveling by Air. Some ferries are provides online tickets services, If you are looking for cheap ferry travel can you visit hoverspeed it will give you huge ferry travel info.
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