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Topic: Which ferry route to the Dordogne please?

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Opensauce

25/4/2017 at 1:01pm
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The most straightforward non toll route is the old non toll roads that go almost alongside your toll route. Your toll section is from Sees to Poitiers. You can go on & off toll road as you wish. If you want to do the whole trip in one easy day then pay the toll. Otherwise take an overnight stop. There are campsites all along the route.

It depend on circumstances. Those with time can take the scenic route. Those who just want get their holiday site might find the nice clear runs between towns & then the stop/start through towns/villages every 10mins tedious particularly when towing. You do have a choice though on this route that you can quickly get back to toll rd if you want.

Post last edited on 25/04/2017 13:06:01

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Alphonso De Lard

25/4/2017 at 1:46pm
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We can't get on the site until 3pm (I think), so no point in bombing it down. The return ferry isn't until 23:30, so using non-toll roads on the way back saves us £50. Perhaps I'll try non-toll road on the journey down, if it's crazy busy through the towns, I can take your advice and go toll road if it looks like saving time.

To the original post, I can recommend Brittany Ferries, Portsmouth to Caen. Great sailing.

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juneg

04/5/2017 at 5:52pm
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Thanks for all the helpful replies. We love the Dordogne and this is our third year going back there.

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barry915

04/5/2017 at 6:32pm
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Alphonso, have a look at the website about-France.com it shows toll and non toll routes, sometimes by being selective using the tolls you can save quite a lot of time for minimal cost.

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Alphonso De Lard

04/5/2017 at 6:39pm
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Cheers Barry. Although I do need a fairly in complicated as my navigator (OH) is about as much as... tends to sleep for large parts of the journey and leaves it to me and the sat nav.

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Bossynix

04/5/2017 at 8:50pm
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We live in Chepstow just outside Bristol up the road from Bath we have done both Poole Cherbourg and the Train. I prefer the ferry but it's over £700 for us and the caravan so we've opted for train this year!

andyd71

05/5/2017 at 9:42am
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i'm based in Cardiff always do the western channel now , with the brittany ferries club it comes out not a huge amount more ( once you take into account stop overs extra desiel etc)

but its horses for courses some people hate the boats and love Dover calais

Always use portsmouth as the times are right and st malo is the furthest down

St-malo -Sarlat can be done in about 8hrs ( plus stops ) toll free ( but auto route/good roads all way)

Nantes -Poiters and down, ferry in is 8.15 tide dependant so arrival` by 19:00-20:00 should be easy

(i did st malo -the bordeaux coast roughly in line with sarlt , ( after getting a puncture at st malo and waiting 2.5 hrs for breakdown truck) and arrived by 20:00)

Caen-Sarlat a friend did last yr took him 9.5 hrs including a couple of quick stops but it cost over £100 in tolls ( le mans -limoges)

there is another option probably take the same amount of time and get you down in one day which is the le havre route think thats about £25 in tolls but boat is normally cheaper

these are all overnight crossings

(im not a salesman for BF but if you want the friends and family code for a 10% discount drop me a line)

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mikegalagher

05/5/2017 at 10:49am
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Quote: Originally posted by andyd71 on 05/5/2017
...
Always use portsmouth as the times are right and st malo is the furthest down
...

With you on that one. Only snag is the return from St Malo is the morning sailing back so no good from the Dordogne unless you drive all night or have a o/n stop midway.

For the return we now use Caen for an overnight sailing with a cabin. Obviously further on than St Malo but means we can round off with a nice dinner and head down. Even allowing for an NT stop somewhere it's an easy drive home then from Pompey.

Cherbourg and Le Havre are further on still. Never used le Havre but IMHO Cherbourg and the fast boat crossing is hell on earth.

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andyd71

05/5/2017 at 12:39pm
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Quote: Originally posted by mikegalagher on 05/5/2017

Quote: Originally posted by andyd71 on 05/5/2017
...
Always use portsmouth as the times are right and st malo is the furthest down
...

With you on that one. Only snag is the return from St Malo is the morning sailing back so no good from the Dordogne unless you drive all night or have a o/n stop midway.

For the return we now use Caen for an overnight sailing with a cabin. Obviously further on than St Malo but means we can round off with a nice dinner and head down. Even allowing for an NT stop somewhere it's an easy drive home then from Pompey.

Cherbourg and Le Havre are further on still. Never used le Havre but IMHO Cherbourg and the fast boat crossing is hell on earth.

True the returns are always problematic unless you want to stop over as soon as you get in.

never use the St Malo back far too early if i come back overnight via Caen i don't have to leave the Vendee till after lunch.

Cherbourg on the Barfluer ok but gets in late.

le havre incoming timings ok is not brilliant to tow to the Vendee(did it with the trailer tent 5 yrs ago and was on site by 16:00) but Le Havre to Dordogne is not bad, boat not as good but easy to get out onto good roads. The return suffers the same as poole.

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Wendy106

11/5/2017 at 5:36pm
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There are some daytime sailings Plymouth/Roscoff, I know this because we're booked onto one, which leaves Plymouth at 7.30am.

andyd71

12/5/2017 at 10:19am
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Roscoff really great for Brittany

Just a bit of a drag to get onto the north-south routes to get further down from there i find

and time wise 11-12 hrs poss more toll free

-------------
2022
North and West wales grand tour (in T5)
Matlock (in T5)
New forest and IOW (in T5)
New Forest
La tranche sur mer
jevea (Valencia)
2023
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(added a Compass Rallye to crew)
Royan
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2024
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'Wyrd bith ful araed-Fate will out'

Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!

Camping France

21/5/2017 at 1:10pm
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Dover to Calais every time. It's only about an hour extra driving to Dover than to Portsmouth and the price of the ferry will be considerably less. Roads out of both are fine but we've driven from Calais to the Dordogne and also from Roscoff and the time difference isn't that bad in my opinion. Not sure what it's like from St Malo or the others but i'd always say Dover.

Mike3003

21/5/2017 at 3:52pm
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It depends where you live, Dover is the last port I would ever use due to our starting point to get anywhere.

I would rather drive 300 miles in France than 100 here, especially Devon to Dover. A nightmare trip, so I would obviously say Roscoff every time.........I live less than 30 mins away! 😀👍

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seanfdh

21/5/2017 at 4:11pm
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We're obviously a bit further north than you Mike. I'd agree though generally. Plus we always feel as though time on the ferry to and from Roscoff is part of the holiday, Dover-Calais never felt that way when we lived in the South-East.

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Mike3003

21/5/2017 at 7:44pm
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We just love Roscoff too Sean.

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