Save 10% on ferry crossings Santander/Bilbao to Plymouth/Portsmouth

 I HAVE DONE THIS DRIVE, ITS A REAL DODDLE TOOK 2 DAYS WITH A N  OVERNIGHT STOP IN TOLEDO

MOTORWAY ALL THE WAY SIGN POSTING  BRILL JUST AVOID GOING INTO MADRID  AND LITTLE TRAFFIC EXCEPT ABOUT 8PM SO STOP TO EAT

CAFES AND PETROL STATIONS EVERY 10 CLICKS OR SO

ONLY DOWNSIDE IS FERRY REALLY BORING SO TAKE A BOOK OR WHATEVER YOU FANCY

FOOD ON BOARD GREAT AND NOT EXPENSIVE

YOU WILL ENJOY IT MUCH NICER THAN FLYING

AND YOU CAN BRING SO MUCH STUFF

Well, I've booked it now! 8 April and as it is the prelude to our living in Spain, I have splashed out on a Premier cabin.

To make up for that, do you have a good value overnight hotel in Toledo you can recommend?

I might have gone for 1 April but a lot of the cabins were already sold out, including the Premiers. Probably because it's the first crossing of the year but maybe because some people need to leave before the tax year end. I am told it should not make any difference for us if we go before or after the new tax year.

norm

 we stayed in a great hotel for 30 eu a nite but sorry cant remember the name and it was some way of the motorway and took some time to find so i would not suggest it for that reason alone except for toledo 

 

some might recomend taking a few days to drive but there is very little on route so you would only be able to stand in the middle of fields

any way bet you cant wait to get down to the costa

i would suggest you find a hotel just off the motorway so you can find it lol

most places in spain are good quality though

by the way the roads down to here are dead straight so real easy drive and reckon on seeing another car every 15 mins or so except at rush hour another bonus which seems odd hardley any trucks and like i said signs a re very good and big so i never had to use the gps except when silly me came off at one wrong exit

reckon on 20 hours driving time at 60 mph with refreshment stops

BON VOYAGE

Ps you will be within 200 yards of my place just before marbella oh and its 20 c today!!

 

This message was last edited by lostagain on 23/01/2012.

 Hi Norm,

Glad you are all booked and soon to be on your way.  Hope the discount helped to ease the cost.  

Do try and see a little of the country when you come over.  Toledo is a magical place, and the Cathedral and surrounding areas are breathtaking.   The last time we travelled we stayed in Salamanca on the first night, then made our way over to Toledo for the second.  We usually use www.booking.com for deals and find them very good.  We stayed last year in the Hotel Pintor El Greco.  The hotel is within walking distance of all the sites and has good parking.  The cost for the night was E54 including IVA.  We never eat in the hotel, as we like to try the local Restaurants.  We found a good one and enjoyed Rabbit Stew, a local dish which was wonderful.

It always seems a shame to me to be travelling accross such a wonderful country and not take in the sites.  Try Salamanca on another occassion, or Chinchon, or Cuenca.

Anyway happy sailing and enjoy your new life.

 

Joan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks a lot. For various reasons, we have just had to change our booking so we will be going instead from Portsmouth to Santander on the Pont Aven and due in at 6pm. What time should we expect to be on our way? Do they do all the immigration stuff on the ship or due we have to queue to do that at the port?

I suppose it would be sensible just to stay the night in Santander. Any recommendation for somewhere cheap to stay but where our car, which is likely to be full with some of our more valuable worldly goods, will be secure?

Kind regards

Norman

 there isnt much of a queue just drive through gates and show passports takes seconds same on spanish side

i think you arrive about midday so may be better to make a start you could be near half way by say 8pm

This particular crossing wasn't our first choice for time of day but was the best date for us. It leaves Portsmouth at 5pm and is due in at 6pm. That's why I think it may be better to stay in Santander. I suppose we could do a couple of hours driving if that got us somewhere we could stay.

Hi,

Last year we stayed in Segovia on the way to Santander, it was spectacular. The hotel was excellent, don't know why it's not 5*

Take a look here ...  http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/candido.en-gb.html?aid=346411;sid=2c7ff737b495191440d8355f652f528f;dcid=1

The 2,000 year old Roman aquaduct will take your breath away, and it's only about 3 hours drive from Santander.

We will be back in April!!

 Hi intrepid sailors,

If you are arriving in Santander at 6pm, best to have got your head down on the ship in the afternoon, then you will feel more like driving when you get off.  The docks at Santander are easy to negotiate and we then took the route to Salamanca, We took the A67 which is a great road.  Salamanca is a wonderful place to stay, but it would take you about 4 hours, so you wouldn't see much and it would be a shame to miss it.  If you do get to Salamanca try the Hotel NH Palacio de Castellanos, we booked it via booking.com and it was a wonderful place to stay, and within walking distance of the Plaza Mayor.

Where are you heading for eventually.

Joan

 

Sorry for the delay in responding. I was away from the computer for a few days. Our house is at Nueva Andalucia, near Marbella. At my wife's choice, we will stay in Santander the first night so we have a little time to look around. We'll start early the next morning and are planning on getting as far as Valdepenas the following night. It will be a long day but leave less driving for the last day, which will be Good Friday.

We should get there two months today! 

 Hi Norm and Mrs.Norm,

Sorry I can't help you with any hotels in Santander,, but try www.booking.com   I always find them very good and some good deals.  Don't forget it you are travelling near Easter a lot of the Hotels will be booked with Spanish Families, who always make a long week of it, so book in plenty of time.

On our way to our house in Andalucia, we sometimes stay in Ubeda, which is a wonderful city antique city, and the old quarter is beautiful with excellent bars and Restaurants.  We stay in a fabulous hotel which only has 5 rooms, but is exceptional and the Spanish Breakfast is to die for.  Every type of local food you could imagine.  Let me know if you need the name and address and I will forward it.

Regards

Joan

Well, touch wood, we're all set now!  Arrive in Santander Wednesday at 6pm. Using TripAdvisor we found our accommodation and booked it via hotels.com getting a bit of cashback with Quidco. Staying at the Jardín Secreto in Santander, then an early start on Thursday and staying at the El Hidalgo in Valdepenas. Should get to our house in Nueva Andalucía in the afternoon on Good Friday. Really looking forward now to boarding the Pont Aven and  goodbye to England.

Thanks for the help and advice!

Regards

Norm

I know this is too late for your trip but another time do try the Silken Santander Coliseum as we think one of the best hotels we have stayed in. It was also very convenient for the ferry terminal and also was very cheap booked with booking.com. We even had a bottle of red wine thrown in with the deal. My son has stayed at the Bilbao one and again fantastic they said. We have also stayed at their Valencia hotel a few times. Whilst not as new, the beds are incredibly comfy with superb breakfasts!! Extremely well managed hotel in Santander. Ask for a quiet back room and you will not hear a sound. We stayed last month in the Silken Santander Coliseum.

Incidentally Santander is a fabulous place if it is not raining!!

Hi Joan,

Have jst seen your code for the ferries to spain, is it ok to use this still.

 

Thanks

 

Diane

Hi Diana,

Did you see my message last week? I was very sick sailing back in January despite the crossing being calm. I lost my nearing totally in one ear suddenly and this must cause my awful nausea now. We have changed out B F's membership over to the French Club Voyage for th shorter crossings!! My Spanish one has now been cancelled but of course of you want to take advantage of the French crossings just let me know and I will add my French membership number to another reply.

I did also add that someone else has put their Spanish membership number for anyone to use. If you go back through the threads you will find it. If you can not find it, let me know and I will add to another reply for you (for the Spnaish crossings) with this info. So sorry!!

 Hi Diana,

Yes you can still use my membership number.  Go back through the thread, but if you can't find it send me an e mail and I will forward details.

 

Regards

Joan

Hi Diana,,

Glad you now have the Spanish membership info.

 Hello Joan

I hope you don't mind, I saw your brittany code on here and have just used it, so want to first say a BIG BIG THANK YOU and explain why I used it bfore asking your permission, I do hope you do not mind.

Story for you - met a biking couple on ferry on way back from motogp in valencia nov 2011, got chatting and they gave me there details, but 3 weeks ago laptop crashed, sent to pc world, who in there wisdom, restored it to factory settings, hence I lost everything. Partly my fault for not backing up, but what they did was not necessary.  Anyway, have tried everything to try and remember code, looked on internet for people, but only had there surname, my memory is useless, so cannot remember there first names or even when in uk they are from, also been searching to find discount codes, etc and the best option was 5% off with AA.

So THANK YOU, as have saved £50.00.

Do you need booking ref or anything else to check that you get your reward ? from them.

 

THANK YOU  - THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THIS REALLY WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOING TO THE MOTOGP IN JEREZ AND ESTORIL OR NOT GOING 

 

THANK YOU 

PAULA 

 

I

Here is our Brittany Ferries Club Voyage French membership info, if anyone wants 10% off ferries to France or Spain.

Membership number: F98134
Members surname: Smith
Then add guest for third question.

Easy as that.

 Hi Paula,

Glad you used my membership number and got your discount.  The crossings are so expensive now, every little helps.

For anyone else just a reminder of the details.

Go onto website of Britanny Ferries.

Book your crossing, then when asked if you are a member of the ferry club key in 'Yes'

Travel Club Number: S91197

Lead persons name (your name)

The booking is for a 'guest'

If you book by phone and asked the members name it is MOORHOUSE

You don't need to do anything else as I get the £10 towards my next booking and you get the discount.

Have a good crossing.

Regards

Joan