We recently partnered with P&O Ferries on a day trip to France (which turned out to be the perfect excuse to go Christmas shopping – not just for gifts but for really cheap champagne and cheeses).
It was easily one of the most convenient trips we’ve taken to France.
We arrived at the Ferry terminal in the same amount of time it would take us to get to Gatwick or Heathrow airport and at no point had to go through stripping off at security, sorting out liquids or awkward waiting around.
You drive up, park up and head upstairs. It’s so easy. (Also, no walking around for ages with an oversized backpack trying to find your gates).
Following on from our blog post, we’ve put together a video showing you what it’s like to go by Ferry to France (plus a few ideas on what to do when you get there).
WATCH THE VIDEO
Still, need convincing on why taking the ferry is worth it. Let me lay out a couple of those below.
7 QUICK AND SIMPLE REASONS TO TRAVEL BY FERRY
1.) For starters, you’ve got no weight restrictions on what you can travel with or bring back! None whatsoever. Like seriously, what you can take with you or bring back is what you can fit into your car – full stop.
2.) You can travel with your pets!
*Not sure many people actually travel with their cats – perhaps for longer trips they do, cats are just so independent but I know lots of people who travel with their dogs! Long story short – your pet can come along for the ride too.
3.) It’s comfortable! We’re talking area where you can actually lie down and stretch on. A lounge serving champagne, duty-free shopping on board, a restaurant, a bar… the works.
4.) If you leave from Dover (there are other ports across the UK), you get to see the iconic White Cliffs of Dover! (The view is understandably so much better than if you just saw it from land).
5.) This part of France is chock-full of pretty little towns and villages so it’s perfect for a fun little vacation.
6.) Oh, my gosh – the cheap wine! For years, this has been reason in itself for many a traveller to hop aboard that ferry and head over to France. After spending my air miles on wine a few years back (usually in the past, I just used to buy what I wanted on the go), I’ve come to really appreciate having a cupboard stocked with my favourite wines.
7.) It’s the perfect way to connect your British road trip to your European Road trip.
A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN TRAVELING BY FERRY
To help you on your merry way when you decide to hop aboard that ferry, here are a few things worth knowing.
1.) Don’t forget your passport! Sorry to start with the most obvious thing here but because this feels so convenient (almost like you’re still at home in the UK), you’d be surprised at how easy it is to forget your passport or feel like your driver’s license is ID enough (it isn’t). Take whatever ID you’d normally travel with.
2.) Carrying on with the “obvious but easy to forget theme” – don’t forget to get your pet passport when travelling with pets. You also need to have their immunization certificates so be sure to take that with you.
3.) If you are renting a car, in the “Additional Options” section, be sure to let the rental company know you plan on taking the car abroad. (They’ll arrange for an EU certificate to be in the car for you).
4.) There’s free roaming across the EU now so relax and let yourself feel free to “wing it” and visit villages and towns you’ve never even heard of, knowing full well you can rely on your Google maps to work while you’re out and about (they are a fair few nice ones in this part of France – let me know in the comments if you need any tips).
There we have it! Another way to travel that might just mean being able to see even more of Europe very very soon! 😀
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