Portsmouth - Bilbau

[RodG]

Hi All

I am wondering if we have made the right choice. Booked Port-Bil on 5th October, after reading the forum under 1st trip we are getting concerned having never done this crossing before. Has anybody got a good word to say about it ??

Regards

Rod G.

 

[GillC1]

Rod

I have also asked this question, most replies were quite positive, only it can be rough in the bay of biscay. we are doing that crossing next wednesday so i will let you know how it goes.

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi All,

For a number of years I sailed with the Grey Funnel Line, and we ventured out into the Bay on many occasions. Sometime it was rough others like a mill pond. So it all depends on the day or two in the case of Portsmouth/Bilbao.

I think one of the problems is you are on the ferry for two nights so if it is rough you have no respite. Been on the Newcastle/ Amsterdam across the North Sea and it was rough but 0800 next morning and your off.

ps Newcastle/Amsterdam if it's rough the ferry hugs the coastline and then makes a dash across. With the Bay you have no such luxury.

Val & Frank

 

[BeemerMal]

Rod G...I have also used this ferry, but only for returning from Spain and have had no problems travelling in May/June.

However, on both occasions, when we were due to go out to Bilbao from the UK in January/February our ferry was cancelled by P&O due to:

A. The ship not being servicable in 2006

B. bad weather in the Bay of Biscay in 2007.

This year we were only given 12 hours notice of cancellation by our booking agent and we had to make hurried arrangements to travel via Calais and to find overnight campsites for our trip through France. Due to the cancellation P&O could not fit us on another sailing from Portsmouth for nearly 2 weeks?

The Bay of Biscay can be very difficult and we have spoken to people who waited in the bay for 20 hours before the weather turned and it was safe to enter Bilbao harbour and often it is these delays that have a knock on effect to the timetable so P&O just cancel a full return sailing.

Personally, we prefer the ferry to Bilbao as we only have one days drive to the campsite we go to but due to unreliability of this ferry during the winter months we are not so sure and have yet to decided what we will do next year.

 

[Robert_374242026]

On our trips port'/bil have been quite pleasent apart from twice had fog so could not see anything and second on one trip the waves banging underneath at night was disturbing apart from that you get to talk to many likewise people which makes the trip more intresting .

 

[RodG]

Thanks Guys

I guess it's just suck it and see, just hope it sails. The main problem is getting to Dover then down to La Manga, which will take at least a further 3 days.

Regards Rod G

 

[KeithJ]

Hi Rod - I have made this trip five times (three times outward and two inward) and each time the sea has been calm and the trip very enjoyable. So there's a good word for it!!! I'm not saying it can't be rough, but I would do it again anytime - it is a very relaxing and easy way to reach Spain and rough crossings are more the exception than the rule. Hope this reassures you. Keith

 

[RodG]

Hi Rod - I have made this trip five times (three times outward and two inward) and each time the sea has been calm and the trip very enjoyable. So there's a good word for it!!! I'm not saying it can't be rough, but I would do it again anytime - it is a very relaxing and easy way to reach Spain and rough crossings are more the exception than the rule. Hope this reassures you. Keith

Hi Kieth

Great, just what I wanted thans a lot

 

[Carole_374312871]

Hi Rod

Crikey, I'll bet you were pleased to read the last posting! I put the post for 1st trip to the Continent and have been reading the replies to yours with mounting panic... I was beginning to think a cold winter in Britain was sounding like a good idea. It sounds as though people plan everything down to the last detail, we were hoping to book our first site and then just stop when we fancied on the way down through Spain to Portugal.It seems that not as many sites as we had hoped would still be open.Have you done this before?

Carole

 

[RodG]

Hi Carole

First winter away as I retire at the end of Aug. We have been planning this for a year and read as much as we could including a book by Julie Wilson called our Spanish Winters. I have had a lot of feedback from other forum users with great advice and recomended routes and sites that people have used for years. We are staying at La Manga for the duration and decided to do the Ports - Bilb ferry to save aprox 700 miles driving, tolls, fuel, and three night stops, this will leave us only 600 mils aprox to drive. It was the reports on the ferry that had me concerned but as I say hope for the best. As we are going on the 5th Oct. it could go either way.

Regards

Rod G.

 

[angela_5125767]

Hi Rod,

We went on the Ferry last year in September and it was like a millpond although saying that my hubby gets seasick on a pedalo and we bought travel sickness patches called Scopoderm from Boots and they worked a treat. They are patches that you stick behind your ears. We are booked on ferry 29th October this year and are also at La Manga for the winter maybe we will see you there.

Angie & Martin

 

[RodG]

Hi Rod,

We went on the Ferry last year in September and it was like a millpond although saying that my hubby gets seasick on a pedalo and we bought travel sickness patches called Scopoderm from Boots and they worked a treat. They are patches that you stick behind your ears. We are booked on ferry 29th October this year and are also at La Manga for the winter maybe we will see you there.

Angie & Martin

Hi, thanks for the info, look out for a black Santa Fe & Coachman 462, always ready for a natter.