I’m planning on a Norway fjords cruise RT from Southampton, England. I was considering visiting the Normandy area first since it’s just across the English Channel. It seems to be more complicated than I expected - No ferry’s direct to Southampton, instead It looks like the high speed ferry is 30 min crossing from Calais France to Dover, but 2.5 hr drive to Southampton from Dover. Otherwise it would be a 7hr ferry ride from LeHavre to Portsmouth (30 min drive to Southampton). Has anyone done this and have suggestions?
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9844 posts
I have not done this, but I can certainly understand wanting to go to Normandy.
A few thoughts from my own experiences and what I have read on the forum over the years.
It is very easy to get from Portsmouth to Southampton by either bus or train. I ‘ve caught cruises out of Southampton twice and usually include a visit to the Portsmouth Historic dockyards before embarking.
Regulars from the UK warn that cross channel ferries can be a bit unpredictable in terms of weather cancellation.
If you are facing a 7.5 hour crossing, it would be worthwhile to at least check out alternatives such as train or flying.
If you decide to do this, make sure you plan to arrive in Southampton the day before your cruise and you schedule an entire travel day to get from Normandy to Southampton.
Some of my favorite cruises have been to Norway. Enjoy!
Posted by
Lake District, England
10872 posts
Ferries run from Ouistreham (the port of Caen)- to Portsmouth- good bus service to the port from Caen station) both by day and night- route #101 run by Twisto.
Ferries also sail from Cherbourg and Le Havre to Portsmouth. But Ouistreham is the most convenient route to use. All routes are run by Brittany Ferries.
There used to be ferries from France to Southampton, but they were all concentrated on Portsmouth many years ago.
Every 30 minutes a bus, #X4/X5 runs direct from Portsmouth Continental Ferryport to Southampton City Centre and Railway Station (and in the other direction to Portsmouth The Hard Interchange- adjacent to the Historic Dockyard and Portsmouth Harbour Station)
Monday to Friday bus timetable (almost the same on Saturday)- https://www.firstbus.co.uk/api/timetables/pdf?opco=12&service=X4%2FX5&day=mf&print=pdf
Sunday bus timetable- https://www.firstbus.co.uk/api/timetables/pdf?opco=12&service=X4%2FX5&day=su&print=pdf
PS- I'm from the UK and I wouldn't even think personally of taking the train (essentially going round three sides of a square). To me (and I've done it a fair few times at all times of the year, never had a cancellation) ferry is the obvious way to go. Too much (including weather) could go wrong going by train- events out of control of the railways. And air links are pretty fragmentary- I can see no reason why I would take a once or at best twice daily flight and risk that going technical or other problems.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
36055 posts
It looks like the high speed ferry is 30 min crossing from Calais France to Dover, but 2.5 hr drive to Southampton from Dover.
Sorry, there is no high speed ferry from Calais to Dover. Ferries take between 90 minutes and 2 hours (2 hours from Dunkirk).
The 30 minutes you mention may be the 35 minutes on the Le Shuttle vehicle train through the Channel Tunnel. Be aware that there is a one hour check in time on both the vehicle ferries and on the Le Shuttle.
Since you are talking about the drive from Dover I assume you are proposing a road trip. Many rental cars are not allowed on ferries and Le Shuttle is very expensive on short notice, and requires original car papers if the rental provides them.
It is a long drive from the Normandy beaches to Calais.
Foot passengers are not allowed without a vehicle on Le Shuttle. Only one company, yukkie P&O, allows foot passengers Calais to Dover, and only on a very few of its crossings.
Passengers with no car are welcome on the Normandy - Portsmouth ferries.
Posted by
Middletown, RI
1483 posts
There are ferries from Portsmouth and Poole to various places in Normandy. But they are notoriously unreliable, and not all routes run every day. I would add in a couple of days buffer just in case. The one time I was booked on a Poole to Cherbourg Ferry (2006), I was notified when I got to the terminal that a strike in France had cancelled that crossing. So they arranged to get me a ferry from Portsmouth and from there I went to Ouistreham (fairly close to Caen). It was difficult to rearrange my schedule and rental car, but I made it. I have also read of other cancellations due to weather or other things on this forum that didn't have as happy an ending. Next June I'm booked from Portsmouth to Cherbourg on the ferry, but I am buying a 1st class Eurostar ticket as back-up. Expensive if I have to use it, but first class is fully refundable, and I absolutely need to arrive in Normandy in time for the D-day anniversary. If I need it, I'll have it and be willing to pay the fee. But if I don't need it, I can get my money back 100%.