 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Weathercam, good shout, may not be the best option for us, but might be worth a go.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Looks like the dogs certainly enjoyed it!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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WOW their own cabin... where did you guys sleep?? 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Weathercam, I like the sound of the overnight one. We have used it in the past but there was only, I think, the one that leaves around 5.30 pm so it is a bit of an issue if you don't make it. If there were the two of us that would not be the end of the world but when I have done the trip on my own I wouldn't fancy finding somewhere to stay for the night - wimp that I am. Will definitely look at the night crossing again though, particularly as we now have a dog with us.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Weathercam, amazing!
I think the ferry typically puts a lot of pet owners off as they don't want to leave the pet unaccompanied in the car for the duration of the crossing.
Which operator is this?
We always used to really enjoy Brittany Ferries St Malo crossings for our summer holidays, it was a great start to the holiday as the restaurant was fantastic.
Now we generally only travel to the Alps and we do so with 2 cats who are model travellers! We always take the tunnel but I do miss the ferry!
Are they cat friendly as well as dog friendly?
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@sarah, The Le Havre Portsmouth route is run by Brittany Ferries as an economy service with less frills than their other routes and only a cafeteria.
It used to be run by LD lines but they sold out to BF
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 29-04-16 20:10; edited 1 time in total
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Smaller boat too I think.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Brittany Ferries leased/purchased a couple of ships from DFDS which are the economie ones used to do the Portsmouth Le Havre route and some of the Spanish crossings. It looks as though on Baie de Seine (which we have a booking on) there are a number of pet friendly cabins which must have been the ones Weathercam booked. We don't have pets ourselves but booked this route as it gives you 30 minutes more sleep than the Caen crossing!
However last summer we went on Brittany Ferries Pont Aven on the Santander Portsmouth route and on that crossing there were kennels on an upper deck for dogs so I assume they weren't allowed in cabins. Therefore I think you'd need to check with Brittany Ferries before booking what the pet arrangements are on the ferry you are using.
Having been on quite a few BF ships in the last year or so our favourite cabins were on the Amorique but I think it is only used on the Portsmouth route in winter. The best food was on Mont St Michel. The Normandie cabins were a bit dated/musty.
We are also nearer Portsmouth than Dover and it is a lot less hassle going there for the ferry.
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@snowymum, dogs are only allowed on the Economie journeys I think and only in certain cabins.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Presumably there are "non dog" cabins, as there are (or used to be) "non smoking" cabins?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Shorter drive to the Alps - but you need to negotiate Paris, which can take time, and the A6 is busier than the more easterly alternative down from Calais - or at least, it used to be, though I haven't driven it for a few years now.
I live 10 minutes from the Portsmouth ferry port but still prefer Calais - and not only because of free Tunnel tickets with Tesco. The long ferry crossings are too tiring for a lone driver; I never used to get a heap of sleep on the ferries and always ended up feeling I'd been up all night.
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According to Google Maps, time-wise it is almost identical to driving to Calais.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Hells Bells, weird that and I've looked at it a couple of times on Google maps too and thought the same, when I drove to Dieppe last summer it seemed shorter than Calais time wise, and then this time round Le Havre was shorter than Dieppe?
And from the website http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/economie/etretat/facilities
There are 13 Pet-friendly cabins on board Etretat (located in a dedicated corridor) available to both Santander and Le Havre. However, there are no kennels and pets on both routes are not permitted to stay in vehicles during the crossing. There is a small dog exercise area located at the back of deck 6 (approximately 15m long), with easy access from the Pet-friendly cabins which are located on the Starboard side of the ship.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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All great information. Good to have another option!
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Poster: A snowHead
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When we did do the Le Havre crossing we found big differences in time round Paris. One time I did the périph, but that was very late evening. Still busy, but quite quick, no hold up except in the split second I had to choose which way to go I chose the wrong way - but it all kept moving OK. There were lots of trucks taking live geese and other poultry, presumably on their last outing. There was a kind of an outer ring road (Francilienne, or something like that?) but it was perpetually being dug up and signposting was rudimentary. One night, very quiet indeed, I stopped to look at the map. A car stopped right behind me and a guy got out. I was slightly alarmed till he declared he was lost and asked if he could follow me.  Blind leading the blind it was, but we got there in the end.
Is there now a good route? It's so easy rolling off the train in Calais and straight onto the autoroute. But there is (or was) a handy IKEA at the top of the A6, which proved useful in the early days.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, if you need a handy Ikea, there is one at the A26/A4 junction at Reims.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @pam w, if you need a handy Ikea, there is one at the A26/A4 junction at Reims. |
Yes very handy. In fact that junction is convenient for a decent stopover or a big supermarket shop or fuel or McDonalds 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, I haven't used the Le Havre route for skiing. However we have driven round Paris a few times in the last year for other reasons and experienced both the peripherique and the francilienne. Both were bonkers but I think we actually preferred the peripherique as the four lanes of bumper to bumper traffic were moving at a steady 30mph pace.
I am wondering if there is a route from Normandy to the alps avoiding Paris. Has anyone tried going via Orleans? It is coming up as an option on via Michelin.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Without sounding too patronising the route is not too difficult and does not involve going into Paris............
If you drive a van then it's best to avoid the 2m tunnel that is the A86, was quite scary, but in a car no problems, though I think speed limit is 70kph.
So A6 turn off at Anthony for A86 then N12 to A12 up to A13 to avoid tunnel, and speed limit 90 / 110kph, job done, simple !
Sort of miss the old days of having to drive round the périphérique
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When I did the drive to Le Havre from the Alps I went nowhere near Paris, OH did me a route to avoid it. Via St Quentin I think, but some time ago. But it was very straightforward. We have done the drive together and then used the peripherique. I was merely the passenger for that bit.
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FAQ
