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Boating in Brittany


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So we are now finished with work and sat on the boat enjoying a few drinks. It is safe to say that things have not exactly gone to plan today.

 

First we thought we had problems with the car. That was sorted after a bit of faffing about. 

 

Then on arriving at Naughty-cal we have received an email to say the ferry we are supposed to be catching tomorrow is cancelled!

 

Screenshot_20181004_202103_Email.jpg

 

So it has been a busy evening of sorting out alternative travel plans. We have resorted to the Eurostar tomorrow afternoon and a longer drive before finding a hotel for the night nearer to where we pick up the boat about 570km from Calais!

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2 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

So we are now finished with work and sat on the boat enjoying a few drinks. It is safe to say that things have not exactly gone to plan today.

 

First we thought we had problems with the car. That was sorted after a bit of faffing about. 

 

Then on arriving at Naughty-cal we have received an email to say the ferry we are supposed to be catching tomorrow is cancelled!

 

Screenshot_20181004_202103_Email.jpg

 

So it has been a busy evening of sorting out alternative travel plans. We have resorted to the Eurostar tomorrow afternoon and a longer drive before finding a hotel for the night nearer to where we pick up the boat about 570km from Calais!

Lifes a beach! 

 

Hope it doesn't spoil your hols too much!

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10 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

So we are now finished with work and sat on the boat enjoying a few drinks. It is safe to say that things have not exactly gone to plan today.

 

First we thought we had problems with the car. That was sorted after a bit of faffing about. 

 

Then on arriving at Naughty-cal we have received an email to say the ferry we are supposed to be catching tomorrow is cancelled!

 

Screenshot_20181004_202103_Email.jpg

 

So it has been a busy evening of sorting out alternative travel plans. We have resorted to the Eurostar tomorrow afternoon and a longer drive before finding a hotel for the night nearer to where we pick up the boat about 570km from Calais!

Do you mean Eurostar or Eurotunnel?

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4 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Tunnel.

I was trying to work out how you would get a car on Eurostar....;)

 

It is however a good service but not ideal if you have a long drive on the other side, where in Brittany do you collect your boat?

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I would suggest going the A16/ A28 route rather than go near Paris. The motorways are a pleasure, you can actually engage cruise control and leave it on for ages, slight changes in speed using the up and down buttons. Stop off in Rouen for a break as the city is lovely.

It is not 7 hours driving like 7 hours in this country is. And the tunnel is a pleasure, in /out and driving straight away.

Edited by matty40s
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4 minutes ago, MJG said:

I was trying to work out how you would get a car on Eurostar....;)

 

It is however a good service but not ideal if you have a long drive on the other side, where in Brittany do you collect your boat?

Messac/Guipry

4 minutes ago, matty40s said:

I would suggest going the A16/ A28 route rather than go near Paris. The motorways are a pleasure, you can actually engage cruise control and leave it on for ages, slight changes in speed using the up and down buttons. Stop off in Rouen for a break as the city is lovely.

That is the way the sat nav wanted to take us I believe. 

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most of the motorways are 2 lanes rather than 3, but as there are far fewer vehicles, and no middle lane hoggers, driving is easy, plenty of time to plan ahead and relax.

 

unless you go to Paris.?

Edited by matty40s
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2 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Messac/Guipry

That is the way the sat nav wanted to take us I believe. 

Rouen gets busy but there really isnt a way to circumvent some of the busy parts. 

 

To avoid the really busy bits avoid the route your sat nav may take you, pay more attention to the signage around Rouen.

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16 minutes ago, matty40s said:

most of the motorways are 2 lanes rather than 3, but as there are far fewer vehicles, and no middle lane hoggers, driving is easy, plenty of time to plan ahead and relax.

 

unless you go to Paris.?

And no, or rather a lot fewer wagon drivers blocking the road while one overtakes another taking miles on end. They seem content to stay in convoy and the autoroutes often open up to three lanes on long hill climbs.

 

We also use an ATMB toll tag which helps with whizzing through the toll booths. Only really usefull for regular trips though.

Edited by MJG
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11 minutes ago, MJG said:

Rouen gets busy but there really isnt a way to circumvent some of the busy parts. 

 

To avoid the really busy bits avoid the route your sat nav may take you, pay more attention to the signage around Rouen.

Indeed, we stayed there for 3 days and I used maps, google earth and managed to get places far easier than the sat nav wanted me to.

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I have a tag called bib and go for the autoroutes. It’s great as madam struggles to reach the toll booth machine and when I’m on my own it saves having to get out of the car.

Please remember that on the ordinary roads the speed limit is now 80 kph not 90. Not that many French drivers are bothering.

also make sure you have the cars paperwork and driving license with you whenever out in the car, it’s 110euro fine and it’s a Friday!

Enjoy your cruise.

 

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27 minutes ago, Dav and Pen said:

I have a tag called bib and go for the autoroutes. It’s great as madam struggles to reach the toll booth machine and when I’m on my own it saves having to get out of the car.

Please remember that on the ordinary roads the speed limit is now 80 kph not 90. Not that many French drivers are bothering.

also make sure you have the cars paperwork and driving license with you whenever out in the car, it’s 110euro fine and it’s a Friday!

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Yes good point. I forgot about this in August and on coming off the Tunnel was happily bombing along at the old speed limit when I saw a police car coming the other way which suddenly jogged my memory as to the new lower limit.

1 hour ago, Stilllearning said:

Another vote here for a toll electronic tag, it makes the experience far more pleasant. Mind you, motorways in France are delightfully empty anyway.

Have a great holiday.

I'm always taken by how many French drivers don't seem to use the toll tags and queue in the card or cash lanes while we whizz through.

 

To me if I lived in France it would be a no brainer.

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26 minutes ago, MJG said:

Yes good point. I forgot about this in August and on coming off the Tunnel was happily bombing along at the old speed limit when I saw a police car coming the other way which suddenly jogged my memory as to the new lower limit.

I'm always taken by how many French drivers don't seem to use the toll tags and queue in the card or cash lanes while we whizz through.

 

To me if I lived in France it would be a no brainer.

For regular users, the tags read fantastic, as the tag only lanes are often the only empty ones at toll booths.

If the rest of the tag sellers are the same as Vinci, for each month that the tag is used, you pay a 2€ fee. For each month you don’t use it, you pay nothing up to 14 months of non use. Then they charge you 14€ for keeping the tag “live”. So many locals may want to avoid the charges, or be like us, and live nowhere near a toll road, and are reduced to going into a Vinci controlled car park in Limoges once a year to avoid the 14€ fee. Yes it does seem daft, but who am I to argue with Mrs S.

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32 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

For regular users, the tags read fantastic, as the tag only lanes are often the only empty ones at toll booths.

If the rest of the tag sellers are the same as Vinci, for each month that the tag is used, you pay a 2€ fee. For each month you don’t use it, you pay nothing up to 14 months of non use. Then they charge you 14€ for keeping the tag “live”. So many locals may want to avoid the charges, or be like us, and live nowhere near a toll road, and are reduced to going into a Vinci controlled car park in Limoges once a year to avoid the 14€ fee. Yes it does seem daft, but who am I to argue with Mrs S.

I use the ATMB one because the the one Sanef supply to UK costs a bit more.

 

It doesnt as far as I know charge a 'keep live' fee and is slightly better value at €1.90 per month used.

 

https://www.atmb.com/fr/nos-offres/abonnement-telepeage/vehicules-legers

 

As google chrome automatically translates all their web page into English for me it helps (due to my limited French) To help keep the cost down I linked it to a Post Office Credit card which does not charge any foreign transactions fees.

 

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41 minutes ago, MJG said:

I use the ATMB one because the the one Sanef supply to UK costs a bit more.

 

It doesnt as far as I know charge a 'keep live' fee and is slightly better value at €1.90 per month used.

 

https://www.atmb.com/fr/nos-offres/abonnement-telepeage/vehicules-legers

 

As google chrome automatically translates all their web page into English for me it helps (due to my limited French) To help keep the cost down I linked it to a Post Office Credit card which does not charge any foreign transactions fees.

 

Thanks for that, Mrs S is researching as I type.

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It’s going to be a long day, try to get some shut-eye when you can.

 

PS, if you haven’t got a motorway tag, and in case you are newcomers to the tolls, quickest way to pay is by card, no faffing  round with coins and change.

Edited by Stilllearning
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1 minute ago, Dav and Pen said:

You only need to put deflectors on if your light dip to the left. A lot of modern cars dip straight down or very slightly left so no problem. Used to use bit of black insulating tape.

 

And many modern cars have a switch that does the dipping to the other side, your Mini may well have it.

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