The
Brittany Ferries car ferry from Plymouth to Santander takes all the hard work
out of taking your car to Spain. The route is operated by the flagship of the
Brittany Ferries' fleet, the Pont Aven. This magnificent ship must be the most
highly specified ferry sailing from the UK, so your trip is not only easy, it's
a holiday in itself.
There are sailings all year round, leaving Plymouth on Sundays and arriving
around lunchtime on Monday in Santander. The return trip from Santander to
Plymouth leaves late afternoon/early evening Monday arriving Tuesday morning. In
the summer this Monday return journey goes to Portsmouth, with the Santander
Plymouth sailing leaving Santander Thursday afternoon.
The journey takes just over 20 hours, perfect timing as you can enjoy the onboard
facilities, take in some whale-spotting and enjoy a good night's sleep. Being on
this ship is a bit like being at the seaside, with a fabulous swimming pool
complex and leisure area and a wrap-around promenade deck. The ship is very
light and airy inside with a 5 deck atrium.
It goes without saying that catering facilities are as good as can be found in
many quality French restaurants, with a full table service restaurant, a
self-service restaurant, a café, two bars and an additional pool-side bar.
Onboard accommodation ranges from comfortable reclining seats to the luxurious
Commodore Cabins with a standard of comfort and amenities usually associated
with up-market hotel rooms.
From the beginning of November until early March the route is served by the
Brittany Ferries' ship MV Bretagne, and these crossings take around 24 hours.
Although not quite of the high standard of the Pont Aven, this is a fine ship
with similar facilites, but no swimming pools. It can accommodate over 2000
passengers.
The journey to Santander crosses the Bay of Biscay, a great place for whale
watching. Brittany Ferries offers special whale watching sessions in conjunction
with ORCA, a leading marine conservation charity. This is a great opportunity to
get up close to species ranging from Harbour Porpoises to the mighty Fin Whale,
the second largest animal on Earth.
Plymouth is well connected to the UK motorway network by the A38 Devon Expressway from the M5 at Exeter,
typical journey times being 4 and a half hours from London and 3 hours from
Birmingham. The city enjoys a fabulous waterside location and is well worth an
extended visit. Take some time to see the historic Barbican, reflecting
Britain's maritime history, stroll along the famous Hoe, or enjoy a meal at one
of the many stylish restaurants and bars.
Santander is the gateway to Northern Spain, often called Green Spain because its
proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Biscay means the area enjoys a more
temperate and sometimes wetter climate than the rest of Spain. It is a region of
empty sandy beaches, majestic mountains with fabulous walking, and is steeped in
history tinged with a Celtic feel. Santander is a pleasant seaside town with
great beaches.
Thursday afternoon.
