Brittany
Ferries operate between two and four sailings daily from Portsmouth to Caen. In
the winter months these journeys are carried out by the two cruise ferries, the
Mont St Michel and the Normandie, sometimes joined by the Barfleur, whilst the Fast
Ferry Normandie Express augments the service between mid March to the end of October.
The ferries take around 6 hours to make the daytime crossing and about 7 hours at
night. The Normandie Express whisks you across in just 3 and three quarter hours.
The Mont St Michel is a fine modern vessel, truly deserving of the title Cruise
Ferry. There is a
real feeling of spaciousness throughout the ship, and the car decks themselves cover
a total length of 2 kilometres. On board are all the facilities expected of a modern
ferry, with a table service restaurant where you can dine while the sea slips by,
a self-service restaurant, a coffee shop and a bar. With over 200 cabins and over
400 reclining seats there is plenty of space for rest and relaxation, as well as
2 cinemas, a games room, programmed entertainment for children, and onboard shopping
to keep you occupied.
The
Normandie is the sister ship to Brittany Ferries' Bretagne, and although slightly
smaller than the Mont St Michel it offers pretty much identical facilities. Both
ships have WiFi access available, and both offer a full range of cabin types from
two berth up to the luxurious Commodore Class, and both ships have cabins suitable
for disabled passengers.
The Fast Ferry Normandie Express can carry 235 cars, and with 850 seats for a
mximum 850 passengers, nobody will be standing! To ensure
you won't go hungry during the short trip there is a self-service café and a bar.
So that you can stretch your legs and enjoy the fine weather there is an open viewing
deck. The onboard shop stocks a selection of quality items at competitive prices.
Portsmouth is a bustling maritime city with a recently redeveloped waterfont,
so if you're early for the ferry you can take advantage of its many restaurants
and bars. The ferry terminal is right at the end of the M275, making it
one of the easiest of all ferry terminals to access. The M275 links directly
to the M27 which in turn links into the rest of the UK motorway network,
so wherever you're coming from, Portsmouth is very convenient.
The ferries actually dock in France at Ouistreham, which is about 15 km
from Caen and the A13 Autoroute. Caen is an old city with commercial and
industrial surroundings. The old town retains a large part of its ancient
walls, and is worth a few hours of exploration.
Paris is about 2 and a half hours away, or you can head west towards Brittany,
reaching Rennes in less than 2 hours. The N158 heading south has recently been upgraded
and is now mostly dual carriageway until it joins the A28. It takes about 2 hours
to reach Le Mans.
real feeling of spaciousness throughout the ship, and the car decks themselves cover
a total length of 2 kilometres. On board are all the facilities expected of a modern
ferry, with a table service restaurant where you can dine while the sea slips by,
a self-service restaurant, a coffee shop and a bar. With over 200 cabins and over
400 reclining seats there is plenty of space for rest and relaxation, as well as
2 cinemas, a games room, programmed entertainment for children, and onboard shopping
to keep you occupied.
The
Normandie is the sister ship to Brittany Ferries' Bretagne, and although slightly
smaller than the Mont St Michel it offers pretty much identical facilities. Both
ships have WiFi access available, and both offer a full range of cabin types from
two berth up to the luxurious Commodore Class, and both ships have cabins suitable
for disabled passengers.
you won't go hungry during the short trip there is a self-service café and a bar.
So that you can stretch your legs and enjoy the fine weather there is an open viewing
deck. The onboard shop stocks a selection of quality items at competitive prices.
