Brittany
Ferries operates three return crossings per week by car ferry from Portsmouth to
Santander making it easy to take your
car to Spain. The ferry service between Portsmouth
and Santander is operated by the two fastest ships in Brittany Ferries' fleet, the
Pont Aven and the Cap Finistere.
The Cap Finistere also operates
mini-cruises between Portsmouth
and Santander offering all the facilities of this luxurious ship , a short stay
in Santander, plus there's always the chance of spotting whales or dolphins en-route.
The Pont-Aven also operates between Plymouth and Santander, sharing the journeys
so that effectively there are four journeys a week between the UK and Northern Spain.
So you could sail out from Plymouth and return to Portsmouth, or vice versa, giving
you greater flexibility in your choice of crossing dates.
The crossing takes just
24 hours making this the speediest way to get from Portsmouth to Northern Spain.
Because the Pont-Aven is such a magnificent ship, perhaps the most highly specified
ferry sailing from the UK, your trip is not only easy, it's a holiday in itself.
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.
As well as similar facilities to the Pont Aven, the Cap Finistere boasts an outdoor
heated swimming pool and is capable of speeds up to 30 mph.
Both vessels offer catering facilities are up to the standard you would expect from
a French owned company, 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.
The journey to Santander crosses the Bay of Biscay, a great place for whale watching
and dolphin spotting. 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.
Portsmouth has recently re-invented itself as a trendy waterside city,
so if you can't make it to the ferry terminal without an overnight stop
you could do worse than spend an evening in Portsmouth. The waterfont area
has plenty of restaurants and bars to while away the time. 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.
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.
A car makes a big difference to a holiday in this area, as public transport is not
great. It enables you to explore the fantastic coastline of Asturias, Cantabria
and Galicia, as well as venturing inland to the stunning scenery of the Picos de
Europa. So save yourself the trouble of driving dowm through France, enjoy the crossing
on the Pont-Aven and explore this still largely unspoilt corner of Europe.
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.
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
reddit
StumbleUpon