How are we feeling about 2021?

[Rynglieder]

I've just taken the plunge and booked a ferry and some of the accommodation for a 2-3 week run around France for August.

I's all "free cancellation" but have I been too bold?

[O.C.]

no i don't think you've been too bold, making that booking gives you something positive to look forward  to,  we all need some positivity  at the moment

EDIT:  I'm hoping to be out on my bike before too long        

[Rusty]

Yes .. positive. It can only get better ... I have bits and bobs booked for the latter part of the year ... July and September so fingers crossed all will be well by then.   

[GLA55Y]

Which ferry company did you use? I'm looking at using Brittany ferries in June but the website isnt working very well !

[flatfour]

We've arranged Switzerland (Grindelwald) for mid - August, routing either through Calais, Zeebrugge or Hook of Holland. I've left the choice of crossing for now, if Calais is problematic we'll use one of the others. Myself and wife will be on the K1300GT, our daughter on her NC700X.

I would much prefer the Tunnel though, as all of the family suffer sea sickness!

I'm also out solo to Dornoch (Scotland) in June to visit my brother and we hope to make our visit to Japan in September (postponed from last year).

[Rynglieder]

Which ferry company did you use? I'm looking at using Brittany ferries in June but the website isnt working very well !

I'm using Brittany Ferries on the Portsmouth - St-Malo route. I didn't run into any problems booking (except that doing it in August is much more expensive than the usual May slot that I would have used). Hopefully June will work out for you, but I have gone for later in the summer in the hope that things may have settled a bit by then and I'll have some vaccine inside me!

[Rynglieder]

We've arranged Switzerland (Grindelwald) for mid - August, routing either through Calais, Zeebrugge or Hook of Holland. I've left the choice of crossing for now, if Calais is problematic we'll use one of the others. Myself and wife will be on the K1300GT, our daughter on her NC700X.

I would much prefer the Tunnel though, as all of the family suffer sea sickness!

I'm also out solo to Dornoch (Scotland) in June to visit my brother and we hope to make our visit to Japan in September (postponed from last year).

Heading in that direction I would have considered Dover - Dunkirk with DFDS. The tunnel is OK, but based on previous experience there are often delays in the main summer months and I find that the overall time is not that much quicker. You can have your lunch break on the ferry which pulls a bit of time back and it drops you on to Belgian and German motorways which are toll free unlike France. Good luck with you trip  :)

[flatfour]

Thanks for the tip.

We've used the Tunnel since it opened and, certainly in recent years it seems to operate erratically most of the while and, the flexibility that existed of old, where if you turned up and held a ticket valid within the next 24 hours they would load you onto the next train, is long gone.

The family record on seasickness is, however the stuff of legend and so anything that floats fills us with terror! Once years ago, my daughter and I hired a Pedalo for an hour on the beachfront and, after only ten minutes or so, the operator had to come and rescue his boat, we were face down on the beach eating sand. Even so, the family persuaded me to charter a boat for whale watching and lunch at sea. The charter was due to last four hours, however within the hour we were back in our hotel trying to stop the room from spinning around.

Therefore, I think that I'll book the Tunnel and, if things look difficult, hold the ferry as a fall - back position.

Finally, I don't think it is the crossing that presents the major challenge. This is reserved for any need to provided negative Covid tests within 72 hours between countries, should it still be the case, as I don't see it as being practical (maybe not even possible?) when transiting home and moving every day along the way.

[Lonewolf]

Colin, I am part of your club! Many years ago I sailed Plymouth to Santander, I knew this for a fact as I remember getting on the ferry at Plymouth and getting off at Santander.


The bit in the middle is very unclear although I can still remember specific details about the toilets in which I spent many hours examining the quality of the porcelain.

[flatfour]

Some years ago when I owned the GTR and my daughter rode with me for our overseas trips rather than on her own bike, I arranged as usual to collect her at Ashford Services for the Tunnel crossing (she was able to arrange a lift from friends to there from her London home - I would then drop her at Harlow railway station on the way home).

Unusually this time, she was rather late and I fell into conversation with a Gold Wing owner from the North, who was similarly waiting for his son to join him from Cornwall on his own Gold Wing for their crossing by sea. We found that we were staying at the same hotel in Reims that night and so arranged to meet for dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. Both his son and my daughter arrived at around the same time, and we headed off for our respective crossings.

It was quite a journey down to Reims with vicious crosswinds though as usual, thanks to the weight and stability of the GTR, we arrived in good shape. A while later, we walked out to look for the Gold Wing riders and their bikes, who were nowhere to be seen. We changed for dinner and set out for the short walk to the restaurant complex and, as we left the hotel car park saw both father and son lay on the grass bank that borders it groaning. Thinking that they might have had an accident, we went over to them whereupon they told us that they had boarded their ferry as normal, however the gales in Calais had prevented them from docking. For two hours they were stuck out at sea being violently sick the whole time and had just managed to make it to the hotel (using autoroute) before finally collapsing where we had found them.

They didn't want to join us for dinner, but did say that they were going back through the Tunnel!

[Nitty Gritty]

Some laws changed during covid that might affect refunds from French, Swiss and Italian hotels. I'm not a hundred percent on the details, but understand the hotels can keep your money for upto 18 months, to help them survive the pandemic. I read it somewhere in a news article sometime between March and June last year. I've probably got it half cocked but might be worth checking or using the likes of booking.com or similiar for the free cancellation policy rather than booking direct.

[Rusty]

Nitty, you are probably right. I am sure they would want to keep your money for as long as possible and all very understandable. I personally and especially in these Covid times wouldn't give anyone my money until I arrive at the hotel and the front door is open.

[O.C.]

Nitty, you are probably right. I am sure they would want to keep your money for as long as possible and all very understandable. I personally and especially in these Covid times wouldn't give anyone my money until I arrive at the hotel and the front door is open.

Aaaah,  a man after my own heart      

[pross]

Booking.com just in case upto a week before I think free cancellation on my booking up Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 👍

[Rynglieder]

Thanks for the tip.

We've used the Tunnel since it opened and, certainly in recent years it seems to operate erratically most of the while and, the flexibility that existed of old, where if you turned up and held a ticket valid within the next 24 hours they would load you onto the next train, is long gone.

The family record on seasickness is, however the stuff of legend and so anything that floats fills us with terror! Once years ago, my daughter and I hired a Pedalo for an hour on the beachfront and, after only ten minutes or so, the operator had to come and rescue his boat, we were face down on the beach eating sand. Even so, the family persuaded me to charter a boat for whale watching and lunch at sea. The charter was due to last four hours, however within the hour we were back in our hotel trying to stop the room from spinning around.

Therefore, I think that I'll book the Tunnel and, if things look difficult, hold the ferry as a fall - back position.

Finally, I don't think it is the crossing that presents the major challenge. This is reserved for any need to provided negative Covid tests within 72 hours between countries, should it still be the case, as I don't see it as being practical (maybe not even possible?) when transiting home and moving every day along the way.

In those circumstances the tunnel is indeed your friend :)