The best thing about Brittany is that they register their ships in France and have properly employed crews. A lot of other ferry lines sub this out to flags of other countries whilst Brittany sticks to it roots. Well done and yes I understand the ships hull is made in China but having travelled on the Salamanca many of the other fittings, important ones, were also European.
I have been sober now for nearly 7 years, but of course, i have bad days. Any time i am feeling down or lonely i put one of your videos on, even if its just on in the background. It always makes me feel like i have a friend. So, if you ever think of giving up or doubt what youre doing, please remember that you, in a very real way, save peoples lives. Keep up the vlogs!!!
What a fantastic voyage and a great video! Funny because I'm just editing a ferry trip just now as well :) Oh and I totally fell for your fake window at the start. Bravo mate!
Cheers Steve, took me a while to do this one! Really enjoyed the trip though, I’m definitely going to do a few more ferry trips when I can. The window’s a nice touch isn’t it - totally wasn’t expecting that one 😊👍
I've done this trip before with my late husband and 3 young kids. We all enjoyed the crossing. My kids saw dolphins and a low flying military plane. The sea was a bit rough in places though.
A really enjoyable video, Mark, with some stunning scenic shots👏. The cabin looked very spacious and I had to do a double take as that picture was very realistic! £30 very good value for the entry to the food lounge. After a bit of a stressful day, your video was just what we needed, thank you😊
Hi Sheila, thanks very much for the comment and yes, hope this video de-stressed you a bit! I’ve been working all week in my normal job and trying to edit this in the evenings when I’ve got an hour here and there. Glad to see people enjoying it and it definitely makes it worthwhile putting the effort in when I get comments like yours. Hope you have a calmer weekend 😊
Remember to take your wife as SHE TOO needs that calm and more than you as she carried thise six for nine months each and bringing them up with their (time and energy) necessities as a baby
@@roquedsa9125 Thanks for your thoughts , I have total respect for motherhoodit has been my life’s mission to support her role as Anesidora and I take every opportunity to put her and our children’s needs first . For the first time in many years we are in the position again to get small moments of repose both together and alone . Its healthy for a continuum for one to have time alone and meditate upon their own thoughts as it adds gravitas and clarity to those which concern others in daily situations .
This has been on my bucket list for a while so great to see you do a video on the sailing. I think it’s partially just for the length of the sailing and also how close the port is to Downtown Santander when you arrive. Glad the Bay of Biscay was behaving itself. Maybe something I will do in the next 3 years after my U.S. cross country trip this month. So many places to see and not enough time to do everything !
Cheers mate, yes I agree, there’s too much to see, not enough time! Tbh, after I’d got down to Santander I had to fly back the same day, otherwise I’d have stayed a couple of nights. Straight out of the port terminal, cross the road, right in he heart of the city. A lovely place with plenty to see but most people drive straight off the ferry and head for the south I’d imagine.
You were so lucky with the weather. The bay of Biscay was much rougher when I went in August a few years ago, luckily mostly overnight so I could sleep through it- I’m not a bad traveller but eating and drinking gets physically tricky when everything is rocking and rolling.
I’ve had a few rough(ish) crossings down there in the past so yep, quite lucky this time but maybe it owed me one! I find sleeping harder than eating when it’s rough tbh.
If you go on a ferry in bad weather, how do you avoid being sea sick? I just have to look at a ferry, and i begin to go green around the gills ! Love watching your brilliant videos though . Stupid to travel with a knife and not expect intrest from security !
I never did the Pride of Bilbao - probably the only ship I regret not sailing on when I had the chance. It was good to see a bit of competition on the UK - Spain routes at the time too.
We have used this ferry a number of times. My wife is from Biarritz (South of France) and we visit her parents. Taking our young grandsons. This works out a great deal easier than driving the length of France from Cherbourg. A return ferry journey, with four bed cabin, works out cheaper then a ferry to Cherbourg and driving the length of France (c600 miles) and back. And, I do not have to drive for some nine hours each way.
Oh absolutely, I would certainly take this ferry (or the Bilbao route) saves so much driving and as I always say, is part of the holiday anyway. Cheers for the comment 😊👍
They certainly have changed the Portsmouth terminal. I remember the previous incarnation when I once got the ferry to Jersey. Not the best idea of arriving at 0330 in the morning on the coach and having to wait until embarkation at just after 0800 but at least it was sheltered
Fab video. Certainly a lot calmer than the ferry from the IOM and those sunsets were stunning. As always after watching one of your uploads, I think…”I want to try that.” Brilliant work mate.
Great video! The cost breakdown was helpful at £247.... & a good deal i.e. 2 nights accomodation, unlimited food & a relaxing, scenic trip (lol, when the weather behaves itself). I was costing the trip by flight from Stanstead to Santander & while cheaper & quicker also involved more 'connections' depending on the time you want to arrive- getting a tube or taxi to Liverpool St through central London to get to the Stanstead Express....getting through airport security (always feel like its a cattle call) then waiting to board and squeeze yourself into seats that seem to be getting smaller each time I fly....or is it me getting bigger, lol?) then the disembarking AND repeating it all again on the return. Bottom line? I think we'll take the ferry. The extra cost is a small price to pay for fewer hassles, potential delays & overall stress levels. I WILL check your video on the 2016 crossing as I am told, the weather in the Bay of Biscay is more roougher than it is placid & calm. Anyway, Keep up the great work! Frank (Alberta, Canada)
Thanks Frank, yep I always think that, unlike a flight, the holiday starts when you get down to the port and then you get this sense of anticipation and of course once you’re onboard, it’s free food and drink all the way if you pay the extra for the lounge access. I think it’s well worth it tbh. The 2016 video btw is just a short clip I put on my Twitter page as, although it was certainly rough, I wasn’t doing the RU-vid thing at the time so it’s the only clip I’ve got! Cheers Frank and good luck with the trip. All the best, Mark 😊👍
We do this every year - usually on the much larger Pont Aven from Plymouth - but last year went on the brand new Salamanca... its nice.. I like the exclusive lounge and the cabins were nice, but this year we are back on the Pont Aven. I much prefer Santander to Bilbao port and the bigger ship. The new ones running on LPG are great - but I couldn't get away from the fumes while on deck... Not tried the Galacia yet, maybe next year.
Cheers Nigel, I agree Santander is a much nicer port to arrive into than Bilbao. I love the Pont Aven btw, probably equal to Bretagne of my favourite BF ships.
Just to say that I really enjoyed this vid- very informative and well narrated. I’m planning a trip on the ferry to Santander and back up through Spain and France on the motorbike, and this has been perfect for seeing what you get for your money on the Galicia. Thanks again.
Here’s Paul thanks for the comment. And yes the £30 I thought was pretty good. I reckon some of them in there were drinking significant volumes of alcohol. Much more than me! 😂👍
We travelled to Santander from Plymouth a few years ago , also with Brittany Ferries . Thank goodness we had a cabin , as about 20 minutes out of port it was really rough for the entire 22 hours ! We just stayed in the cabin, hanging on to the side of the beds so as not to fall out ! However sailing home was lovely, like a mini cruise ! Cantabria and Galicia are so beautiful though !
Confined to the cabin sounds pretty bad Chris. Rather you than me! Personally, I would have a cabin very time now - even a long crossing in the day. Glad the return leg was better!
Done this crossing a bit. Santander has some beautiful scenery. We travelled on a Royal Enfield motor bike down Santander coast. We were heading to tour Portugal. Motorways were not built then. a fantastic trip & every body we met were great.
I've done it a couple of times. My honest opinion: it's not worth it. You are stuck inside a boat that is not very large and the offers and comfort are very limited and it takes a very long time to actually reach the destination. You are better off doing Folkestone to Calais and then drive down, that can be achieved in 12 hours or less - or 20 if you decide to cut in half and stay at a hotel for some rest. On top of all of this, it's really expensive too. That's my experience anyway.
Hi Pedro, thanks for sharing your experience. Driving right across France to get to Santander in 12 hours must be going some! I’m not sure I’d enjoy being in a car in such a rush. Thing is, when I get to Portsmouth my holiday’s started. So I can relax on the boat for as long as it takes. Cheers.
Loved this - brought back happy memories as a kid on The Quiberon between Plymouth & Santander. Quite surprised that this was a two night crossing, as Plymouth to Santander was an easier 24 hours 35+ years ago!
I did this crossing end of November 2022 from Santander to Portsmouth and it was rough. Paid for the upgraded suite which is worth it as well as the c lounge. Unfortunately The dinner event did not state It had nuts on the menu and well being allergic to nuts meant I spent a good few hours with the French medical staff. Luckily after reporting this issue to Brittany they acknowledge the issue and gave me a large discount on a future booking with them To Note on rough crossings they close the outside upper decks probably for safety reasons.
Cheers DJG, not great about the nuts though, sorry to hear that! At least they gave you some compensation I guess! I think that closing of the decks is a safety thing yes. I’ve had that on one or two crossings which is always a sign it’s going to be rough isn’t it!
Small cabins extended travel time no stage area and no proper restaurant like you would get in Bretagne, Pont Aven Mont etc... oh well at least she is new and fresh... !!
Yep, I’ve been on all the BF fleet more than once and I totally get what you’re saying Richard. Do I prefer Pont Aven? Yes definitely and the Bretagne (a classic). I quite liked this though for a relaxing cruise down. The C-Club lounge was impressive and the staff great. Considering the inside cabin I had was the cheapest available, I thought it was pretty good too and spacious enough for me. Cheers for the comment. 👍
Hi Fraser, hope you found it worth watching! In my opinion, it’s definitely worth doing and hopefully the price of lounge access will stay reasonable for a while yet. 👍
The comment about people not deactivating their car alarms, to my knowledge this isn't possible on the majority of cars unless they are left unlocked? Unless I'm mistaken?
Please,just be aware that a berth in a cabin is just that. You may as I did,twenty years ago settle into 'your' cabin as a solo.traveller and then a six foot Swedish blond enters your room with her own key. A berth is a berth and not a cabin per se... (It was actually a six foot ginger Scotsman,but he was a good ginger)! Be aware....
Thanks Simon. On all Brittany Ferries ships, you pay for the cabin not the berth so there’s no chance anyone else will be sharing the space. Granted that’s not the case with all ferries though. Cheers.
I know! I like to use ‘casual’ language when I can as I feel it’s more natural to me and the channel is as much about entertainment and experience as factual information tbh. But yep, I’m aware of the risks(!) and there’s always one or two that’ll put me straight 😂
Is that right. Didn’t know Steve tbh and I wonder why? I hope it’s a seasonal thing but even then - not good and just kind of re-affirms the opinion that foot passengers are bottom of the list. I will investigate…..
A 21st century company still mired in old fashioned superstitious beliefs. You might think it a joke and funny, but seriously the mentality of the management of this company and some of their staff is more in line with superstious beliefs from centuries ago. They refuse to carry rabbits, using the excuse that " two versions, a rabbit might escape and eat a hole through the hull and cause the ship to sink. and the second, a rabbit might escape and chew through the wiring and again cause the ship to founder.After being surrounded by 12 laughing Guardia Civil armed with automatic weapons i can vouch for the ludicrous behaviour of their staff.
Interesting about the rabbits. Mind you I had a rabbit once and it’s teeth were like razor sharp. Went through a decent pair of headphones one evening which I wasn’t best pleased about!
New subscriber, your channel popped up on yt. Glad it did. Very interesting, 👍 looking forward to watching your past videos. Gee ferry's have come a long way since I was on one in the 80s. I live in Australia now. Great content mate. Love it.👍🇦🇺🇬🇧👍
Cheers James, appreciate the support and kind words. There are some pretty good ferries now operating out of the UK yes. Mind you, I still like some of the older, traditional ships like Brittany Ferries ‘Bretagne’. Hope Australia’s working out well, I’d love to get there one day soon myself! Cheers 😊👍
Same here Ian. If you’re not in a rush, relax and enjoy it, part of the holiday etc. I’ll hopefully be back on the Pont Aven next year so we’ll see how that’s doing too 👍
@LetsMakeaTrip we would like to see the Pont Aven on the Portsmouth Station. When I use the Pont Aven and the Cap Finistare and when they arrived in Spain. I still had to spend a night in a hotel before I set off the next day.
Done this many times.But took the car so that I could drive around northern Spain.The REAL Spain .NOT the Costas. I love Salamanca .The villages .Its great.
They are Michael. I’ve used Brittany Ferries a lot over the years. I think this was the only ship I hadn’t been on. They’re always a bit more than just a ferry I think. Great staff and feel to the voyage. Food can be a bit hit and miss sometimes but certainly nothing to complain about on this trip 👍
i loved the picured window in the room. psycologiacally its less clautrophobic a cabin without a window. i say brilliant brittany ferries for this touch
£250 !,.(said in a loud yorkshire accent),..how much to take a m/cycle/car/van/truck/caravan/camper ?, quite alot i would think, the few times ive shipped via portsmouth was on p&o, who have quit that port now i think, it was a good overnight xing to le havre back then , while your ship looked well looked after and clean it was a bit of a (borefest) for however many hours it took, was there any shops on board ? i'm afraid it would have turned into a "booze cruise" if there was a couple of you or a group, Its a good xing to avoid the long road trip and fuel costs of driving/riding down there, its a good job you didn't have a few coaches on board to, lucky to get a smooth xing at that time of year to, i really liked the fake sea view picture in your room to, .i bet you flew home tho ?,..
@@LetsMakeaTrip Deffo no Noel philips then ? i seem to spend most of my retired time watching travel based you tube videos, you must have watched those other intrepid shropshire travelers "Tread the globe" and loads of others doing the same ,.how do you fit your "day job" in with your adventures ? cheers.
Did this crossing 1974 summer time mv Patricia roughest for 25 years the pilot at santander was drowned the head barman was sick he'd been at sea for 20 years the sister ship the Eagle 2 big loading shovels broke their chains wrote off 70 odd cars before the crew could chain them down ...
Really useful and informative video! I’ve always fancied doing this crossing, taking my car to Spain for a couple of weeks, but the fares have always been unrealistic when I have checked.
Cheers James, yep car prices (especially in the summer) are seriously high. That’s why I thought I’d try the foot passenger option and it definitely paid off. Thing is, once you get off in Santander it’s five minutes max to the railway station and from there, well, you can go anywhere really. Try it 👍
I guess with the cars some do get stopped and searched but it’s certainly more random. I have, on occasion, had to open my boot for customs but nothing more than that.
I have done the trip from Portsmouth to Santander, its not something i would do again, £1500 return with a dog friendly cabin and the car, nice clean ship friendly staff, Internet was extra, i think it should be free, for some reason an hour before you arrive in Santander you have to take your pet to the car then leave them in the car with the windows open because it was so warm ,you then return to the cabin and have to wait for the ship to dock then back to the car where your dog is now panting. If you are not in a rush the ship is ok, it would be great if the ship docked in the morning especially if you have a long drive down through Spain , i have drove from Calais to southern Spain quicker than the ship,the ship is not for everyone especially if you only have a 2 or 3 week holiday, crossing the water is a big chunk out of the holiday, my experience on the ship was in 2018 things may have changed, enjoy your trip to Spain whichever way you travel.
I thought that looked a really nice way to get to Spain - relaxing, nice scenery, good food and wine, and that fake window in your cabin seemed to add a really good dimension tbh. I imagine it's a different story in high season with loads of kids and queues etc, but I guess with the lounge you can escape them!
Yep, ‘relaxing’ I agree is the key word here and of course it also helped that the sea was calm! I think it would be a different story in the summer yep and any lounge is normally a good place to get away from all that. Thanks for the comment, appreciated 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yep, your lucky you had a calm sea. I made that crossing years ago and was one of the worst experiences of my life. The weather was awful and no kidding i thought we weren't going to make it. People screaming, people throwing up everywhere, it was hell. If i need to go to the north of Spain again i'd rather walk, it was that bad.
We had some fun on thè Plymouth Santander crossing. We hit the tail end of a hurricane. Memorable and in an odd way fun. A twenty-four hr crossing turned into 36hrs. M.V QUIBERON.
Cheers Vernon, yeh I guess if you’re doing it all the time and it’s part of your job it could become tedious. What do you reckon is your best ship in terms of freight and driver facilities?
Cheers Mike, I hope you like it because I had a great time on it - really enjoyed it and I’d recommend it to anyone IF you can get in the C-Club lounge.
Yes I would Christine. Perfectly safe in my experience and the C-Club lounge is a nice calm space (though prices have increased significantly since I did this trip).
We have Portsmouth to Bibao crossing booked for the Spring on the same ship, so this was an interesting video. I like fake window in you cabin. BTW its a ship not a boat.
Thanks for the comment. Hope you enjoy the boat, I think I’ve tried pretty much every ship in the BF fleet and I thought this one was comparatively good. Cheers 😊👍
Perfectly fine imo. I could probably eat in there all day and not really bother with a full meal anywhere else but it may not be sufficient for everyone.
Remember doing this years and years ago with my parents, loved Santander . I ended up years later working for P & O for three years, going back and forward to Bilbao and a quick trip to Cherbourg every week [ Three weeks on, and two off} From there I hopped over to Princess where our contracts were for six months at a time . Some great ports and some not so great. Great video I certainly enjoyed it much appreciated
Wife and I did this journey on this ship last year. Took our motorcycles in the hold. Overall a good experience. We did find with the ferry being a two nighter, the bar was busy all of the first day. Liked the selection of films available on the TV in the cabin. Great food. Nicely made vid.
Cheers Banditmanuk, I never really used the bar tbh because, with the lounge access, it was kind of isolating in a way in that I just stayed in there and drank/ate all the free stuff (well it cost me £30 for the access but that was soon forgotten about I can tell you!). I’d do it again but yep, with the lounge access definitely 👍
Very much enjoy your videos, looks like a good standard of catering and accommodation on board, sea club sounds a must. Good preparation if you’re planning to enjoy the food of northern Spain
Thanks mate, appreciate the comment. Yep, the C-Club I would say is like an airport-style lounge but it’s basically open all the time so you’re going to be in there whenever you feel like something to eat or drink (I know I was). Great value for money 👍
Great vlog, probably the best BR vlog I’ve watched. I’ve been on the Galicia on an overnight to Cherbourg and thought the ship is good. But those food queues are it’s Achilles heel. I knew it was an issue so we got up early for breakfast and had no trouble but they quickly got extremely long. Indeed these problems have (according to BF) led to them now not including meals with the ticket on the Spain crossings. Only those booked before the change keep them. Thx for posting the vlog
Thanks Alan, yes that does make sense to me about meals. When I emerged from the restaurant honestly there was a massive queue and a lot of people would’ve missed out on the start of the football that was showing on the night in question. So I bet that didn’t go down too well! And tbh, if it hadn’t been included for me, I would’ve just eaten the food in the lounge. Whilst that wouldn’t have been a proper meal, it would’ve been enough for me (and my budget).
Top quality video, thanks. Good to see the French always proudly fly their tricolour from their ships rather than some flag of convenience to save a few bob. Didn't do P & O ferries much good, even though such ships as the Pride of Bilbao were great fun to travel in, great bars, brilliant shows, etc. In the Summer, specially, it was one long party and, in rough seas, wall to wall vomit...:-). We suspected they turned the stabilisers off to save fuel or something.
Cheers Ernesto. I’ve heard this about the stabilisers before - there must be some truth in it. No comparison between BF and P&O really. One is a class act, the other, well, recent history says it all!
This is kind of a bucket list trip to do ever since I learned about it many, many years ago but kids etc got in the way. Now I have time, however..... 😉 The Galicia looked much better than a few people I know who've done the crossing have led me to understand. Okay, it's not got the glitz of a cruise ship... but it's a ferry ffs! That meal you had was on a par with what we had recently on a Caribbean cruise. Don't think the price is too bad, especially considering what is included, specially if you pay for the Sea Club lounge. Would love to see a video of what you found as a foot passenger to do in Santander?
It was a pretty decent ferry. Some people have commented that the price of the lounge has increased quite a bit. Depends when you go to a certain extent (I was out of season on my trip). You cannot go wrong though for the money, I just never needed to buy any food and drink on board at all. What I would also recommend is the Pont Aven, that is a great ship I’m definitely going to try again soon.
Question I don’t have the answer to is whether numbers are limited? I booked it when I booked the rest of the fare. Otherwise, breakfast on its own would’ve cost me £15 x2 plus a lunch, plus drinks both nights and during the day. But I’m not sure if you can book it on the boat so to speak.
@@LetsMakeaTrip i was on salamanca rosslare to bilbao december 28/12/22 and i paid €45 extra onboard at reception to access the c class lounge which paid for itself ...but i heard from a fellow passanger that c class lounge during the summer months rosslare to bilbao is going up in price to €70 p/p to access...will the same price rise (if true) affect uk/spain route .....great upload really enjoyed...
@@MR.T.. not surprised it’s costing that much in the summer when it’s rammed. Is it still worth it then? Not so sure, I might stick to winter crossings if so😊👍
It was warmer in Santander MH, I must admit 😂 Enjoyed Portsmouth though, I had a couple of hours round the dockyard before heading out to the ferry terminal and it looked really interesting. Hoping to get back in the summer and try out the hovercraft 👍
Less calm! Yep, it was quite unusual in my experience of that route tbf I was expecting some movement. And yes, the window in the cabin’s great isn’t it. Cheers Peter 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yes, that fake window is brilliant. Am also convinced your minibus was a converted ambulance 😂 Also amazed at how someone would be stupid enough to try and take a flick knife through security.
@@peterskegness3204 yep, I mean you wouldn’t buy a minibus and make it look like an ambulance would you 😂 The flick knife story, well, what happened was the guy (nice enough couple actually), he handed it over obviously, but wanted it sent back to his home address in Canada! The hold-up was all about that!
I really enjoyed that, one or two moments when your voice was completely muffled outside but apart from that a very interesting vlog. I've subscribed! Cheers from the Isle of Wight.
Pricey..... didn't think about it until you mentioned it right at the end but cruise ships for the basics are roughly 100 GBP PER NIGHT . So even with a free class thrown in , dear isn't it . Hope Santander was worth a look round . 15 years at sea myself ,never been there lol.
Why does it take 21 hours from Plymouth to Santander, but 30 hours from Portsmouth? I realise Plymouth is nearer, but surely not 9 hours difference. The ferry journey is turgid. The idea of 9 hours more is horrible.
Cheers Ian, all to do with efficiency and environmental aspects I would guess. Doesn’t particularly bother me tbh as I always think the holiday starts when I get on the ship.
The evening meal was only included in the ticket price for journeys booked before 30th November 2022. For journeys booked after this date you will have to pay for all your meals on board.
