Travel: the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry is still first choice for the South East
Latest 7 finds the perfect holiday starts at sea – no airport in sight
We are so lucky in Sussex to have such a range of great options when it comes to travel to France but when you are heading for a family holiday nothing beats piling the car up and heading for Newhaven, and the ferry to Dieppe.
It’s not just that it’s cheap – though it is (currently from £47 each way for a car and four passengers). It’s not just that it’s practical, though it’s that too – pack what you need, no weight restrictions and return laden with wonderful food and wine. There is just a certain romance and excitement about crossing the sea by ferry at the start of a holiday.
The secret of the potentially awkward four-hour trip is to always book a cabin. Day or night, it is worth the small additional cost to have one’s own en-suite private quarters, somewhere to leave your bags, to read and relax, or to sleep. Though the ferry has plenty to entertain with onboard facilities including a restaurant and bar with – of course -sea views, and an onboard shop, your holiday really does start the moment you drive onto the ship.
We have frequently driven from Dieppe to the south of France or even northern Spain in a day, but for our most recent trip we were heading for Paris. Versailles to be precise, once a separate country village and now a pretty suburb of Paris.
Although we planned to enjoy Paris to the full, we needed some time lounging by a pool soaking up the sun and recharging. With this in mind we had booked a fully furnished log cabin at Huttopia, a three-star ‘campsite’ just five minutes from the stunning Palace of Versailles, and only 20 minutes from the Eiffel Tower, on the RER line. This charming forest site was the perfect base for our family of five. We adored our comfortable wooden cabin with its own sun terrace – and kitchen, bathroom, lounge, and three bedrooms too (bedding and towels provided) and lounging by the pool was the perfect start or end to a day exploring Paris or Versailles.
If we had stayed a couple more days we could easily have fitted in
Disneyland Paris. On a more serous note, many people will be travelling to Normandy this year to visit the Battlefields of Northern France with so many special events planned to mark the centenary of World War I.
Of course Normandy is also gourmand’s dream, with its fabulous array of regional food and wines including the celebrated Cheese and Cider Route and has an extensive calendar of cultural and historical events throughout the year.
FACTS
DFDS Seaways operates the exclusive Newhaven-Dieppe service with two return sailings daily and a crossing time of four hours.
The four-hour Newhaven to Dieppe service operates twice daily, departing Newhaven at 10.00 and 23.00 and returning from Dieppe at 05.30 and 18.00.
Fares start from £39 each way for a car and two passengers and foot
passengers from £15 each way.
For latest special offers and to book: www.dfdsseaways.co.uk
