Newhaven to Dieppe ferry.

[coach2000]

Hello all. Good to be back on the forum after a long time without posting.

Has anyone had experience of travelling this route in January. I have not  done this route before and it looks a much better price than the Dover route (Especially with the 20% off). It is in the right direction for me as I am going down towards Bordeaux.

Also it is 3 years since I drove through France. Is it still okay to drive through Rouen, round Rennes, Caen, Nantes and Bordeaux on the ring roads since the emissions charges started being introduced. I have the cit-air sticker. If anyone has any knowledge, it would also help.

I know it is an odd route to go, but it is a cheap route motorway wise and having lived in the Vendee for a short time I always go and have a look what has changed.

Looking forard to your comments,

Clive,

 

[Brian Kirby]

Your experience of the ferry will inevitably depend on the weather.  Newhaven Dieppe is approximately 75 miles, and the crossing take approximately 4 hours.  On a calm day it will be fine.  On a rough day, it can be purgatory.  The sea tends to run at about 45 degrees to the ferry's course, so you will be very likely to experience a combination of pitch and roll.  Some (from past experience!) apparently find this very unsettling, with inevitable consequences, which they do not always manage to control.  The result, especially in the toilets, can be, er, interesting?!  The ships are stabilised, but this results in somewhat abrupt lurches as the stabilisers arrest the rolls, so the ship never settles to an easy motion to which one can acclimatise.  So, it is a risk, especially if you are prone to motion sickness.

There is a quite long, recent, string on here regarding Rouen.  Just use the search facility and enter Rouen.  The rules for transiting other cities vary, as does the extent of the LEZ.  You'll need to check what is required/permitted in each case.  They also vary depending on the colour of your Crit'Air sticker, and in some cases, the time of day you might transit.

[Zydeco Joe]

Thanks Brian you have just made the decision to stick to our normal Dover - Calais the way to go to Spain in a few weeks the one for us. Were for the first-time thinking of going the Newhaven Dieppe route but after reading your post now sorted on what would be best for us. The possible time/miles saved not worth the risk not that in the real world you save that much looking at the sailing times from Newhaven. Maybe in the summer not in the winter for us.

[coach2000]

Thanks Brian. Very useful info, it would be risky not knowing what the weather is like till the day. From past experience being sat sheltering under the cliffs for 4 hours in Dover not being able to get into the harbour I would not fancy a 4 hour plus rough crossing. Will probably go from Dover as usual.

Clive

 

[Derek Uzzell]

On 11/11/2022 at 5:54 PM, Brian Kirby said:

...There is a quite long, recent, string on here regarding Rouen.  Just use the search facility and enter Rouen.  The rules for transiting other cities vary, as does the extent of the LEZ.  You'll need to check what is required/permitted in each case.  They also vary depending on the colour of your Crit'Air sticker, and in some cases, the time of day you might transit.

This is the forum thread Brian refers to

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/54054-south-through-rouen/

The Rouen department that deals with the city's 'clean-air' regulations was asked whether the rules that apply to French-registered motorhomes (that have an exemption until June 30 2024) also apply to foreign-registered motorhomes. However, I don't know if there has been a response.

Currently 11 French cities have a clean-air (ZFE) zone. These are Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Aix-Marseille, Nice, Toulon, Toulouse, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Rouen and Reims – but the intention is that, by the end of 2025, the zones will be compulsory for any urban settlement that has more than 150,000 inhabitants. In total this would be around 40 French towns and cities.

[coach2000]

Thanks for the link Derek. It may be easier to just try another route instead of risking any of the city ring roads. Some of the information on the french clean air sites is not easy to understand. Also I have only got the orange sticker with a 3 on it.

Looking at Toulouse, the airport at Blagnac is outside the zone so I should be alright to go there.

Got a problem with the engine at the moment so I may have to delay the trip.

Clive.