Marlins to Spain

[dave_kitson]

Hi All

As a result of my announcement at the Derbyshire bash and the piece in the last Pitstop, a few people have expressed an interest in taking the cars to N. Spain for a short break next year. The prices are now on the Brittany Ferries website, but you do need to put in a date sometime in next year to pull up next years prices. Cantabria region looks favourite.

Any other interested parties, please reply to this posting or give me a call. Details in last Pitstop. Those expressing an interest so far are: Sue Roedel, Lee Hunter, Doug & Liz Billing, Duncan Gilbert & US.

Sue - Are any dates fixed for other events early season? Stoneleigh I expect will be 1/2 May, but what about Scotland, Marches & Lakes?

I'll give folks a few days to reply to this, then come up with a few suggestions for more detailed discussion. Y viva Espana!

Cheers - Dave & Caroline

[lizbillings]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi Dave. Have tried a couple of times to get a brochure out of Brittany ferries but nothing doing yet. Not sure if we can get as Doug has no work. regards Liz

[andy-rogers]

Re: Marlins to Spain

I must have missed this. Certainly am interested - do we have an approximate date in mind? Can we plan it so we avoid the plain in Spain, as I have no roof!
Andy

[peter.crowther4]

Re: Marlins to Spain

I had cause to investigate P and O ferries to Bilbao earlier this year and in doing so discovered you can gain a huge discount if you book for 20 persons or more. About £250 for a car and two persons was suggested. They have a special "group bookings" manager at Portsmouth. Worth investigating if you get the numbers up.

Cheers

Pete C

[lizbillings]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi Dave. Got the brochure. What hotel/s had you in mind?
Regards Liz

[KitCarGirl]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi Dave

Events as follows:

Stoneleigh 1 & 2 may
Exmoor Run (revived) 8th May
Marches 5th & 6th June
Lakes 24th & 25th July

You mentioned end of May beginning of June? The Marches will be the casualty but I am sure Rob and Terresa would understand.

Sue

[robcawte]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Morning Dave
Put me down for a place in the sun, give you a ring to chat about number of days and when.
Cheers, Bob

[dave_kitson]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi All

Sorry for delay, there was a problem with posting a reply, but hopefully the website is mended now. I see a few more have now expressed interest, and the prices for next year are now on the Brittany Ferries website. You will have to enter a date sometime in 2010 to pull up next years prices.

I think Cantabria is the region to go for. The hotel we used 10 years ago is still listed and looks a good starting point. To get much cheaper we'd have to stay in Santander which would be missing the point really. Easy to pay much more though! Have a look and see if anything else grabs you - we used the El Rebeco in Fuente De.

The packages are for a day each way on the ferry and 3, 4 or 7 nights in the hotel. This is to coincide with the sailings, some are from Plymouth and some from Portsmouth, so it's possible to come back to a different port! As sailings are early morning, a night in Plymouth on the way out will be necessary for some too. It depends whether you view the travelling as part of your holiday, if you think the shorter breaks are worthwhile. The prices are per person based on two sharing, ie one car, one cabin and one room, and for B&B only. There is a single supplement which will affect some of you.

Prices for the El Rebeco in Fuente De are (3/4/7nts//sgl):
Up to 19/5/10 - 221/250/409//46
20/5 to 30/6 - 287/316/524//46
Based on date of outward sailing I presume.

Sue - thanks for dates (I've not got Pitstop yet!), is Exmoor just the Saturday? Or is it a weekend? What about accommodation? I'm just wondering, as it's down that corner of the country, if it might be feasable to go directly from there to Plymouth for Spain. Hmmmm!

Have a peruse and a ponder, and let me know if you have any other ideas or preferences, then we'll try to pin down the date and hotel, etc.

Cheers - Dave & Caroline

[dave_kitson]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi All

Quick update, as I'm slowly getting the hang of Brittany Ferries website! It appears that sailings are afternoon not morning as stated above, which means it should be possible to get to the port on the day, avoiding an overnight stop this side.

Liz tells me that the Exmoor run is on the Saturday, with folks staying overnight camping or B&B, then do your own thing Sunday. There is a Sunday sailing from Plymouth, so it looks perfectly feasible to combine the two events if you want.

As I understand it, the appropriate sailings to do this would be:
Sun 09/05/10 Plymouth-Santander depart 1630 arrive 1300
Thu 13/05/10 Santander-Plymouth depart 1500 arrive 0930
This would be a 3 night stay in Spain, cost 442 pounds for 2 people, 267 for a single. I think!

Cheers - Dave

[lizbillings]

Re: Marlins to Spain

This format for the Exmoor run is based on previous runs. May need to check with Hugh that this is correct.

[dave_kitson]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi All
I've just made a tentative enquiry with Brittany Ferries, to get a better idea of costs. Unless we are a coach party, I don't think we'll qualify for group discount!

The quoted prices are for B&B in the hotel only, so the other meals in Spain are additional, as are ALL meals onboard ship. The buffet dinner onboard is 19.50 so other options are going to be in that ballpark.

I'm just starting to wonder if this is all getting a bit pricey. I don't remember it being too bad 10 years ago, but maybe we had more disposable income then! How does anyone else feel? Or have you found a better alternative?

Cheers - Dave

[KitCarGirl]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi Dave

My 2 pennies worth is that going from Exmoor wil be fine if we are not camping. I usually do camp which means I would have a shed load of camping gear to lug to Spain. Not preferred. No reason why I couldn't get B&B but it would have be for 2 nights and then the cost increases immediately.

Were you thinking of just three days in Spain? Seems a lot of travelling for so few days there? However the 7 days looks much more pricey so I would favour the 4....

Happy to let people decide and book and I'll just pay the money. Or are you thinking we book individually?

[lizbillings]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Doug was working things out and reckoned it had to be 3 days or 7, something to do with ferry.
The alternative would be to take tent and camp.

[dave_kitson]

Re: Marlins to Spain

Hi Again
I think Doug is right. If we go on the Sunday, you can only get 3 or 7 nights. You need to travel on a different day to be able to get the 4 day option, possibly from Portsmouth. Both factors then clobber the idea of going straight from Exmoor. It is remarkably tricky to work out the options from the BF website! 3 nights only gives you 2 full days (Tue, Wed) in the Picos.

Getting ferry only, again you're limited to the intervals of 3, 4 or 7 days. I haven't checked the ferry price, and I don't know how easy it is to camp. If we take our own gear, space becomes a serious issue for anyone who is 2-up, unless you use a trailer, then the ferry cost goes up. Which is why I thought a package would be the thing to do.

And another thing - Where's me Pitstop? Can't blame us posties this time!
Cheers - Dave

[KitCarGirl]

Re: Marlins to Spain

OK, looks like the 3 day option then! What dates are we discussing please??

You should have your PITSTOP by now! I'm miffed it still hasn't arrived for some people. I'll be contacting the Printer about this. Grrrrr!