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Ferries

I have toured the continent by motorcycle a number of times using various different ferry routes and one of the best in terms of both value and quality, (apart from the loading/unloading of your bike), are DFDS Seaways which sail from Newcastle (North Shields Ferry Terminal) to Amsterdam (Ijmudien), (click on logo below for web site and on-line booking). The ferries are very modern with excellent cabins, restaurants, bars, cinema and nightclub. As I live in the north east of England it is only a 40ml ride to the North Shields Ferry Terminal instead of 350mls to either Dover or Portsmouth, (a huge saving in both fuel and time). The only draw back is, as with other foreign owned ferry companies, they generally provide you with little or no assistance with tying down your bike. They also seem to squeeze you into the smallest possible space with the result that I secure the Pan’s mirrors with tape to prevent them constantly being knocked off by people squeezing past. I had made the assumption that your bike is classed as cargo and therefore is the responsibility of the ferry company until you get to your destination, therefore they, not you, should be responsible for ensuring that it is safely stowed for the journey. It would appear however, at least from the one’s that I have traveled on, that ever since the unfortunate incident involving the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, British owned ferry companies do now ensure that your bike is safely stowed using proper tie downs and padding where necessary. However as regards the foreign owned ferry companies, if you wish to protect your pride and joy from damage you should consider carrying with you a couple of decent tie down straps and some suitable padding to protect your bike’s paintwork.

(2009 - Went to Prague this year using DFDS and got so fed up with the way they treat bikers with regards to tying /untying your bike that we decided to corner the Purser and complain. We mentioned that we regarded the bikes as cargo and that the ferry company had a duty to ensure that cargo was secured properly but to no avail. She stated that as they had in the past had a large number of claims for damage to motorcycles that the company ruling was that the rider was entirely responsible for securing his machine. Strangely enough, when I used Norfolk Lines last year I was talking to the loadmaster as we were waiting to board with the bikes, and he was saying that the company was surprised at the increasing number of motorcyclists now using Norfolk Lines. We explained the situation regarding DFDS and he said he would pass on our comments to his management).

Norfolk Ferries                                                                                                                                                                                     I have now used them a number of times and, in short, they are possibly the best ferry company I have used so far and I have traveled on most of the cross channel ferries. In common with most of the ferry companies bikes were the first to be loaded, (they usually fit nicely into the pointy bit at the front), the difference with Norfolk Ferries is they did not cram you in, you were left with plenty of room to move between the bikes. In the past I have often had the wing mirrors knocked off the Pan with the bikes literally being crammed in so tightly I had taken to putting some adhesive tape on them to prevent it. Also the crew tied the bikes down with proper ratchet tie-downs and even used foam padding to protect the bikes seat/bodywork etc. On return to the vehicle deck the bikes were already untied and ready to roll. The outward ferry appeared to be almost new whilst the return ferry was a freight ferry but the same standard applied. Dunkerque is possibly the easiest of the ferry ports to get in and out of. The ferry terminal is not actually in Dunkerque so access to the Autoroute could not be easier. It is only approx 3.5mls from the port to the A16 Autoroute via a new road with just one roundabout.

Before booking any ferry crossing spend a little time looking around for any deals or discounts that may be available. MCN (Motorcycle News) offer some really good deals from time to time, however they are often timed around particular biking events (MotoGP, World Superbikes at Assen for instance), and usually have time restrictions, but even so, if you can tie them into when you want to travel there are some good savings to be made. Booking through the Internet usually attracts some sort of discount and it is probably the best place to check out a wide range of crossings etc.

Discounts:

Most of the below listed ferries can be booked at preferential rates via the BMF’s Motorsports Travel                                                        Tel: 01759 301010   Fax: 01759 301030 or  Email: motorsporttvl@aol.com                                                                                          

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