New Service Uk-Spain From January.

[shipbroker]

In case you missed it LD Lines announced a further service from Poole, as their last start-up has been so successful. ..........As they are freight carriers I assume that caravans are included!

 

So from January 5th you have an alternative to Brittany Ferries to look at. ......Poole to Gijon. ..........

 

http://ldlines. co. uk/timetables/poole-gijon

 

geoff

Edited December 17, 2013 by shipbroker

[Grease Monkey]

Looks very competitive on price and cuts off a few miles going south.

Just hope they don't behave like Acciona, the Spanish company that started on the UK - Spain route a few years ago. They just stopped the service without warning leaving us stranded. We had to rebook with Brittany Ferries and claimed the fair back from Accociona eventually

[stevew1]

Thanks Geoff,

 

Just tried my details for next years trip & LD came in £300 cheaper for the same crossing dates ( end Feb to mid April ) than Brittany ferries. In a quandry now about my booking . I have already got the route booked & have two overnights in Spain booked . For anyone interested the return price is £559 including an inboard 4 berth cabin both ways. I put caravan length in as

< 8m, height < 3. 2m. the car dimensions seemed to be a site default size.

 

Only downside I can see so far is the ship size, visually it appears a lot smaller than either the Cap Finistere or the Pont Aven & the route is a lot further out into the Bay of Biscay, it might get a bit rough, especially in winter/early spring.

 

Steve.

Edited December 17, 2013 by stevew1

[stevew1]

Just checked & the LD ferry is 26500 tons, Cap Finistere is 32728 tons & Pont Aven is 41748 tons.

 

Used this site to compare,

 

http://www. ferry-site. dk/index. php?lang=en

Edited December 17, 2013 by stevew1

[shipbroker]

Just checked & the LD ferry is 26500 tons, Cap Finistere is 32728 tons & Pont Aven is 41748 tons.

 

Used this site to compare,

 

http://www. ferry-site. dk/index. php?lang=en

 

Must admit that it isn't a site I have heard of. .but it seems to work. ......The problem is Poole is a small port and this ferry will be the largest vessel ever to use it. Being a privately owned facility,looking for trade, it is probably able to give much better rates to LD than Portsmouth or Plymouth. .

 

geoff

[sunshinetours]

Was thinking that is a small ship for a 24hr journey on. Some of the short hop Calais ferries are bigger than that

 

Guess this route would be useful/make sense for Portugal or mid/Southern Spain only really?

[TedNewman]

If it is big boats you want then go on the Harwich - Hook of Holland route, 2 ships of 60,000 tons plus!

[Jaydug]

This isn't really an additional crossing from UK to Spain. What LD have done is to transfer Tuesday's arrival/departure in Santander to Gijon. Now instead of having two crossings each week from Poole to Santander, in the new year they only have one.

[ancell]

Having survived a hurricane in the Bay of Biscay one September I am sticking to the shortest possible crossing :D.

[shipbroker]

Jaydug. ......

 

This is how it was announced in Lloyds Loading List yesterday. ........

 

Having launched a new service between Poole and Santander only last month, LD Lines has now unveiled plans to further expand its ferry service network to Spain.

From 5 January, 2014, the French operator will introduce a weekly sailing between Poole and Gijón.

It already serves Gijón from the French port of Nantes-St Nazaire.

The Poole-Gijón service will leave the Dorset port on Tuesdays with the return leg departing from Spain on Fridays.

LD Lines will next month also launch the “first-ever ferry link between Ireland, Western France and Northern Spain,” connecting the ports of Rosslare, St. Nazaire and Gijón with a weekly round trip, effective 7 January 2014.

The new routes will be served by the Norman Asturias and its sister ship Scintu which each offer of capacity for up 110 freight vehicles or 150 trailers.

 

Expansion follows “positive early haulier response” to the company’s new Poole-Santander route with freight traffic ultilisation of up to 90% since the service commenced in early November.

The service operates from Poole on Saturdays and returns from Santander on Sundays, by-passing the weekend HGV driving ban in France, LD Lines underlines.

“The additional services will further expand our Atlantic network by providing improved transport links between the UK, Southern Ireland, Spain, France and Portugal and give new and existing customers greater choice,” said LD Lines’ CEO Christophe Santoni.

 

geoff

[ivan leslie]

has anyone ever been to Gijon????

[not so big john]

has anyone ever been to Gijon????

careful, Ivan, its a popular area for many of us.

 

Ribadesella to the east and Luarca to the west, two excellent sites. Then there is the AP66/A66 heading south to Leon & Salamanca. Strikes me as a far better launchpad for western Spain and Portugal. And of course there is a very useful Mercadona in the suburbs (not many on the north coast )

 

Plus if it is marketed on the same basis as the Newhaven Dieppe route, i. e. targeting freight, then there will be plenty of room either side of the caravan in the hold, and plenty of room on deck without the hordes of car/coach passengers. Only thing putting me off is the size of the boat in the Bay of Biscay. Might be a bit rough.

[shipbroker]

has anyone ever been to Gijon????

 

 

Nobody unless they have used the existing France to Spain landbridge service. .......or gone on an MSC or Royal Caribbean cruise that regularly call into this Asturias port. ..........supposed to be a bonny place though,.

 

geoff

[ivan leslie]

careful, Ivan, its a popular area for many of us.

 

Ribadesella to the east and Luarca to the west, two excellent sites. Then there is the AP66/A66 heading south to Leon & Salamanca. Strikes me as a far better launchpad for western Spain and Portugal. And of course there is a very useful Mercadona in the suburbs (not many on the north coast )

 

Plus if it is marketed on the same basis as the Newhaven Dieppe route, i. e. targeting freight, then there will be plenty of room either side of the caravan in the hold, and plenty of room on deck without the hordes of car/coach passengers. Only thing putting me off is the size of the boat in the Bay of Biscay. Might be a bit rough.

thanks John, not being one to try and upset people, i do have to say I can't pronounce Gijon never mind Ribadesella or Luarca!!! However, as i am currently near Vejer de la Frontera, Gijon looks an easy route back and the sailing time is ideal - can you tell me if the road from Salamanca to Gijon is as hilly as the Santander one? I (or more importantly my wife) am also concerned about the size of the boat, but if the truckers are happy with it . ...............

[not so big john]

thanks John, not being one to try and upset people, i do have to say I can't pronounce Gijon never mind Ribadesella or Luarca!!! However, as i am currently near Vejer de la Frontera, Gijon looks an easy route back and the sailing time is ideal - can you tell me if the road from Salamanca to Gijon is as hilly as the Santander one? I (or more importantly my wife) am also concerned about the size of the boat, but if the truckers are happy with it . ...............

Gijon is often spelt Xixon, giving you a clue as to its Spanish pronunciation, not to be spoken aloud if you have any sort of respiratory infection!

 

We have taken that motorway south from Gijon to Leon in both directions, towing, without any difficulty. I think it might be slightly higher than the road south from Santander, but the gradients less steep. From Leon we went to Tordesillas, so cannot speak for the Leon to Salamanca road, but looks ok on the map.

 

Vejer - Seville - Caceres - Salamanca - Gijon looks good to me.

 

Sitting here in Sussex hearing the wind howl and the rain bashing the windows I wish I was in Vejer now. We had an enjoyable week in Camping Roche in February 2012

[shipbroker]

Having survived a hurricane in the Bay of Biscay one September I am sticking to the shortest possible crossing :D.

 

 

Been through twice each way on Independence of the Seas without problem. .......friends lost half a day on Queen Elizabeth last Spring with just Force 8. ........yes I also feel a small vessel may be a problem. ......we were once stuck outside Newhaven for 5 hours unable to dock,never forgotten!

 

geoff

[shipbroker]

http://ldlines. co. uk/welcome-on-board/norman-asturias

 

Gives you some idea of facilities ( and size)...........

 

geoff

[llrides]

We are due to come back from Spain in March 2014 and have been checking on both BF and LD prices I could save £137;60 by using the new services of LD Lines but if I book now I will need to pay the full amount of the fare with no refund should something happen before the return journey, if I book with Brittany Ferries I would only have to pay a small deposit

[Coastline]

We would like to come back from Gijon as the timings are better for us and docking at Poole is only a short trip back to Sherborne but we will wait to a closer date when we come back in March.

[OLD NICK]

Don,t worry about the size. As someone who has done the crossing 6 times in my own boat 18 tons.

 

Plus half a dozen times in yachts from 12 to 40 tons. Anything of 20,000 tons + would seem to be quite adequate to me.

 

Stop wimping out & get on with it.

 

 

To all you kind caravanners/motorhomers who sent me good wishes after my recent & unexpected diagnosis

 

for Leaukemia I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.

 

I hope to be on the mend in about 6 mths.

 

Then its more ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA. Let the good times roll again :D .

 

 

[OLD NICK]

Good info Geoff. Excellent pics. Its got nice cabins & a bar,hell its only a few hrs trip.

What do some people want the QE2. ;)

[not so big john]

Don,t worry about the size. As someone who has done the crossing 6 times in my own boat 18 tons.

 

Plus half a dozen times in yachts from 12 to 40 tons. Anything of 20,000 tons + would seem to be quite adequate to me.

 

Stop wimping out & get on with it.

 

 

To all you kind caravanners/motorhomers who sent me good wishes after my recent & unexpected diagnosis

 

for Leaukemia I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.

 

I hope to be on the mend in about 6 mths.

 

Then its more ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA. Let the good times roll again :D .

 

 

Great to hear from you again Old Nick. Keep fighting the fight and get back on the road soon.

[shipbroker]

Good info Geoff. Excellent pics. Its got nice cabins & a bar,hell its only a few hrs trip.

What do some people want the QE2. ;)

 

 

Nice to see the runaround avatar again Nick. ...

 

I was asked elsewhere if this had been a P&O Ferry. ..... the ship was actually built for Stena in 2007. ..as Stena Ausonia and is registered in Italy. ...still owned by them,but chartered to LD /DFDS and has sailed as Borja and Baltic Amber on Spanish & Baltic work.

geoff

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[ivan leslie]

I have booked our return next March - never been to Gijon or Poole so a new experience all round at an excellent price.

[poolebob]

I have booked our return next March - never been to Gijon or Poole so a new experience all round at an excellent price.

You don't know what you've missed.

poolebob