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View Full Version : Plymouth v. Portsmouth?


Kate SV650
24-03-09, 09:53 PM
Hi,

Has anybody travelled both Plymouth and Portsmouth to Spain? Which is the better crossing and why? Coming from Scotland, which is the better to get to (distance is much the same, but one involves the M25?)?
I am off to Spain in September and wondered which one to book, as I've never done either of these crossings (going to the Bol, then home by Ijmuiden).
Any advice would be gratefully received!

STRAMASHER
25-03-09, 09:06 AM
Plymouth - Santander was the 1st one we used. Rode down on the friday, stayed the night in Plymouth, went out for a few scoops. Got the ferry about 8.30am saturday.

24hr boat ,arrive early morning in sunny Spain on sunday. Mucho fun on the greatest motorway in the world.

Stayed in a Parador at StDomingo De La Calzada as a treat for our last night. Rode to ferry next day.
Docked at Plymouth about 8.30/9.30am on the way back and rode home to Glasgow. Easy.



Portsmouth- Bilbao. Rode down and straight on the boat , on the friday evening. 36hr crossing. Brain death.

Arrive again on the Sunday morning , more fun on the greatest m/way etc......

Rode back to Bilbao and stayed the night near the stadium (good boozers)
I think this was again the friday for the depart.

Ferry arrives back in about 5pm or 6pm Sunday and as usual we just want to get home. Blast up the road through the night. Proper frozen by the border (July!) Home for about 2am. Never again. A real chore.



We are planning to do Spain again next year (Picos then south, Sierra Nevada) and I have no doubt I am doing Plymouth. A simpler, quieter journey down and back. Less time on the boat. Possibly cheaper fare, certainly cheaper on the boat as you are on the thing less. That full day is a pain. Ride home in warm daylight at whatever speed you fancy.

Have a gid yin whatever you decide.:)

keithd
25-03-09, 12:47 PM
if you do Portsmouth you're coming from Scotland and hit the M25 you've gone a bit off target.

Personally i'd come down the M1, go M69, A43, M40, A34, M3, M27. Thats a more direct route than going on the 25.

good luck in your decision however!

RichT
25-03-09, 12:51 PM
if you do Portsmouth you're coming from Scotland and hit the M25 you've gone a bit off target.

Personally i'd come down the M1, go M69, A43, M40, A34, M3, M27. Thats a more direct route than going on the 25.

good luck in your decision however!

+1

Kate SV650
25-03-09, 10:31 PM
....stayed the night in Plymouth, went out for a few scoops.

Brain death.

Rode back to Bilbao and stayed the night near the stadium (good boozers)....


Cheers for the very informative reply Stramasher! Like your thinking (above) 'few scoops', 'good boozers'! I have stayed in Plymouth before (after a rally at Lands End), so agree that they have a good selection of pubs.
Unfortunately, Bob went and phoned P & O this morning and we are booked on the Portsmouth crossing. Yup, the 36 hour one. I don't think I am too worried about the 'Brain death' on that boat, as a few of our mates are also going, so there will be enough 'banter' to keep us going. Another mate (who a couple of years ago did this crossing on his way to Africa on his Triumph) suggests not getting too drunk initially, as he was 'sick for 28 hours'!!:D. Bob asked for (and got) the MCN discount. We had to upgrade to a 3 berth cabin (instead of 2), but got it cheaper than the 2!
We are coming home via Ijmuiden (Amsterdam to Newcastle), used this crossing a few times now,so it will not mean the long slog coming home. It's funny how you will drive a million miles to get to your holiday, but when it is time to go home, you just want to get home! I have travelled the M6 too many times over the years!
We are going to the Bol d'Or at Magny Cours (we used to do it years ago when it was at Paul Ricard and we did Magny Cours a couple of years ago over a week-end - that was nuts. We are getting too old for that - I remember stopping at Lauder (we had just driven up from Dover) and nearly greeting in the piddling rain just cos I was sooo tired - you don't sleep at these Endurance races, the French are mental, revving the guts out of their bikes at all hours....but that's why I love going! This time we are going for a fortnight, so it won't be such a mad rush to get home. Not sure if we are doing Andorra or the Millau bridge, etc. We tend to make it up as we go along.
Anyway, Sierra Nevada sounds excellent (is that where they filmed the spagetti westerns??). What time of year are you going? I have taken the bike as far as Barcelona, heading south from France, in June and it was wiltingly hot!! It was all I could do to get off the bike and into the air-con!!
Thanks again!

Kate SV650
25-03-09, 10:33 PM
if you do Portsmouth you're coming from Scotland and hit the M25 you've gone a bit off target.

Personally i'd come down the M1, go M69, A43, M40, A34, M3, M27. Thats a more direct route than going on the 25.

good luck in your decision however!

Thanks for the info. Last night, I was quite tired when I wrote the post and the M25 sounded kinda 'close'. Don't worry....the OH has TomTom!

Kate SV650
25-03-09, 10:36 PM
....stayed the night in Plymouth, went out for a few scoops.

Brain death.

Rode back to Bilbao and stayed the night near the stadium (good boozers)....


Cheers for the very informative reply Stramasher! Like your thinking (above) 'few scoops', 'good boozers'! I have stayed in Plymouth before (after a rally at Lands End), so agree that they have a good selection of pubs.
Unfortunately, Bob went and phoned P & O this morning and we are booked on the Portsmouth crossing. Yup, the 36 hour one. I don't think I am too worried about the 'Brain death' on that boat, as a few of our mates are also going, so there will be enough 'banter' to keep us going. Another mate (who a couple of years ago did this crossing on his way to Africa on his Triumph) suggests not getting too drunk initially, as he was 'sick for 28 hours'!!:D. Bob asked for (and got) the MCN discount. We had to upgrade to a 3 berth cabin (instead of 2), but got it cheaper than the 2!
We are coming home via Ijmuiden (Amsterdam to Newcastle), used this crossing a few times now,so it will not mean the long slog coming home. It's funny how you will drive a million miles to get to your holiday, but when it is time to go home, you just want to get home! I have travelled the M6 too many times over the years!
We are going to the Bol d'Or at Magny Cours (we used to do it years ago when it was at Paul Ricard and we did Magny Cours a couple of years ago over a week-end - that was nuts. We are getting too old for that - I remember stopping at Lauder (we had just driven up from Dover) and nearly greeting in the piddling rain just cos I was sooo tired - you don't sleep at these Endurance races, the French are mental, revving the guts out of their bikes at all hours....but that's why I love going! This time we are going for a fortnight, so it won't be such a mad rush to get home. Not sure if we are doing Andorra or the Millau bridge, etc. We tend to make it up as we go along.
Anyway, Sierra Nevada sounds excellent (is that where they filmed the spagetti westerns??). What time of year are you going? I have taken the bike as far as Barcelona, heading south from France, in June and it was wiltingly hot!! It was all I could do to get off the bike and into the air-con!!
Thanks again!

STRAMASHER
26-03-09, 11:32 AM
At least you will get on the boat same day which is cool, cos thats when you really know you are off............ standing at the airse-end with a bottle of Magners! "Here comes the sun!" :drink::mrgreen:

Kate SV650
27-03-09, 10:57 AM
At least you will get on the boat same day which is cool, cos thats when you really know you are off............ standing at the airse-end with a bottle of Magners! "Here comes the sun!" :drink::mrgreen:

Aaargh! That's not helping!.......I want to go now!

Away up north this week-end with some mates (forecast is snow - camping the Friday night -, so that will be a reality check!). Have a good week-end!