SeeFrance ferries are offering amazingly cheap prices for you and your family to explore France this spring and summer.

For as little as £22 per car, including all taxes and charges, you can take 5 passengers on a Dover to Calais ferry across the Channel to visit some of the fantastic sights France has to offer -

that’s £4.40 per person!

This great travel offer runs throughout the spring and summer, the perfect way to see the beautiful French countryside in all its natural glory. Plus it’s a great time to get your hands on a drop of delicious French wine at prices far more palatable than in the UK.

> > click here to book with SeaFrance

> > click here for all Dover to Calais ferries

Disneyland Paris’ latest ride ‘The Tower of Terror’ opened to a fanfare in Paris on 5th April , and is now one of the most popular rides within the whole Disneyland franchise. You can experience the exhilaration of this amazing ride for free  yourself when making a car booking from Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries.

The Tower of Terror is based on the creepy TV show ‘The Twilight Zone’, with the occupants of a 1930’s hotel plunged down an amazing 13 storeys via a faulty lift shaft into the ‘4th Dimension’. The ride itself is the second tallest in Disneyland history, so it’s is sure to set your nerves jangling!
 
> > Click here to view P&O latest offers

> > Click here to book online with Disney

People often wonder whether you need insurance cover when travelling to France by ferry. Well, you don’t NEED to, but we strongly advise it.

The new European Health Insurance Card (which has taken the place of the old E111 form) means that all E.U. citizens with the card will receive free health care when travelling to fellow E.U. states. This card can be obtained from any local Post Office, or online here.

Though the card does offer free emergency health care when in the E.U., the full cost of any treatment is unlikely to be covered. Due to possible medical charges that could be incurred whilst travelling abroad, we would strongly advise all passengers to take out travel insurance whenever leaving the UK.

If you are planning to partake in France’s various winter sports, be sure that your insurance policy covers such activities. This is imperative, as the cost of winter sports injuries can mount up into the thousands.

The European Union Health Card is good news for passengers who are only travelling to France for a short period of time, but anyone travelling for longer should really look into full insurance cover for the duration of their stay. The last thing anyone needs to bring home with them when come back from their holiday is a massive medical bill!

A lot of you will not want to leave your pets behind when enjoying your holiday abroad, and with SeaFrance you won’t have to. For as little as £25 you will be able to bring your pet on holiday with you, as long as it has the standard EU Pet Passport and the ISO specified microchip. Also, all animals must have been vaccinated for rabies at least 6 months prior to your trip.

All pets must be kept in your vehicle for the duration of the journey, so remember to pack enough food and water for your animal. Acclimatising your animal to your car is also a good idea, so why not train your pet in motor vehicle travel by taking it on short car trips prior to your holiday. It’s also advisable not to feed your pet before your journey, even animal’s get travel sickness!

For comprehensive details on how to qualify your animal to travel with you, please check the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs web site.

Alternatively, you can call the PETS helpline on 0870 241 1710.

SeaFrance Ferries have announce a price freeze for the start of 2008. That means you can still take your car and up to five people from £26 Each Way including all taxes & surcharges. You can book return travel at this price for dates up until September 2008 (subject to availability) and to make the deal even better - Kids Eat Free!

>> Book online with SeaFrance from just £26 each way

SeaFrance also have a great offer for the daytrippers our there with fares from just £19 day return for a car with 5 people. Need to stock up on cheap beer and food - why not take advantage of this great offer and take a booze crusie day trip to Calais?

>> Book online with SeaFrance from just £19 day return

SeaFrance Ferries operate on the Dover to Calais route and provide good value service for those who need to cross the channel. Their fleet of ferries have recently been renovated and you can enjoy a smooth voyage along with a fine selection of food, drink and entertainment.

Booking online with SeaFrance is easy. All you need is :

• required dates of travel and preferred sailing times
• if travelling with a vehicle you need it’s details such as make, model and registration number
• info on the people travelling including name and age of everybody in your party
• your payment details

Booking online with SeaFrance is quick and easy and you can even book online the same day that you wish to travel, although you may not be able to take advantage of some of the SeaFrance Special offers if you book late.

Once you have booked you need to make sure you get to the terminal at least 30 minutes for vehicles and 60 minutes for groups and foot passengers before your departure time. In fact you would be best to add an extra half hour to this as the roads around Dover can get particularly busy at popular destination times.

SeaFrance Sailing Times

Trips to France take from 75 minutes on the fast ferrys - seaFrance Rodin and SeaFrance Berlioz ships and from 90 minutes on their other ships.

>> Book Online with SeaFrance

Day trips to France offer something for everyone whether it’s a family day out, a shopping trip, a romantic break for two or a gourmet experience. A Dover to Calais cruise across the English Channel is a fantastic and popular way to experience a really cheap trip to France. If you’re planning a party, a day trip to France offers a great chance to stock on some bargain booze and groceries. Our France Booze Cruise page provides you with information on some of our favourite booze outlets with contact details and information on what to look out for.

Additionally, France is becoming an increasing mecca for DIY enthusiasts or people who’re renovating their homes. Calais has lots of Hypermarkets and DIY specialist shops which offer really competitive prices usually much cheaper than the UK. We’ve put together a comparison table of some of the biggest DIY suppliers with contact details. Most have English speaking staff and will be more than happy to talk to you about your requirements before you pay a visit.

Dover is the busiest cross channel ferry port in England and is situated on the South East coast. The Port has two main ferry terminals; one at the Eastern Docks which is used by SeaFrance, P&O and Norfolk Line and the other one is at the Western Docks and is used solely by Hoverspeed.

Directions to Dover Ferry Port :

By Car :
Dover is approx 70 miles from South London. From the M2, follow the A2 direct into Dover, or from the M20, follow the A20 again into Dover. Both the Eastern & Western Docks Ferry Terminals are clearly signed.

By Rail :
If you are traveling by rail, services operate from London Victoria or London Charring Cross to Dover Priory Station. Approximate journey time is 1 hour 45 minutes. There is a courtesy bus service during the day (note this does not operate in the evenings or during the night). If you are arriving from Calais or returning to the UK, buses leave Eastern Docks for Dover Priory between 7.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.

By Coach :
There is a frequent National express coach service from London Victoria coach station. Approximate Journey time is 2 hours 30 minutes. Other buses arrive at the main bus station in Dover town centre.

Ferry Terminal Information :

The Travel Centre at the Ferry Terminal entrance has the following facilities :

• P&O Ferries, Norfolk Line and Sea France booking desks
• Bureau de Change, bank and cash point
• AA shop
• Café and newsagent
• Information desk
• Telephones
• Toilets and baby change facilities
• Car rental

Beyond check-in inside the Ferry Terminal area, there are two Food Village areas, each with these facilities :

• Café
• Burger King
• Bar
• Bureau de Change and cash point
• Shop
• Toilets and showers
• Baby change facilities
• Telephones

Hover port facilities :
Follow the road signs to the Hover port. Once there, proceed to vehicle Check-In where you will be directed to a numbered embarkation lane prior to boarding.

France is the largest country in Western Europe, its geographical spread offering a stunning variety of environments and climates. A French regions guide can help you better understand French geography and traditional provinces. The list below is in alphabetical order :

Alsace
Closely bordering Germany to the East of the Vosges moutains, there are many things to see and do with great wines, cuisine and architecture worth looking out for in this region.
Regional capital : Strasbourg

Aquitaine
A varied region with their mountains, plains, and a great coast line.
Regional capital : Bordeaux

Auvergne
A great place to visit, famous for it’s volcanic landscape, delicious Roquefort cheese and the purest spring water.
Regional capital : Clermont-Ferrand

Brittany
Spectacular landscapes are aplenty along the coast of Brittany. The region has a strong Celtic influence, with fine regional cuisine and a delicious range of local ciders.
Regional capital : Rennes

Burgundy
One of the most culturally rich regions in the whole of France. The Cistercian influence is important, with many abbeys and monestaries adding to the history of the area.
Regional capital : Dijon

The Centre
This vast region is rich with agriculture, forests and  wine. Decentralised industries from Paris. Canal du Centre.
Regional capital : Orléans

Champagne-Ardenne 
This historic region was the birthplace of Champagne, along wth the huge forest of Ardenne, the area features a strong Roman and Celtic influence. One of the main centres of the French revolution.
Regional capital : Reims

Corsica
This granite island of sharp cliffs has a diverse selection of delightful wines, fruit and dairy products.
Regional capital : Ajaccio

Franche-comte
A mountainous area with some great dairy produce and wine, alongside the vast surrounding forestry.
Regional capital : Besançon

Languedoc-Roussillon
Excellent climate and beaches with mountains on this Mediterranean coast. The Rousillion area has a ide selection of fruit available.
Regional capital : Montpellier

Limousin
A strong agricultural centre, with one of the biggest cattle farms in France, alongside wood, leather and other derived products.
Regional capital : Limoges

Lorraine
With it’s important river network, Lorraine, on the Western slopes of the Vosges moutains, is the birth place of heavy industry, mining and steel works.
Regional capital : Metz

Lower-Normandy
Another strong agricultural area, especially dairy, fishing and apples A great coastal town with low urbanisation and population.
Regional capital : Caen

Midi-Pyrenees
An excellent area for skiing, with the mountains reaching more than 3000m. Further to the north there are fertile plains beside the rivers for agriculture.
Regional capital : Toulouse

North-Calais
A flat region, with important strong fishing and heavy industry. High urbanisation, despite fertile soils. Dense road, rail fluvial network, dense labour.
Regional capital : Lille

Paris-Isle-of-France
Monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Gallery and Notre Dame make Paris one of the most visited cities in the World.
Regional capital : Paris

Pays-de-la-Loire
The valley produces fruit and wine, though its main industry is dairy. The petrol industry revived the region, thoug it does have a low population concentrated around the main city.
Regional capital : Nantes

Picardy
Vast region divided by the rivers Somme and Oise. Low industry, but a good agricultural centre due to quality soils and climate.
Regional capital : Amiens

Poitou-Charentes 
Excellent maritime facilities help the region’s finances, as the port of La Rochelle became a gateway to the Americas.
Regional capital : Poitiers

Provence-Alpes-Azur
From the Alpine moutains down to the sand beaches of Saint Tropez. Excellent region for perfumes, rosé wines, jazz and it’s distinct cuisine.
Regional capital : Marseille

Rhone-Alps
The skiing in the Alps is one of the best in th world. Heavy industry is at the fore along the Rhone river, with exceptional wine produced in both Beaujolais and Côte du Rhone.
Regional capital : Lyon

Upper-Normandy
Important beef and dairy cattle production alongside cereal crops. High urbanisation with good road, rail and river networks.
Regional capital : Rouen

Our resident ferry experts have put together a list of tips to make sure you’re holiday or day trip gets off to a good start and you can start to enjoy you’re break as soon as you set sail!

Sea Sickness

The French call this common ailment ‘Mal De Mer’ which being a French phrase actually makes it sound quite pleasant! However, anyone who has been unfortunate enough to witness or experienced it will tell you it can be pretty debilitating and there’s no worse start to your holiday. Some people seem predisposed to suffer from it and are more or less guaranteed to feel that familiar creeping feeling as soon as they climb aboard. Others are more commonly affected only on rough seas or when the swell is particularly high. In fact over 90% of us will have suffered from ‘motion sickness’’ to give it its proper name at some point in our lives. Luckily there are simple ways to prevent it from occurring which will allow you to make the most of your ferry journey without the fear of spending it staring in to a paper bag.

Precautions :

• Keep focused and try not to worry or think about being sick – scientists believe that a key psychological trigger for seasickness could be the emotional stress involved when you’re anticipating an attack.
• Try and stay above deck in the fresh air if possible. You are more likely to suffer an attack if you spend the entire ferry crossing down below.
• Don’t read a book or keep your eyes fixed on one object for too long.
• On a large ship such as a ferry you should aim to keep the horizon visible to your peripheral vision but not stare at it. This sounds harder than it is – keep your eyes active and try not to ‘lock-on’.
• Face in the direction that the ferry is travelling
• If you have a history of motion sicknesses don’t book a cabin inside as this is the worst place for you to be. If it’s a long crossing and is unavoidable then lying flat can sometimes help although if it becomes an issue grab a deck chair and get some sea air (weather permitting!).
• Eat a light meal and avoid alcohol. The same principles apply to ferry travel as air travel so don’t eat a heavy or spicy meal before you travel and keep active throughout the journey.
• Herbal remedies like Ginger are said to alleviate some of the symptoms.
• Failing that – speak to your doctor or pharmacist as if you are really concerned they will be able to advise you as to any prescription medication that may be taken.

Finally, try not to worry too much and stay relaxed! The good news is that modern cruise ships and ferries are equipped with special stabilizers that pretty much eradicate most of the motion that acts a trigger for sea sickness. As a general rule the larger the vessel the less likely you are to experience ‘roll’ on a bigger vessel such as a ferry.