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Travelling to France with Brittany Ferries

Blog· Travel· Van life

5 Aug

Wow!!!

Mummy, can we got to the cinema???

Daddy, can we find the soft play??

We had arrived onboard Armorique, travelling to France with Brittany Ferries, and the kids were so excited to learn that there was a cinema, soft play, and a cabin with bunk beds onboard.

Since we first had our campervan, I have always wanted to travel to France with the kids…I kind of had this romantic idea of a super chilled ferry trip, hopping off the other side in search of blue skies, beautiful beaches, roads with a view, outstanding pools and freshly baked croissants. I wont lie – I was super excited to have finally planned a short road trip around Brittany this year.

#Ad review /press trip

Travelling to France with Brittany Ferries

  • Travelling to France with Brittany Ferries
  • On arrival to the ferry port
    • Kids’ Activites
    • Family Friendly
    • Cabins
    • Food and Drink
    • Why we loved travelling with Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries offer a wide choice of ferry crossings to France and Spain. Departures from Portsmouth, Plymouth or Poole to travel to Cherbourg, St Malo, Caen, Le Havre and Roscoff in France, or to Santander and Bilbao in Spain from Portsmouth and Plymouth. There are daily sailings on most routes and a choice of departure times to suit your travel requirements. Choose from fast-craft crossings, relaxing daytime or overnight cruises and you can also mix and match Brittany Ferries services to suit your individual needs. We travelled out on the Armorique from Plymouth to Roscoff and returned on the Bretagne from St Malo to Portsmouth.

On arrival to the ferry port

If this is your first time travelling by ferry, check out Brittany ferries for information and tips for first time ferry travel. Check in time is usually around 45 minutes prior to your sailing. On arrival to Plymouth the port is well signposted. We had a really stressful journey and got stuck on a gridlocked motorway and I honestly thought we would miss our ferry. There were many people in the same situation as us and Brittany Ferries were amazing – we checked in with just minutes to spare – it was definitely hairy. I found it really useful to check the live sailing updates and travel information online whilst we were travelling down to Plymouth. So as I mentioned, after much stress – we made the crossing (and I am pleased to say we weren’t the last ones to check in either!!). The check in process was quick and simple and we were directed to our lane where we parked the camper bumper to bumper before walking up some narrow steps, or taking the lift to the deck.

Tip – Have passports open and ready along with your ticket to help to speed up the check in process.

Tip – Don’t forget to make a note of where you have parked as you will need to find the right staircase to take you back to your vehicle.

Kids’ Activites

The Brittany Ferries website has information online for each ferry and the planned entertainment which is really useful to check out beforehand. Copies of the day’s entertainment programme are also available from our information desks on board. We popped over to the Brittany ferries website and downloaded a few free printable colouring sheets before our trip to keep the kids occupied although with the entertainment onboard, we didn’t need to worry. The cinema was a real treat, and we enjoyed The Incredibles 2 * on our outbound crossing, and Sherlock Gnomes* on our return crossing. *payable.

The kids also loved the soft play and the pantomime Aladdin on our return crossing was absolutely wonderful….it had all three of our children mesmerised throughout the show! We purchased a little bit of Lego, some travel games from the onboard shop, and packed a few books and the trusty tablets with us to keep the kids entertained throughout the crossing.

Tip – The cinema showings do get booked up and the kids play area can be busy on some crossings so do check the kids entertainment online and book cinema tickets at the help desk at the beginning of your journey.

Family Friendly

It was our first time travelling to France with Brittany Ferries and I can honestly say they had everything covered for family travel. Kids’ meals were available with a great choice to suit all needs and requirements including battered fish, chicken nuggets and pizza and an option of a drink and desert. High chairs were readily available, there was a microwave in the restaurant and plenty of baby changing facilities around the ferry. Lifts and ramps allow for ease when travelling with a stroller. As previously mentioned there were designated kids’ play areas and the shops stocked magazines, stationary and toys available to purchase to keep the little ones entertained. On busier crossings there are planned entertainment including pantomimes, musicians and magic shows – as mentioned, we experienced the pantomime Aladdin on our return crossing and it was outstanding. Just to add, there is even a swimming pool on Pont-Aven and Cap Finistère.

The cast of Aladdin

Cabins

We had a cabin for both of our crossings and it was great – we had a base to leave some of our belongings for the sailing, meaning we didn’t have to carry everything around with us for the entire journey. The cabin also provided an area to take some time out to snooze, or relax with books, TV or the tablets. Cabins vary from ship to ship, although all cabins are en suite and air-conditioned with linen, towels and soap provided. We had a four birth cabin on the Armorique with bunk style beds, tea and coffee-making facilities, a TV, and port-hole style window which the toddler particularly loved. Our crossing was 3pm – 9.30pm and we had been up since 6am, having left our house by 7.30am…so it was great to have a base to relax, sleep and to generally prepare for the journey to our campsite.

Four birth cabin onboard Brittany Ferries

Food and Drink

There was a great choice of food, drink and snacks onboard in the cafe, self-service restaurant and a la carte restaurant. Food was reasonably priced in the self-service restaurant and cost us around 45 Euros for a family of five for dinner. The kids chose from the children’s menus which included ham, pasta, battered fish and chicken nuggets. The children’s menu cost £5.65 for a main meal, choice of drink, a Pierre Le Bear goody bag comprising two gifts, jellybeans and an apple compote. The surprise toys in our goody bags included a game, colour-in jigsaw, Brittany Ferries travel journal, crayons, magnet or binoculars. There was also a great selection of salads, cheeses, hot meals, pizzas and sandwiches.

Why we loved travelling with Brittany Ferries

Having experienced the airport juggle with car seats, Trunkies, suitcases, hand luggage, strollers and three kids, I have to say the travelling by ferry was wonderful. The kids were not tied to their seats for the journey and there was so much onboard to keep kids of all ages entertained. Sitting out on the deck in the sunshine and admiring the sea views was a favourite moment of mine (even if I only got to sit down for five minutes!), as was the pantomime. I also loved the complimentary wifi in certain areas of the ship.  As first time travellers with Brittany Ferries, the process was simple and straightforward. The staff were friendly and helpful and the crossing was smooth, relaxing and, dare I say it, completely enjoyable.

Hello from France 👋 I finally have a little 3G to document and share our road trip 🙂 We started off with a very stressful journey to Plymouth. We totally got stuck on the M5, despite allowing hours for us to get there… I had flashbacks of the time we missed the flight to South Africa (but we won’t go into that 🙈) Brittany Ferries were amazing as I know there were lots in the same situation as us. We ACTUALLY made it (only just!) and we may have had a coffee,(or ten!) and a snooze in the cabin. The kids loved the soft play and we even got to watch The Incredibles 2. – smiles all round 🙌🏻 . . @brittanyferries #hosted #roadtrip #france #travelwithme #travelbug #campervanlife #homeiswhereyouparkit #ferry #ferrytravel #otisandusdoBrittany #brittany #traveldiaries #travel #travelwithkids #takeyourkidseverywhere #camping #seaview #brittanyferries #traveldeeper #beautifuldestinations #childfriendly #myhappyviews #snaphappybritmums #trips100 #borntovoyage #travelmadfam #fearlessfamtrav

A post shared by Katy (@otisandus.blog) on Aug 1, 2018 at 1:17am PDT

We are already looking at booking for a French road trip next Summer and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Brittany Ferries.

For more information and to book pop over to Brittany Ferries online

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Brittany Ferries

I love to hear what you think of my blog, do leave a comment. You can find us over on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

**Disclosure – Were were provided with complimentary travel for the purpose of the review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

10 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah Christie says

    August 20, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    Omg thank god you made it, the traffic coming home from Gatwick was horrific so I am guessing it was the same weekend. The crossing looked fab with lots for families I love the idea of having a cabin to chill too x

    Reply
  2. Ella says

    August 20, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    Ok, you have converted me! The thought of a ferry filled me with dread from remembering the ferry crossings of my childhood but from reading your post it sounds amazing nowadays and definitely something we’ll be trying soon! France here we come!!!!

    Reply
  3. Reanne says

    August 21, 2018 at 6:27 am

    Amazing post. Definitely need to go over to France via the ferry!

    Reply
  4. Kim says

    August 22, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    Kim test comment

    Reply
  5. Kim says

    August 22, 2018 at 7:01 pm

    We went to Ireland on the ferry recently and it was great fun

    Reply
  6. Lisa Jane says

    August 22, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    Glad you enjoyed your trips as much as we did with Brittany Ferries. We had the exact same team perform Aladdin as you;) They were brilliant weren’t they.

    Reply
  7. Emma Raphael says

    August 23, 2018 at 7:37 am

    When ferry travel is like this, its so great isn’t it? I sadly didn’t use Brittany last time around though and I so wish I had. Next time! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Katja says

    August 23, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    Wow, ferry travel has changed so much since I was a kid! This looks like such a fun and easy way to travel, I’m really tempted to try out Brittany Ferries next time we go to France.

    Reply
  9. Chloe: Picture Taker Memory Maker says

    August 24, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    I’ve only ever travelled by ferry to the Isle of Wight as a child – this sounds amazing! Cinema and a pantomime?! We’ve not been to France with our girls yet and I always just assumed that when we did we’d fly but this sounds much more fun – it makes the journey such a big part of the adventure. Very glad you made it on time – what a nightmare!

    Reply
  10. Zena's Suitcase says

    August 30, 2018 at 9:04 am

    I am reading so many good things about ferry travel at the moment. It will definitely be featuring in our travel plans next year as my husband hates flying

    Reply

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Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......

I’m reall
Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography


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Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

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