Great autumn specials from Brittany Ferries

With fares from just £19.95 per person for a stay of up to 24 hours in France, you can afford to escape south this Autumn, to where the days last longer and it's that little bit warmer.  From the end of September, Brittany Ferries will be the only ferry operator providing services from Portsmouth to France, with 6 departures every day from Portsmouth, to the attractive French ports of Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo. Available on either high speed or luxury cruise-ferries, these fares offer plenty of choice as well as great value.

Take a relaxing cruise across by day or overnight and enjoy shopping and fine dining on board, or race across in as little as 3 hours on the high speed service. Plus, if there are two travelling, you can take your car from just £19.95 extra and benefit from the many shopping bargains in France.

Just see what can be done out of Portsmouth and Poole:

• Out to St Malo and back from Caen
  Depart Portsmouth at 20.30 for St Malo. On board there is plenty of time during this relaxing overnight cruise to unwind with a drink in the piano bar followed by a memorable dinner prepared by our talented French chefs and then a tour of the shops (where there are many bargains to be had) before retiring for a good night's sleep.
  The next morning as you enter St Malo, there is just time to grab a coffee and croissant (they are all baked freshly on board) before driving ashore at 08.15.
  A brisk walk around the ramparts of the ancient walled city of St Malo with its shops and quaint narrow streets will get your land legs back before a half hour drive along the pretty coast road to Cancale a village famed for its oysters.
  A simple lunch of "Moules et Frites" at a restaurant on the quay is one pleasure not to be missed before setting off to the world famous Mont St Michel, about half an hour's drive away. As one of France's premier tourist attraction it has many things to see and to do -  the main street with its shops, the museums, the walk around the ramparts with views out over the sands of the bay, as well as the spectacle of the sea rushing in to surround the Mont at each high tide.
  Then you can drive through the beautiful Normandy countryside to Ouistreham (about 90 minutes' drive), perhaps stopping at one of the many hypermarkets around Caen to buy your cheeses and French delicacies. Before boarding there may just be time for a visit to one of the many wine warehouses in the port of Ouistreham for some bargain priced wine and beer. Most offer wines that can be tasted together with plenty of friendly advice (in English!).
  There are two departures back to Portsmouth every day at 17.00 or 23.30 so you can take your pick of arriving back in Portsmouth at 21.45 or at 07.00 the next day.
  All for a fare of less than £40 per person! (Based on 4 adults travelling together in a car)
• Out to and back from Caen
  Take the high-speed ferry on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday from Portsmouth at 07.00. It's an early start but well worth it! You'll arrive at 11.45 in good time to drive into Caen (about 20 minutes) for the Saturday and Sunday market, one of the largest in the region.
  Then it's time for lunch! The centre of Caen offers two very different areas for dining. Around the attractive Quartier Vaugueux, the accent is on a variety of cosmopolitan fare such as African and Creole, while in the streets off Rue de Geôle near the western ramparts, traditional French cuisine holds sway. Close to Abbaye aux Dames is Bassin St-Pierre, Caen's pleasure port, which marks the end of the canal that links the city to the sea. This is one of the liveliest spots in town, and an ideal place to people-watch from the comfort of a pavement café.
  The afternoon can be spent visiting Bayeux, home of the famous tapestry, or perhaps touring the Museum of Peace, justifiably one of Caen's most popular attractions.
  Before boarding there may just be time for a visit to one of the many wine warehouses in the port of Ouistreham for some bargain priced wine and beer. Most offer wines that can be tasted together with plenty of friendly advice (in English!).
  If you choose the earlier departure you can enjoy a fabulous great value French dinner and even take in one of the latest films on board a relaxing cruise back to Portsmouth.
  All for a fare of less than £25 per person! (Based on 4 adults travelling together in a car -  £32.43 pp for weekends.
• Out to and back from Cherbourg
  Depart any day Monday-Thursday from Portsmouth at 08.00 on board Brittany Ferries' high-speed ferry, Normandie Express, to be whisked to Cherbourg in only 180 minutes. You'll arrive at 12.00 just in time to walk around the pretty port and discover that perfect place for lunch.
  You can then spend the afternoon at the Cite de la Mer where it is possible to visit the largest submarine in the world open to the public and one of the largest aquaria in Europe. The tour takes 3 ½ hours so by then you'll be ready to find a side-walk cafe for a tea break and sample some of the excellent pastries so typical of France.
  Every Thursday there is a market in the town centre and there are many museums and parks to visit if you have time. The Thomas Henry Museum, for example, houses the second largest collection of Jean-Francois Millet's paintings in France after the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. There is also the Liberation Museum located in a fort overlooking the harbour.
  Before boarding there may just be time for a visit to one of the many wine warehouses in the port of Ouistreham for some bargain priced wine and beer. Most offer wines that can be tasted together with plenty of friendly advice (in English!).
  The departure back to Portsmouth, again by high-speed ferry, is conveniently timed for 17.30 arriving back in Portsmouth at 22.00.
  All for a fare of £19.95! (NB entry to attractions in Cherbourg extra).
  Alternatively, if more convenient, you can travel out overnight at 23.59 from Poole, arriving Cherbourg at 06.30 the next day, returning at 20.00, arriving in Poole at 23.00. The cost is only £22.45 including a Club Class reclining seat on the overnight crossing.

Note to Editors

• A reclining seat can be booked at 50% of the published price and a cabin at a discount of 25%.
• A car may be taken for only £19.95 but there must be a minimum of 2 passengers travelling together.

For information and reservations visit www.brittanyferries.com or call 08705 360 360

For further information contact Stephen Tuckwell at the Brittany Ferries Press Office.
Telephone: 0870 901 0215
Fax: 08709 000 289
Email: pressoffice@brittanyferries.com

Released 20 September 2005