Welcome back to our regular travel and transport roundup here on www.expatsradio.com. If you haven’t already planned your summer break, this week we are going to feature one or two ideas and special offers that might just tempt you to book. As we reported in last week’s Travel Programme, the airlines and ferry companies – not to mention many of the most popular visitor attractions throughout Europe - have some startling offers and promotions on at the moment, all designed to tempt you to part with your hard-earned cash.
Brittany Ferries are determined to make our sea crossing an enjoyable experience this year, with educational entertainment on one route and some good old-fashioned slapstick on another! Brittany has teamed up with marine research organisation, Marinexus, to provide on-board science workshops for 8-12 year olds travelling between Roscoff and Plymouth during the summer holidays.
But the co-operation does not stop there. Ever mindful of its marine environmental obligations, Brittany Ferries is assisting the Marinexus research programme in its quest to gain a better understanding of the Western Channel and to monitor the effects that man is having. By having a research instrument fitted to the Armorique – the newest of their ferries - data on sea temperature, salinity, quantities of plankton, etc, can be measured and recorded in the stretch of water between Plymouth and Roscoff.
Marinexus, which has research centres in both these English and French ports, sees its role as one which extends beyond simple research to one of educating the general public, especially the young, on coastal and open water ecosystems in the Western Channel. Therefore, in addition to these on-board workshops there are lectures and seashore excursions on offer in Roscoff during August and September with the aim of generating greater respect for the environment.
Dates of on-board workshops and activities in Roscoff can be found at www.brittanyferries.com/marinexus
Right, let’s forget the culture for a minute and head straight off to the slapstick...Of all the things you might expect to find on a cross-Channel ferry, panto legend Dick Whittington and his devoted cat are probably - and understandably - not high on the list. But that’s exactly what families travelling from St Malo to Portsmouth can look forward to this summer because Brittany Ferries are staging their very own take on the popular tale, with free-of-charge performances playing out every afternoon from now until September 2nd on board their cruise ferry Bretagne.
During the show, called ‘Dick Whittington – a Ship’s Adventure’, passengers will enjoy a rip-roaring adventure from the gold-less streets of London all the way to the exotic climes of Morocco and beyond. All the ingredients of great British pantomime are there, with lots of fun along the way for both kids and their parents. But this is no ordinary panto – audiences are guaranteed a few surprises and shipboard twists along the way.
John Harrison, Brittany Ferries’ Entertainment Manager, told us: “We’ve been looking forward to this all year. Pantomime is usually considered a Christmas treat – a way to banish the winter cold. But we think it makes a perfect end to the family holiday in France too.”
He added: “We first tried the idea of a panto last summer when we staged Cinderella. It was so well received that we just had to put on another show this year – it’s becoming something of a tradition. We opened last week and already so far we’ve had great feedback from both children and adults.”
Mike Bevens, Group Passenger Commercial Director added: “As a dad I know how great family holidays can be, and I think it’s important that we make the journey there and home again just as enjoyable if not more so, than the rest of the break. That’s why we work so hard on things like food, shopping, entertainment and comfort – everything to make the trip as pleasant and fun as possible.”
PGL was once said to stand for Parents Get Lost, but with huge reductions on PGL Family Active holidays in France, there’s every incentive for parents to join in the fun this summer.
Handily placed for both Paris and Disneyland Resort, is PGL’s Chateau de Grande Romaine, where a seven night family holiday for two adults and two children aged six to 18 is now £1,304 – saving £416 on the children, who benefit from the company’s ‘Kids Go Half Price’ offer.
Here, the programme includes three days of activities such as tackling a climbing wall and screaming down the zip wire, a day pass to Disneyland Park and transport into Paris for a day’s sightseeing, including a Seine cruise.
The ‘Kids Go Half Price’ offer is available on holiday weeks starting 8th and 2nd August.
A similar deal – saving £400 on a family of four’s holiday that now costs £1,396 - is offered at PGL’s centre in the Dordogne. In this seven night holiday, there’s an emphasis on water sports, with canoeing on the river plus sailing and windsurfing on a local lake included in the programme. Discounted weeks here are 8th, 15th and 22nd August.
And finally, at PGL’s centre in Normandy, a week’s multi-activity holiday for two adults and two children 6 to18 now costs just £998, saving £310 with the ‘Kids Go Half Price’ deal on the weeks starting 15th and 22nd August.
In all cases, the holiday includes full board at the centre, twin-bedded or family rooms with own bathroom, all activities, equipment and instruction, plus family-orientated evening fun – and a bar in which adults can unwind! Travel to the centres is not included.
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On the opening weekend of what looks set to be a record breaking summer for the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel’s Passenger Shuttle Service carried 9,382 passenger vehicles between Folkestone in Kent and Coquelles in the Pas-de-Calais in a crossing time of 35 minutes. This beats the previous daily record from the UK to the Continent since services began in December 1994.
On one day alone last week, 71 Passenger Shuttles left Folkestone between 8am and midnight with an average load factor of 96.3% of capacity. All of the Shuttles left on time and traffic n the Folkestone terminal was fluid throughout the day.
The new record coincided with the start of British school summer holidays and the beginning of a period of peak traffic, reflecting the strong performance of self drive holidays this year according to the high level of advance bookings already recorded by Eurotunnel.
Jo Willacy, Eurotunnel’s Commercial Director, stated, “This record is good news for two reasons: first, it shows how much the British public appreciate the economy offered by our Shuttle services when it comes to holidays in the sun; and secondly because of the quality of service we provide. Our speed and frequency are unbeatable even during peak times like the big holiday getaways.
“Our forecasts for the summer are very good. The exchange rate and the problems the airline industry has had with the ash cloud play in our favour. Eurotunnel prepared for this with a major increase in the number of departures, rising to four per hour in each direction on peak days.”
Coincidentally, last week Eurotunnel was presented with the Green Flag Award which recognises the best managed green spaces in England and Wales. This is the sixth consecutive year that Samphire Hoe, the 30 hectare site at the foot of the famous Shakespeare Cliff, and owned by Group Eurotunnel, has been given this accolade.
Never heard of it? Samphire Hoe was created at the beginning of the Nineties during the tunnelling work to build the Channel Tunnel. The site was reclaimed from the sea using almost 5 million cubic metres of chalk marl extracted from below the Channel.
Limiting the environmental impact of the construction works, in the UK as in France, was a preoccupation for Eurotunnel from the outset and led to the creation of Samphire Hoe as nature reserve. Today you can find 200 different plant species - including 12,000 orchid specimens - 30 butterfly species and more than 200 bird varieties.
The day-to-day management of this natural space has been entrusted to the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, which receives the support of many volunteers from Kent. The Hoe is open to the public from 7am until dusk. In 2009 there were more than 110,000 visitors.
Nick Hawley, Eurotunnel UK Public Affairs Director, told us: “Eurotunnel is proud that its commitment to protecting the environment is being recognised and thanks the organisations which confer the Green Flag Award for this latest tribute. At Samphire Hoe, we have kept to our original promise: the construction of the Channel Tunnel has had as little as possible impact on the environment. And, year after year, Eurotunnel has increased those initiatives to make the operation of the Tunnel and its transport system by far the most environmentally friendly across the Channel today.”
And the green theme continues with the claim that coach travel plays a big part in protecting the environment.
Most people think of the train as the most efficient form of transport, but the best low carbon way to travel is actually coach, according to John Gilbert of Eurolines who spoke at the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen last year to promote the environmental benefits of using coach when travelling through Europe.
By opting for Eurolines instead of plane or car can reduce your carbon footprint by approximately 80%, he claims. This is exactly the scale of reduction Scientists are telling us to make.
He gives examples of typical European journeys and the carbon generated by different modes of transport. Each Eurolines coach emits around 20g CO2 per passenger kilometre – based on a loading of 38 passengers per journey.
For instance, Eurolines claims that for a journey from London to Paris, the following CO2 emissions are given out per passenger kilometre – by plane, 37 grams.... by car using Eurotunnel, 44 grams.... by car using a ferry, 42 grams.... by coach using Eurotunnel, 14 grams.... and by coach using ferry, 11 grams.
This clearly shows that by choosing coach, travellers can make a huge net saving in greenhouse gas emissions, says Eurolines.
John Gilbert, President of Eurolines, adds: “Moving forward we see a far bigger role for the coach throughout Europe. We know it is the greenest mode of public transport but most people don’t. To meet each individual country’s carbon targets following the summit, this must change.”
According to Eurolines, using the coach is not only better for the environment. It is also an affordable way to travel to over 500 destinations in Europe.
Eurolines members offer competitive fares with no hidden extras. Sea crossings, travel taxes and road tolls are all included in the price. Most Eurolines services take passengers directly to the city centre, with no need to pay expensive transfers.
Ferries to Belgium could prove a popular option in September when the country's capital city plays host to a festival celebrating beer.
The 12th edition of the Belgian Beer Weekend will take place on Grand Place in Brussels from September 3rd to 5th.
Visitors will have the opportunity to sample a diverse range of alcoholic beverages while enjoying some of the special entertainment and events that are arranged for the festival.
Travellers can reach Belgium by taking ferries from Hull to Zeebrugge with P&O, DFDS Norfolkline from Rosyth to Zeebrugge, and Ramsgate to Ostend with TransEuropa Ferries, which operates the route in partnership with LD Lines.
The festival will get underway on the Friday afternoon with a celebration of Saint-Arnould, the patron saint of brewers. At least 50 breweries of different sizes will be taking part in the event, giving visitors the opportunity to sample the full range of beers on offer throughout Belgium. Other highlights of the weekend will include displays and parades of old brewery carts and beer wagons.
And DFDS Norfolkline, operator of Scotland’s only ferry crossing to the continent, is offering a special deal which allows two people to travel with a car on return sailings between 1st September 2010 and 31st March 2011 on the Scottish Viking which runs from Rosyth, Fife, to Zeebrugge in Belgium.
New bookings for return crossings made up to 15th August 2010, qualify for a special discount of up to £100.
Chris Newey, DFDS Norfolkline’s General Manger for Passenger Services for Scotland-Belgium and the English Channel, said the offer is superb value for anyone looking to holiday in Europe without the stress of summer travel.
He said: “We all know that travelling during summer can be not only expensive but very busy as everyone is on the move at the same time.
“By booking a trip now for travel between September to March, people can give themselves something to look forward to. We also know that many people coming back from their summer holidays like to plan their autumn break around this time, so this gives them plenty of opportunity to grab a great deal.”
DFDS Norfolkline began operating the Rosyth-Zeebrugge service in May 2009, allowing thousands of passengers to enjoy the benefits of avoiding the long drive south to Europe as well as the service’s leisurely overnight crossing.
The Scottish Viking sails three times a week from both ports and with onboard facilities that include a restaurant, bar, cinema and children’s play area, there are plenty of opportunities for passengers of all ages to sit back, enjoy the journey and arrive in Europe refreshed and relaxed.
Passengers travelling with a car can easily head to any destination on mainland Europe. The port of Zeebrugge is just 10 km from the beautiful city of Bruges and provides easy access to the European motorway network allowing passengers to continue their journey to France, Holland, Germany, Italy and further afield.
And finally, former Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell paid a flying visit to the bridge of Condor Ferries’ fast cat ferry recently.
While on board the high speed wave piercing catamaran, which has a service speed of close to 40 knots, the race ace visited the bridge met Condor Ferries Captain Peter Aldous and spent a short time at the helm.
The Jersey-based motor-racing legend was returning from the London to Paris 2010 cycling event as part of his training for the ‘Nigel Mansell UK Youth Cycle Challenge”.
Condor Ferries are supporting The ‘Positive About Youth’ campaign, which saw Mansell ride 1,200 miles around Britain in 13 days to help the charity.
Condor Ferries’ Head of Sales, Marketing and Retail, Alicia Andrews, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Nigel’s charity bike challenge and wish him every success.
“As an active community-based company Condor Ferries is always looking at opportunities to work with and support local organisations, sports and charities,” she added.
The Nigel Mansell UK Youth Cycle Challenge started in London on July 22. The riders travelled as far afield as Cardiff and Glasgow before finishing in Canary Wharf on August 3.
That’s about it for this week. Join us again soon for another roundup of travel and transport news here on www.expatsradio.com. Until then, happy travels... wherever you may be in the world.
This programme was researched and written for www.expatsradio.com by Peter Clayton.
