Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => PBP => Topic started by: yanto on 08 November, 2018, 07:00:31 pm
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A blatant rip off of PhilW's previous post (I'll buy you beer as payment Phil ;D).
I too have bit the bullet regarding booking the ferry and a cabin:
Thu 15th August 2019 23:00 outbound
Fri 23rd August 2019 23:59 inbound
Four berth cabin for both ways so no need to rough it in a chair or on the floor. A berth in the cabins is £27.50 to cover you both ways. First come first served.
Cheers
Ian
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Plenty of opportunity of buy beers before ferry if the meetup is as per 2015.
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I was wondering if the social life started then ;D
Looks like I'm not as popular as you Phil, only got one tentative taker so far, so I may be able to fart to my hearts content without worrying about upsetting anybody!
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Hey Ian
I'll grab one to stop my indecision about how to get there...
-Jules
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Yes, there was a pub quiz at the meeting point last time. Ride down from Dieppe is nice, starting with the Avenue Verte and breakfast at a Tabac in Forges (or may have been Neufchatel), then a long cider lunch later on...
I have pointed another rider in your direction but he can be quite slow to do stuff. Sure you will fill your cabin.
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Hey Ian
I'll grab one to stop my indecision about how to get there...
-Jules
That'll be great Jules, procrastination must stop!
Ian
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Yes, there was a pub quiz at the meeting point last time. Ride down from Dieppe is nice, starting with the Avenue Verte and breakfast at a Tabac in Forges (or may have been Neufchatel), then a long cider lunch later on...
I have pointed another rider in your direction but he can be quite slow to do stuff. Sure you will fill your cabin.
Sounds like a perfect start to an adventure, I'm looking forward to all aspects of it!
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I responded to you yesterday on FB requesting one of the berths.
Anyway, ferry now booked, cabin sorted, need to book campsite within easy ride of the start. That's it then, all I need to do is ride, and how hard can that be?
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I responded to you yesterday on FB requesting one of the berths.
Anyway, ferry now booked, cabin sorted, need to book campsite within easy ride of the start. That's it then, all I need to do is ride, and how hard can that be?
Yes Bob, you were the person I was referring to as tentative i.e. subject to ferry booking :thumbsup:
I think Huttopia is the nearest campsite to the start, I'm in 2 minds about camping or going B&B.
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I presume that you have already paid for your crossing and the cabin. If that is the case, I need to pay you. If you send me a PM I will sort it.
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I have a couple of berths and beds booked in an air BnB 7k from Rambouillet if anyone is interested. Ferrey arrangements as upthread.
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Looks like the late night outbound ferry is full for cyclists, though not for drivers.
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Oh.. hope they can cope with at least one trike..
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Oh.. hope they can cope with at least one trike..
Make that 2 trikes!
Although on every other ferry I've been on I'm lodged with the motorcycles.
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On my return from Zebrugge thats where I was. Have you warned DFDS or do we just rock up? .
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I phoned them before I booked to try and explain that I was cycling but not a normal bicycle, they said as long as I pedal it it's a bike. At the end of the day it is the load master who determines where everything goes. I have friends with velomobiles who've used this ferry before and had no problems. I've used Stena, P&O and Isle of Man Steam Packet and never had problems. For me Brittany Ferries are a no-no as they charge motorcycle rates for velomobiles.
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As I recall there's oodles of physical space and the limit on bikes is but a figment of the booking system.
(if anything there's a limit on wall space to lean two-wheelers against...)
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Old salts correction 'Wall' - 'Bulkhead'
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Brittany Ferries do not like cyclists or foot passengers in summer on most sailings as motorists are more lucrative. The sailings are never sold out, they just want £300 for a motorist who will then book a cabin rather than £30 from a cyclists who will book a reclining seat.
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I obtained another cycle booking by emailing DFDS. Probably helped it being an amendment.
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Apologies for being late to this: for a Dieppe Raid some years ago the website said there were no spaces for bikes left so I phoned them in Newhaven and was told the number could be increased only by the French side, and they gave me a UK phone number that connected me to the Dieppe side. A nice lady there, fluent in English, simply changed the number of bikes spaces.
So do not despair if you can't book a bike space from Newhaven to Dieppe.
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I just booked onto these ferries by phone, no problem
Thu 15th August 2019 23:00 outbound
Fri 23rd August 2019 23:59 inbound
phone number is 0800 917 12 01
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Think this is the pub we met at before the sailing in 2015. They had a pub quiz on from memory.
http://hopeinnnewhaven.co.uk/
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No Phil it was here https://www.flyingfishdenton.co.uk/ and we liked it so shall we meet there again?
I'll be setting off from SW London after lunch with two others and open to more.
Annoyingly there are now three threads for Dieppe-Newhaven, perhaps an admin could merge them into one?
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No Phil it was here https://www.flyingfishdenton.co.uk/ and we liked it so shall we meet there again?
I'll be setting off from SW London after lunch with two others and open to more.
Annoyingly there are now three threads for Dieppe-Newhaven, perhaps an admin could merge them into one?
Yeah Twas a good meet up place before ferry in 15, happy to meet there again. I have direct trains to Brighton now so will likely catch a train to south side of London and ride from there. Have not looked at which station to get off at, but a crossing of the downs would be nice.
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I'm going to be on the 23:00 on the 15th as well.
The Flying Fish were super nice - we ordered food in advance to make their life easier last time.
I shouldn't be living in London by then, so not sure of exact travel plans - but likely that I will ride from London (unless the weather is as crazy as it got in 2015 (Brighton flooded etc.) where I was very pleased to get a text from Swisshat (with whom I was riding down to Newhaven) that morning suggesting we get the train to Brighton!).
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I'm on the lookout for any cancellations for the ferry out of Newhaven at 23:00 on 15th August and return from Dieppe at 23:59 (French time) on 23rd August. I have secured a berth in a cabin (thanks Yanto) on this ferry but DFDS do not seem to be taking any more bookings for cyclists at these times. Does anyone have any experience of risking it by booking on as a foot-passenger and hoping they'll accept the bike?
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Back in 2016 Swiihat and I rode to Tours (for Le Douze Cents 1200) via Newhaven-Dieppe ferry. We could not get any bike bookings, as all of the spaces had been taken up by London-Paris 24 hour!
We booked foot passenger tickets, and then resorted to dissmantling the bikes and packing them in pastic bags. Just before joining the shuttle-bus to the ferry, there was a luggage trolly, that we were instructed to put our packed up bags. They were secured in the hold for the duration of the crossing. While it was a total faa, it did allow us to get across and modestly cost us an hour's delay on either side packing up and reassmbling the bikes.
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I'm on the lookout for any cancellations for the ferry out of Newhaven at 23:00 on 15th August and return from Dieppe at 23:59 (French time) on 23rd August. I have secured a berth in a cabin (thanks Yanto) on this ferry but DFDS do not seem to be taking any more bookings for cyclists at these times. Does anyone have any experience of risking it by booking on as a foot-passenger and hoping they'll accept the bike?
As per Laid Back Rich up-thread I have also just booked onto these ferries by phone, no problem
Thu 15th August 2019 23:00 outbound
Fri 23rd August 2019 23:59 inbound
phone number is 0800 917 12 01
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I'm booked in for the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry on the:-
14/08/2019 17:30, arriving Dieppe 22:30.
and Returning:-
24/08/2019 23:59, arriving Newhaven 04:00.
In 2015, I was on the 23:00 ferry, but hoping to get a few hours sleep before I got to Dieppe was a non event. A load of Women, kids, young girls etc making a racket chattering away. Eventually, someone stood up and told them all to f****g shut up but it was to late, the damage was done. This year, I will enjoy the voyage, get to Dieppe, find somewhere to park and maybe something to eat, get some sleep and carry on driving down to the Hotel early hours Thursday morning.
The return journey, same as 2015 gives me a relaxed day around Paris area or where ever I fancy going to explore, maybe a battlefield, do some shopping, few hours sleep. Drive up to Dieppe through the night, then spend a day in Dieppe and more shopping and touring. Not to fussed about sleep as I will just park up in UK and have a sleep before heading home.
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Would anyone have any experience on how they disembark cyclists at Newhaven??
i.e before the cars & punters, or after, or mingled??
I will be trying to get upto London for the Sleeper and was wondering whether the 15.30 Newhaven arrival would see me being able to get up to St Pancras before 21.00. There is no sleeper on a Saturday so I will be going for the Friday option if possible. I think it's about 70 miles & don't think I'll make that by bike in the time available so will wimp out & try & jump a train.
Thanks for any advice
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Would anyone have any experience on how they disembark cyclists at Newhaven??
i.e before the cars & punters, or after, or mingled??
I will be trying to get upto London for the Sleeper and was wondering whether the 15.30 Newhaven arrival would see me being able to get up to St Pancras before 21.00. There is no sleeper on a Saturday so I will be going for the Friday option if possible. I think it's about 70 miles & don't think I'll make that by bike in the time available so will wimp out & try & jump a train.
Thanks for any advice
To me that sounds like a no-brainer — there's a new Thameslink service that goes Brighton to Cambridge via St Pancras — the entire journey from Brighton to Cambridge is about four hours, so sub-3hrs to St Pancras. Or at least it used to — Mrs WB catches it regularly, as it stops in central London without needing to Tube it, but it doesn't seem to show up on The Trainline ???
If not then the Brighton-Victoria takes just over two hours, and it's a pleasant enough ride (for London) from there to St Pancras, takes about 20-25 minutes.
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The Brighton line is closed for maintenance this week so if you were searching today you'll get funny options.
Brighton-Victoria should be about 70 minutes on a normal day. Brighton-St Pancras is 80-90 on a fast train.
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The Brighton line is closed for maintenance this week so if you were searching today you'll get funny options.
Brighton-Victoria should be about 70 minutes on a normal day. Brighton-St Pancras is 80-90 on a fast train.
Thanks, Graham — that explains it! :thumbsup:
Phew, I am going to need that train to get me home in August :) edit: and to get me there on the 15th, too, of course ;)
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The ride back from Newhaven to Brighton station will be testing — it starts with a 70m 5% on tired and stiff legs. But at least it's downhill or flat nearly all the way to Brighton from there ;)
Also, for anyone riding from Brighton to Newhaven tempted to take the path along the bottom of the cliffs, be warned — it's concrete slabs with bumps every few metres, my hands were killing me by the time I had to climb back onto the coast road :(
And the run-off at the foot of the cliffs is full of chalk, so my bike was sprayed white before I even got to France — trying to explain in bad French to the hotelier why I needed a bucket and sponge was "interesting" :facepalm:
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I'm on the same ferry out (15Aug,23:00) but coming back eye wateringly early (22Aug,12:00). A spot in a cabin on the way out would be luxurious, happy to contribute if still available! I'll be riding all the way to Trappes on Friday at a leisurely pace where i have a comfy room.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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Also, i have a booking at the dieppe Egg Hotel on 15Aug2019 that i won't be needing if anybody is on the earlier sailing. Just get in touch.
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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I'm going to be on the 23:00 on the 15th as well.
The Flying Fish were super nice - we ordered food in advance to make their life easier last time.
I shouldn't be living in London by then, so not sure of exact travel plans - but likely that I will ride from London (unless the weather is as crazy as it got in 2015 (Brighton flooded etc.) where I was very pleased to get a text from Swisshat (with whom I was riding down to Newhaven) that morning suggesting we get the train to Brighton!).
If I can get an early enough train down from Embra and you’re still going to be setting off from that London Town, I’ll ride down with you.
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Would anyone have any experience on how they disembark cyclists at Newhaven??
i.e before the cars & punters, or after, or mingled??
I will be trying to get upto London for the Sleeper and was wondering whether the 15.30 Newhaven arrival would see me being able to get up to St Pancras before 21.00. There is no sleeper on a Saturday so I will be going for the Friday option if possible. I think it's about 70 miles & don't think I'll make that by bike in the time available so will wimp out & try & jump a train.
Thanks for any advice
To me that sounds like a no-brainer — there's a new Thameslink service that goes Brighton to Cambridge via St Pancras — the entire journey from Brighton to Cambridge is about four hours, so sub-3hrs to St Pancras. Or at least it used to — Mrs WB catches it regularly, as it stops in central London without needing to Tube it, but it doesn't seem to show up on The Trainline ???
If not then the Brighton-Victoria takes just over two hours, and it's a pleasant enough ride (for London) from there to St Pancras, takes about 20-25 minutes.
Whenever I've used the ferry, cyclists have had to wait until last.
For the trains, you can do a bit of leap-frogging, by getting a fast Southern service from Brighton, changing at East Croydon (often from the same platform) and then a Thameslink train north to St Pancras.
Also, don't leave things like lights on your bike when on the ferry.
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************CABIN SPACE AVAILABLE**************
Due to an unfortunate incident one member of our cabin's motley crew has had to withdraw from his bunk occupation, if a few hrs kip in a bed is preferred to slumming it on the floor or in an upright chair please contact me by PM for further details.
Cheers
Ian
PS, the unfortunate rider also has a ferry ticket which may be transferable, again PM me and I will give you his details.
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I can confirm that the berth has been taken, I do not foresee it becoming available again, probably!
Ian
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Whenever I've used the ferry, cyclists have had to wait until last.
In 2015 on this sailing to Dieppe, cycles were allowed on first, or very near the front:
At the port there was a large gathering of cyclists heading for Paris and they quickly opened up a check-in lane just for us and processed us all through quickly. It was quite a sight with all the bikes leant against the fence in the dark and riders milling around in hi-viz. They sent us onto the boat first, and it was an unusual feeling to ride up the metal ramp and thru the boat to the far end, where we piled our bikes one on top of the other and tied them to the bulkhead with a couple of pieces of sketchy old rope!
https://www.16inchwheels.uk/2015/09/12/paris-brest-paris-getting-there/ (https://www.16inchwheels.uk/2015/09/12/paris-brest-paris-getting-there/)
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IME they don't allow riding up the ramp any more - as of about 2 years ago - H&S gone mad. And on the flat deck inside the boat, beware pools of diesel/seawater mix - lethal even when walking. But yes, when getting off the boat, try to hack your way to the front, could save a lot of time at the border check.
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But yes, when getting off the boat, try to hack your way to the front, could save a lot of time at the border check.
Or spy an empty lane and ride out of the port, ignore any whistles or shouting you can hear, and then wonder where everybody else is when further on in Dieppe.
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But yes, when getting off the boat, try to hack your way to the front, could save a lot of time at the border check.
Or spy an empty lane and ride out of the port, ignore any whistles or shouting you can hear, and then wonder where everybody else is when further on in Dieppe.
Yes, that was an amusing stunt ;D
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Whenever I've used the ferry, cyclists have had to wait until last.
https://www.16inchwheels.uk/2015/09/12/paris-brest-paris-getting-there/ (https://www.16inchwheels.uk/2015/09/12/paris-brest-paris-getting-there/)
Hadn't read that before. Agree, there's that tension between a nice route you've chosen and group dynamics. Agree about D915 east of Gisors. Used that on the way back as it knocked off 10km or so. It wasn't the most pleasant road to cycle on with the volume of traffic. The Avenue Verte is tarmac to Forges-Les-Eaux with a bit of gravel round there. If you pick up the Avenue Verte up after Martin Eglise it cuts out the bity start. It's nice to cycle on.
Here's our Wed night sailing group on the Avenue Verte in the early morning rain.
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/ee66edre96e58vt/2013-Feb-19_0539.jpg?raw=1)
Should be in the Dieppe - Rambouillet route thread really ;D
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But yes, when getting off the boat, try to hack your way to the front, could save a lot of time at the border check.
Or spy an empty lane and ride out of the port, ignore any whistles or shouting you can hear, and then wonder where everybody else is when further on in Dieppe.
Yes, that was an amusing stunt ;D
It was my first ferry trip to France in a while, I'd got used to the Eurotunnel modus operandi.
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Well I've booked the Thursday night outbound sailing and Friday night return. Just trains to work out, probably to Brighton and ride along the coast. Flying Fish meet up again sounds good, better check if it's quiz night.
Where did we have breakfast on Saturday morning, Phil W? Buddies Cafe? Near the Pier on Kings Road I think. Brighton is a 24-hour kinda town, bound to be something open when the ferry gets in so horribly early.
[I can't believe I'm thinking about a post-PBP, post-ferry breakfast!]
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Yes, Buddies sounds about right for the post PBP 2015 ferry breakfast with partygoers and bouncers. Seem to remember the cafe had glass panels round the outside of the seating area. Was it Brian that was also with us?
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Hello,
Finished my booking Ferry Thursday night 23:00 with Bike. No Cabin unless someone can offer a space. But probably too late.
Just need to plan the route down any ideas?
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Hello,
Finished my booking Ferry Thursday night 23:00 with Bike. No Cabin unless someone can offer a space. But probably too late.
Just need to plan the route down any ideas?
See https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=111960.0, route sheet and GPX are both available.
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:thumbsup: thanks, will check it out. I take it a few people will be on the same route?
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Yes, Buddies sounds about right for the post PBP 2015 ferry breakfast with partygoers and bouncers. Seem to remember the cafe had glass panels round the outside of the seating area. Was it Brian that was also with us?
Yes Phil, you, me and Brian Taylor [not riding this time]. One of the all-time great breakfasts, only topped by the full Scottish breakfast, with haggis and black pudding, in Longtown on the last LEL. [After Brampton ran out of food.] What made the former extra special, apart from the bleary-eyed clubbers, bouncers and taxi drivers and the sunny early morning light, was the young French waitress who could have been straight out of 'Allo'Allo. I really appreciated her broken English, after a week of trying to resurrect my rusty schoolboy French.
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:thumbsup: thanks, will check it out. I take it a few people will be on the same route?
Yeah, people are lazy, and few others plotted a different route last time. So we rode together as a group. These Thursday night sailing bunch may be a different breed altogether of course.
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I've plumped for the earlier ferry about 17:00ish this year and gets me to Dieppe around 23:00ish. In 2015, I found I got no sleep on the ferry thanks to people talking, laughing and wandering about all night that I arrived in France shattered after being up all day and driving down to Newhaven, up all night and then drove down to Vernon somehow. At one point, some bloke stood up and told a big gang of girls and women to shut up which was quiet amusing but it just made them start laughing and tittering for ages. This year, I can stay awake on the crossing, get to Dieppe, park up somewhere quiet, few hours sleep and then a leisurely drive to the hotel from just after dawn.
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I think having a cabin will make quite a difference as I found reclining seats useless for the purpose of sleeping and the floor was dirty. Just need to make sure don't stay around the ferry bar area drinking Guinness.
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The meeting pub for Thu evening.
Flying Fish
Denton Rd, Newhaven BN9 0QB
01273 515440
https://goo.gl/maps/nrf3DyBLtqYVAcsn6
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:thumbsup:
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The meeting pub for Thu evening.
Flying Fish
Denton Rd, Newhaven BN9 0QB
01273 515440
https://goo.gl/maps/nrf3DyBLtqYVAcsn6
I will be there, riding down from London leaving around midday, anyone else riding down?
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The meeting pub for Thu evening.
Flying Fish
Denton Rd, Newhaven BN9 0QB
01273 515440
https://goo.gl/maps/nrf3DyBLtqYVAcsn6
I will be there, riding down from London leaving around midday, anyone else riding down?
See https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=112847.0. Diesel defo, me possibly. Will decide nearer time. Could be meet at Three Bridges if you are passing that way around that time.
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I'm on the 17:30 Newhaven Dieppe crossing on the Thursday. I'm up for joining the ride to Ramboulies.
There's a shelter somewhere along the Velo Vert route that has benches for me to sleep on, so I'll ride to there for some sleep while I wait for everyone unless I find something better on the way there.
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Plan is to have breakfast at Neufchatel en Bray which is 37km from Dieppe ferry port. So if you stop before there we will hopefully find / spot you. From memory we reached there around 7am in 2015 but does depend on ferry timings due to any tides. I will try not to bypass passport control this time :facepalm:
GPX of the route (with potential stops marked) I have planned can be downloaded from https://www.dropbox.com/s/mcw8wt7m1zh9orn/Dieppe%20-%20Rambouillet.gpx?dl=1
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i wonder whether it is worth going all the way to rambouillet on friday - will there be any gathering, meetup etc?
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i wonder whether it is worth going all the way to rambouillet on friday - will there be any gathering, meetup etc?
That may depend on what time your ferry arrives in Dieppe. I'm on the Thursday night crossing, arriving 05:00 local time Friday; so am planning on riding the ~190km to Rambouillet.
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It's very easy country. Starting so early you'd be kicking your heels if you tried to split it over two days.
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i wonder whether it is worth going all the way to rambouillet on friday - will there be any gathering, meetup etc?
That may depend on what time your ferry arrives in Dieppe. I'm on the Thursday night crossing, arriving 05:00 local time Friday; so am planning on riding the ~190km to Rambouillet.
i'm on the same ferry, i was thinking how to better spend friday - could easily be in rambouillet by 2pm. alternatively, ride straight to b&b (not in rambouillet) and have a long rest/sleep there.
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This is why I’m on the afternoon ferry on Wednesday and staying in Dieppe. The day after the overnight ferry has been absolutely miserable both times I’ve done it.
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I just booked whichever ferry was cheapest. I was going to go via Holland, but that would have cost £120 or so more. But I reckon what I ended up with is much better. Very early start and ride to Newhaven. Dinner, beer and relaxation on the ferry. A short night ride then a better and longer sleep than I'd have got on the ferry before a slow ride with lots of breaks and cafes in good company to get to the start.