travel to / from Devon

[vorsprung]

Ok so I see two possible routes

1) like 2011 I take Eurostar.  Cost to / from Euston 70 quid with advance tickets.  Eurostar 70 euro each way
Cycling time from Gard De Nord to Rambouillet about 3 hours

2) Train to Brighton, ride 10km to Newhaven.   Ferry to Dieppe.  Ride to Rambouillet.  Train is approx 45 quid to  Brighton, Ferry 30 quid each way (that sounds a bit low? but that's what the website is saying).  Ride to Rambouillet 184km (google map cycling mode), about 12 hours at a leisurely pace stopping for lunch etc

The ferry tends to arrive at a terrible time or leave too early.   Eurostar is more frequent and of course the 3 hour ride to Rambouillet is easier at stupid o'clock

I'd like to be in Rambouillet for Friday.  Anyone else aiming to do this and also subject to random travel arrangements?

Maybe I should take 2 days extra leave and just cycle the whole thing.  Trains suck.

[Ian H]

That's what I've always done, mostly via Le Havre.  Random hotel somewhere near Evreux to break the journey.  Same on return. 
I did try the return in a single day once, but it was a bit sketchy and we missed the ferry.

[yanto]

If you decide to ride from Dieppe with the posse Thursday 15th night ferry arrive about 5am Friday, I know where there is a bunk in a cabin going spare, also on return crossing on Friday 23rd midnight, arriving 4 am Saturday, cost is £27.50 (for both journeys), about £30 sounds right for ferry per crossing.

[Phil W]

Overnight Dieppe ferry timings work well for the ride there and back. With a cabin the ability to sleep should be alright as well.

[Kamoshika]

I'm riding Exeter - Portsmouth on the Thursday (possibly via the Isle of Wight - I've cycled round Portsmouth and Southampton before and it was horrible). Overnight ferry to Caen, then riding down from there (hopefully in one day, but with option to break it up if I decide to). After PBP I'm heading South to meet the family for a holiday, which will be by bike or train or some combination of the two, depending on how broken I am.

[bludger]

There is a Plymouth ferry service to Roscoff, too - I suppose it greatly depends where in Devon you're to, but I would give it a think. Then a train from Roscoff to Paris is about £60. or £53 in first class, oddly!

Might be more sensible to ride from Roscoff to Morlaix and go to Paris directly from there. 10 EUR extra to book a bike on a TGV https://www.sncf.com/en/passenger-offer/travel-for-everyone/bike-on-board

https://www.thetrainline.com/book/results?origin=f0ccb635430c9927f7fe94ce11098b2c&destination=69b59b70a73b72302eff45627aeef377&outwardDate=2019-08-17T10%3A00%3A00&outwardDateType=departAfter&journeySearchType=single&passengers%5B%5D=1993-06-13%7Cabac1bfb-491d-4618-840e-afa25b6306f3&selectedOutward=aHCMD%2FSXAJI%3D%3AZ7hFEeHABGI%3D%3AStandard

[Ian H]

Ferries now booked.  Outward to Le Havre and home from Caen, which gives an overnight both ways.  Just me and the bike.