France & Spain October 2025 - Outward Day 1

Day 1. 

After some time of avoiding Le Shuttle, we booked again, the first time in Malibu Molly!

It's always a toss of the coin whether we go by Le Shuttle or the ferry from Dover. Since we've had Reggie for eleven years we have opted to use the tunnel more, simply when in the car it was easier and the price was comparable with the ferries.

Since Covid though, Le Shuttle (train!) prices have climbed and climbed and not kept pace with earnings nor with the ferries. As a Club Le Shuttle member every so often I get offers to save some rather decent percentages off the fare.

This year the booking offer would only cover the outward journey to France and though still more than the ferry for the same date it wasn't the usual £100 plus difference. So I booked the outward only.  The return leg would have been around £150 more than either of the Calais to Dover ferries, including access to the pet lounges!

I wasn't going to book a return until we were over there to keep our options open. But. Our travel insurance, that covers us medically and the van for breakdown/recovery (inc Reggie) specified that although it covers 240 days in Europe cover, it needs a return to UK booked.  So I booked Irish Ferries.

Booking with Irish Ferries to the UK from Calais was priced in Euros rather than pounds. I did a two window check. The euros window was £20 cheaper than the pound sterling window when the day's exchange rate was checked!  I booked using the euros window!

So Day 1.  On the route down to the birthday party venue I have the "avoid toll roads" tick box unticked. This is one.  The old N1, often shown as the D901 on maps, is one of the most boring mind-numbing roads in France.  I have done it so often!

It's the 80kph limit on roads in the middle of nowhere that really is a problem in France. Of course, you stick to it and you find cars and trucks pushing you along! So **** it. It's the A16 for me to Abbeville and then the toll free A28.

Day 1 - only two waypoints!

Again with shopping it will be a little longer than 106 minutes!