Newhaven or the tunnel to Basel Switzerland ?

berni109

berni109

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Ok all you seasoned travellers give us a clue.
Need a fairly quick transit 2 or 3 days max mid April.
Thinking tunnel then Belgium, Luxembourg (for a tank full) then Strasbourg then either side of the Rhine to Basel
Or dieppe across to Riems Metz Strasbourg. Toll roads are ok.
Appreciate it's going to take longer across France but with the benefit of more choice for overnight Aires on the way.
Comments please.
 
berni109 said:
Ok all you seasoned travellers give us a clue.
Need a fairly quick transit 2 or 3 days max mid April.
Thinking tunnel then Belgium, Luxembourg (for a tank full) then Strasbourg then either side of the Rhine to Basel
Or dieppe across to Riems Metz Strasbourg. Toll roads are ok.
Appreciate it's going to take longer across France but with the benefit of more choice for overnight Aires on the way.
Comments please.
Click to expand...
tunnel- no contest. dont fill your tank in Luxembourg these days though !
 
berni109 said:
Ok all you seasoned travellers give us a clue.
Need a fairly quick transit 2 or 3 days max mid April.
Thinking tunnel then Belgium, Luxembourg (for a tank full) then Strasbourg then either side of the Rhine to Basel
Or dieppe across to Riems Metz Strasbourg. Toll roads are ok.
Appreciate it's going to take longer across France but with the benefit of more choice for overnight Aires on the way.
Comments please.
Click to expand...

We did Tunnel to Lake Garda in 2 days a couple of times, with an overnight stop at Obernai. Toll roads.
 
Looking at Google maps and then adding 20% to the times it suggests, it looks like about:
  • 9.5 hrs from Dieppe to Basel via Amiens, Rheims, Metz & Strasbourg (routes south of Paris are a fraction longer)
  • 8.75 hrs from the tunnel to Basel via Amiens, Rheims, Metz & Strasbourg
  • 9.5 hrs from the tunnel via Lille, Charelroi, Luxembourg, Metz & Strasbourg

Given that there's so little in it I'd go the lower toll route via Lille, Belgium & Luxembourg, plus there's a very nice overnight at Redu in Belgium at about the halfway point.
 
Belgium, Luxembourg, Metz overnight at Obernai as someone else suggests then it is a straight road down the Alsace to Switzerland. If you really want to you can be there in less than two days with little or no tolls.
 
I take it return journey? Look for cheap 5 day deals
 
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jongood said:
tunnel- no contest. dont fill your tank in Luxembourg these days though !
Click to expand...

Today's prices Luxembourg diesel €151. 7 🙄 here in Javea Spain €143.9 😁 Bob.

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Does the OP qualify for the over 60 discount with DFDS?
 
Obviously need to keep an eye on the diesel prices but anywhere must be cheaper than the UK. Surely?
This is just the first leg of our grand tour not sure which way we are coming back just at the minute maybe hook to harwich.
Yes unfortunately old enough for any discounts going.
Thanks for the replys so far.
 
Depending on your time constraints, the Stena Line ferry Harwich/Hook of Holland may be your actual fastest route (also toll free)
Hook to Basel is 780km, (8hs 45min) so with two drivers it could be done in a day.

The Harwich/Hook route has the advantage that you turn up in Harwich at 8pm
Go to bed in your cabin overnight
Off the boat at 7am local time, which means you are on the German Autobahns before 10am
(Take the German route via Dusseldorf & Frankfurt rather than the French route via Brussels and Luxembourg)

Cost of the Harwich/Hook ferry, with cabin, is usually less than the tunnel, especially when you add in the cost of the French Tolls

It means that with two drivers you could be in Basel within 24hrs, door to door time, but you would have had a full nights sleep in-between.

If you only have one driver, then after 400km you will be on the Rhein, there are loads of really nice German Stellplatz (Aires) to spend the night on, with a river view !
 
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DangerMousy said:
Looking at Google maps and then adding 20% to the times it suggests, it looks like about:
  • 9.5 hrs from Dieppe to Basel via Amiens, Rheims, Metz & Strasbourg (routes south of Paris are a fraction longer)
  • 8.75 hrs from the tunnel to Basel via Amiens, Rheims, Metz & Strasbourg
  • 9.5 hrs from the tunnel via Lille, Charelroi, Luxembourg, Metz & Strasbourg

Given that there's so little in it I'd go the lower toll route via Lille, Belgium & Luxembourg, plus there's a very nice overnight at Redu in Belgium at about the halfway point.
Click to expand...

As we discovered, the Belgian authorities impose a temporary lower speed limit on their non-toll motorways when they decide that the level of atmospheric pollution is too high. That can add to the journey time and causes anxiety with a fixed check-in time for return crossing the Channel.

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DangerMousy said:
Looking at Google maps and then adding 20% to the times it suggests, it looks like about:
  • 9.5 hrs from Dieppe to Basel via Amiens, Rheims, Metz & Strasbourg (routes south of Paris are a fraction longer)
  • 8.75 hrs from the tunnel to Basel via Amiens, Rheims, Metz & Strasbourg
  • 9.5 hrs from the tunnel via Lille, Charelroi, Luxembourg, Metz & Strasbourg

Given that there's so little in it I'd go the lower toll route via Lille, Belgium & Luxembourg, plus there's a very nice overnight at Redu in Belgium at about the halfway point.
Click to expand...
Or 8hrs 45mins/780km's (Google) add 20% = 10hrs 50 mins
From Hoek of Holland via Dusseldorf/Frankfurt

The advantages are:
Cost, about the same as the tunnel
No Tolls
A proper nights sleep in a bed on board the ship.
An earlier start, you will be on the German Autobahn's in time for a late breakfast
Navigation: It's more or less one autobahn all the way.

Speed, although we all bumble along at 60'ish MPH, we find on the German Autobahns you can hold that speed for hours, whereas routes via the French ring roads can be a lot slower, but obviously if you hit holiday season, roads are packed whatever route you take.

Also, as the German Autobahns are toll free they have more exits than the tolled French autoroutes, which means getting off due to traffic ahead, wanting a stop, or looking for an Stellplatz/Aire is a lot easier in Germany than France.
 
Brains said:
Or 8hrs 45mins/780km's (Google) add 20% = 10hrs 50 mins
From Hoek of Holland via Dusseldorf/Frankfurt

The advantages are:
Cost, about the same as the tunnel
No Tolls
A proper nights sleep in a bed on board the ship.
An earlier start, you will be on the German Autobahn's in time for a late breakfast
Navigation: It's more or less one autobahn all the way.

Speed, although we all bumble along at 60'ish MPH, we find on the German Autobahns you can hold that speed for hours, whereas routes via the French ring roads can be a lot slower, but obviously if you hit holiday season, roads are packed whatever route you take.

Also, as the German Autobahns are toll free they have more exits than the tolled French autoroutes, which means getting off due to traffic ahead, wanting a stop, or looking for an Stellplatz/Aire is a lot easier in Germany than France.
Click to expand...
Only if the rather limited departure times suits your requirements, many more crossings with tunnel and total travelling time will almost always be faster.
 
What’s the benefit of going via Belgium & Lux, rather than staying in France and cutting across to Metz from Reims?
 
TheMachMan said:
What’s the benefit of going via Belgium & Lux, rather than staying in France and cutting across to Metz from Reims?
Click to expand...
Mainly cost: the A26 & A4 from Calais to Strasbourg are toll roads pretty much all the way. If you go via Belgium and Lux you can save around €50 as you'll only pay tolls from Metz -> Strasbourg. Its not a huge saving, but given that the timings are very similar then its a pretty easy decision.

Plus you can stop in Luxembourg for fuel - its not as cheap as it used to be, but its still usually cheaper than other countries. And I also prefer the overnight options in Belgium on this particular route.....they suit our usual timings and are easy access with plenty of space (which is what we want at the end of a long day).
 
DangerMousy said:
Mainly cost: the A26 & A4 from Calais to Strasbourg are toll roads pretty much all the way. If you go via Belgium and Lux you can save around €50 as you'll only pay tolls from Metz -> Strasbourg. Its not a huge saving, but given that the timings are very similar then its a pretty easy decision.

Plus you can stop in Luxembourg for fuel - its not as cheap as it used to be, but its still usually cheaper than other countries. And I also prefer the overnight options in Belgium on this particular route.....they suit our usual timings and are easy access with plenty of space (which is what we want at the end of a long day).
Click to expand...
Interesting thanks, whereabouts would you recommend for stopping over, if you don’t mind sharing?

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TheMachMan said:
Interesting thanks, whereabouts would you recommend for stopping over, if you don’t mind sharing?
Click to expand...
If we're getting an evening crossing after finishing work then we stay at Bergues - its less than an hour from the tunnel, just off the (free) motorway towards Lille. If we're getting an afternoon crossing looking then we usually drive for about 4 hours so we aim to stay at Redu (in Belgium) with the old boat lift at Strépy-Thieu as a backup in case we're delayed.
 

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