Over the years we have weighed up the pros and cons of taking the long ferry to Spain many times, but with a dog we had kind of ruled it out previously as dog friendly cabins are so hard to get (and our princess wouldn’t cope in kennels & TBH neither would I!). Thanks to a facebook post in summer informing us that the winter dates had just been released, we were fortunate to secure one for our winter trip. The ferry cuts out a drive of 1300kms so with fuel prices it is certainly worth considering, at a cost of around £600 one way, it isn’t more cost effective, but it is certainly a more relaxing way to travel in winter when the weather in France is just like home.

If you’re considering this route here are our Top Tips:

Book Early

The earlier you book, generally the cheaper it is. Brittany ferries offer a flexi ticket which is changeable and cancelable without penalty so if you there is some uncertainty there are options. Booking early is also generally essential if you want a dog friendly cabin as there are only a limited number – there were just 22 on board the Galacia that we sailed on.

Have passports (yours & any pets) and booking ref ready

You will need both your own and your pets passport or animal health certificate for check in, you will also need your booking reference number so ensure this is handy. You will be given your key card to access you cabin at this point.

The Cabin

The cabins are 4 berth (2 beds at ground level and 2 bunks above). With 2 of us and the dog in one though there is not a lot of spare space so I think it would be more than cosy with 4. They have a small ensuite shower room which has towels, soap and shower gel so no need to pack these. They have 2 three pin plug sockets and 2 European 2 pin sockets so it is good to take an adapter especially if you and to charge something next to the bed. All the cabins on this boat have on demand TV so you can watch a couple of movies to pass some time. They do not have a kettle or hairdryer so it’s a good idea to pack both for the crossing. When we got to our cabin the bathroom clearly hadn’t been cleaned from the previous guests (I won’t go into detail), and because the do was somewhat stressed by the time we got to the cabin I didn’t really want someone coming in to do it whilst we were there. Fortunately because of covid and past experience of ferries I’d packed anti bacterial wipes so I was able to clean it myself plus wipe all the other surfaces down. If you have a choice opt for an outside cabin, there is not much difference in the price and at least with a window you know whether it’s day or night!

Take essentials

The Portsmouth to Santander route is a 2 night crossing and although you will be given dinner on the 2nd night the rest of the time you will need to cater for yourselves. We packed porridge pots for breakfast and noodle pots for lunch as well as tea, coffee, water and a bottle of wine as we knew we would be spending the majority of our time in the cabin. We also took our travel mugs with us so that we could enjoy hot drinks. The dinner provided is 3 courses, but doesn’t include drinks (it was actually really good), you will be allocated a sitting for dinner on board. Don’t forget any chargers, kindles, tablets etc you will need for the crossing. It is also advisable to take a coat as it can be cold on deck.

The Ship

We sailed on the Galacia (which they class as a mini cruise), there are 2 restaurants on board and a couple of seating areas. There are also seats on deck where you can often spot whales or dolphins. There is also a bar area where they have some entertainment in the evenings. There is also a duty free shop on board which offers good pricing on alcohol, cigarettes and perfumes. It’s good to always pay in the local currency to get the best deal (£’s on the way out Euros on the way back).

The Crossing

Crossing the Bay of Biscay on a boat is always hit and miss, having been lucky on previous crossings this time it was time for our luck to run out, the crossing was rough, so everything had to be nailed down or put away. If you’re sea sick take anti sickness tablets with you or like me wear sea bands (I find these very effective). You set sail at 9.30 pm and arrive at 7am British time or 8am Spanish time making the crossing 33 1/2 hours.

Mobiles & Wifi

As you will be in international waters it is a good idea to turn data roaming off and place your phone in aeroplane mode for the duration of the crossing. Brittany ferries does give you 1 1/2 hours free wifi access, but we can’t comment on this as we didn’t use it.

Dog

If you are taking a dog on board they need to be muzzled in public areas (from your vehicle to the cabin). There is an small outside areas near to the pet cabins for doggies to do their business, it gets very wet out there as there are hose pipes used to wash the area down so take crocs if you have them just for this purpose. As well as your own food you will need to take your dogs and we also took a few toys & a couple of bones and of course her bed. Although Nutmeg is house trained she does find the whole process of going on deck a bit overwhelming so we did take some puppy pads just in case, although I’m please to say she didn’t use them.