When I was first looking into bringing my car from the UK I was suggested to take a look at the ferries for Santander and Bilbao. At first I was a bit afraid of the trip. There were many parameters to choose from, many preparations to do. And the trip itself is 24h at sea.

The alternative was to drive through France, something I really didn’t want to do (And I’d also need to cross the channel). In the end the Ferry is the most affordable and practical way to take / bring the car to / from the UK.

When I searched for the ferries there weren’t many testimonies about the crossing itself, and namely about the crossing on the Pont-Aven. The Brittanny Ferries Pont-Aven is a RoRo ship — meaning Roll On Roll Out, where you drive your car on to the ship, enjoy 24h of sea, and on arrival start you car and drive away. Track the Pont-Aven’s Position

The truth is that all the service onboard was excellent, I really enjoyed the ship, and although not being a big ship, it is big enough that you don’t get tired of onboard life during the 24h crossing. If your are travelling solo like I was, well, the best tip I can give you is to get a Beer in the upper deck, get some BINOCULARS and go see the Dolphins of the Bay of Biscay (amazing, just amazing), or get a Book (You also have 2 cinemas, a small shopping area and a small upper deck pool, if you want).

24h don’t look like much, but you better be prepared — have in your onboard luggage all that you need. After departure you cannot go to your car again until arrival in Santander. Also, book a cabin. Don’t sleep in the corridors or the bars/restaurants. This is probably even more important if you are driving the next day. An inside cabin is fine, not luxurious but more than perfect for 1 night sleep, and you’ll have a shower in the morning. Think about it!

Internet access is free but the speeds are slow and connection fails often because the connection is via satellite, so be patient and don’t even think about skype calls or any thing like that. Remember old dial-up modem days? You’ll be able to post a picture to instagram or send an email but it will take a long time.