Cork’s New Ferry Route to France

Forget airport queues, baggage allowances and the usual stress of getting away. A new ferry route from Ringaskiddy to Boulogne-sur-Mer means Cork travellers can start their holiday almost the minute they leave home and opens up a fascinating corner of France, Belgium and Germany.

There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about starting a holiday by ship. You simply arrive, drive on board, find your cabin and your holiday begins.

My husband Neil and I love travelling by sea, so when the new service from Ringaskiddy to Boulogne-sur-Mer launched this summer, we couldn’t wait to try it.

Within minutes of boarding Hibernia’s St Patrick, we had dropped our bags in our cabin, settled in and were choosing dinner from a menu created by Cork’s own Rachel Allen.

The Cork connections continue at the bar, where Murphy’s Stout is served, a lovely nod to Cork as the coastline disappears behind you.

The St Patrick has been newly restored and there was a real sense of pride in it from the people working on board. From the welcome when we arrived to the restaurant and bar staff, we found everyone exceptionally warm and friendly.

Interestingly, the ship is referred to as a “hotel”, and that description suits it. Rather than feeling as though you are being transported from A to B, there is a sense of checking in, settling down and allowing yourself to switch off.

After a couple of drinks and a few games of cards, we headed for dinner.

We started with a delicious beef and vegetable soup – good, hearty, homemade food, the kind of soup you imagine an Italian grandmother producing from a pot that has been bubbling away all afternoon.

I followed it with baked cod with cheese, veg and potatoes while Neil had bacon with cauliflower cheese, carrots, potatoes and garden peas.

Rachel Allen created the restaurant menu and signed copies of her cookbooks are available in the onboard shop. We overheard some of the truck drivers chatting about her having been on board a couple of weeks previously and how friendly she had been.

I’d recommend upgrading to a deluxe cabin with sea views. Ours had two windows and there is something incredibly relaxing about watching the ocean go by, especially when you wake to a sunrise at sea.

The crossing takes almost 24 hours, but that is part of its charm. We read. We played cards. We ate. We walked around the deck and watched the extraordinary variety of traffic, everything from huge freight carriers to a Disney cruise ship.

There is a spa on board, where you can sit in a jacuzzi looking out over the ocean. Dogs are welcome too, with dedicated pet-friendly cabins, areas where owners can eat with them and deck space for walks. There is a children’s playroom, while a cinema and treadmills where you can look out to sea as you exercise will soon be added.

Bonjour Boulogne

Boulogne-sur-Mer was a place we knew little about before this trip, apart from its proximity to many of the major First World War sites, which Neil had wanted to explore for a long time. With beaches to discover, historic towns to explore and plenty of good food and drink along the way, we decided to make a proper adventure by hiring a camper van.

First, we spent a night in Boulogne’s old town. Our original plan had been to stay in one of two recommended hotels, but by the time we got around to booking, both were full. Instead, we found a small apartment in the old town, perfectly located and, as it turned out, directly within earshot of an outdoor heavy metal band!

“They’ll have to finish at 11,” we confidently told ourselves. They didn’t.

Thankfully, things wrapped up around 11.40pm.

Parking inside the old town proved impossible, but eventually we found a public car park just outside the gates. At €17 overnight and only a short stroll from the apartment, it worked perfectly.

We ate in one of the restaurants lining the cobbled streets and discovered another unexpected connection with the town. Neil, a huge Charles Dickens fan, was delighted to learn that the writer spent lots of time in Boulogne and worked on some of his writing there. Check out the Vole Hole, a charming, tiny and welcoming pub that Dickens used to frequent if you’re visiting.

Camper-vanning

The following morning we collected our camper van.

At 7.5 metres long, it slept six, not exactly a small vehicle to reacquaint yourself with after three decades. The last time Neil and I had holidayed in a camper van, our son Luke was four months old. He is now 32 and about to become a father himself.

Our first stop was Calais, where our campsite pitch was surrounded by grass and lavender. There was fresh coffee, bread and croissants available in the morning and a lovely riverside walk into the city.

But it was the coastline beyond Calais that was the real gem. We drove to Wissant, a beautiful seaside village with an old-world feel, a vast sandy beach and plenty of swimmers and surfers enjoying the water.

Standing there, looking across that stretch of water to the white cliffs of Dover, history felt much closer.

The coast is also a glorious place to eat with restaurants overlooking the sea serving spectacular seafood platters.

Dunkirk

From there we continued towards Dunkirk.

We hadn’t booked our campsite and when we drove up we discovered it was full. The staff suggested an aire instead, a municipal stopping place for camper vans. Unlike a campsite, ours had no toilets or showers, although there were facilities for water and waste.

Since our camper had its own shower and toilet, we decided to give it a try.

It turned out to be far nicer than I had imagined.

We parked beside a lovely local park, surrounded by trees and birdsong, with about a dozen other camper vans nearby. It felt peaceful and safe. Still, we made a mental note to book ahead from then on.

From our camper we walked towards Dunkirk’s promenade and beach, stopping at monuments and information panels telling the stories of the battles and the beaches.

We had dinner in front of the seven kilometre beach where 338,000 soldiers, some Irish, were evacuated during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

The following morning, after another visit to the beaches, we crossed the border into Belgium and headed for Ypres.

Ypres

We stayed at a wooded campsite with a beautiful walking route into the centre.

Ypres itself is stunning, with cobbled streets, imposing churches and magnificent historic-looking buildings giving the centre an almost storybook quality.

But behind that beauty is an incredibly powerful history.

At the Menin Gate, the names of tens of thousands of soldiers who went missing during the First World War in the area and have no known grave are inscribed on the memorial. Every evening at 8pm, traffic stops for the Last Post ceremony and people watch in their droves.

We visited a First World War museum where photographs, objects and interactive displays attempt to convey the appalling conditions endured by the soldiers who fought here, including the many Irishmen who served on the Western Front.

We also visited preserved trenches and battlefields around Flanders.

More than a century later, being able to stand in those landscapes adds a dimension to the history that no book can match.

Yet Ypres is far from being solely a place of remembrance.

It is also a lively, attractive town packed with restaurants, boutiques and specialist shops.

And you certainly won’t go hungry.

Neil ordered a ham hock with mushroom sauce, cabbage and fried potatoes that looked as though it could have fed a family. My fish stew was closer to a pie, loaded with fish beneath an indulgently rich cheese sauce. Both were delicious.

Belgium, of course, also means beer and chocolate. Beer drinkers should beware of the strength, Belgian beers are much stronger than the pint you’d have at home.

And then there is the chocolate. Beautiful independent chocolate shops appear everywhere, with the chocolatiers delighted to talk about their craft and encourage you to sample.

Beautiful Bruges

Our next stop was Bruges, where my favourite campsite of the trip had free-roaming hens, enormous sunflowers and sheep grazing in the adjoining field.

The only thing missing was the little campsite shop, meaning no fresh croissants or bread waiting for us in the morning.

Breakfast came first after we reached the centre of Bruges, two ham-and-cheese omelettes arrived as plain omelettes with slices of ham and cheese served alongside them. Strange, but surprisingly delicious.

Then we did what almost every first-time visitor to Bruges should do and saw the city from the water.

Our boat driver and guide was part historian and part comedian, switching between three languages while delivering a steady stream of information, jokes and one-liners. The cruise, lasting around half an hour, is a wonderful way to appreciate just how beautiful Bruges is.

From the water, its bridges, medieval buildings and picturesque streets seem like a mix of Venice and Amsterdam.

Back on dry land we visited the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where visitors queue to see the famous relic said to contain the blood of Christ. Fans of In Bruges might recognise the reference, it’s the relic Ken and a rather less enthusiastic Ray visit in the film. We also visited Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges, one of the city’s great artistic treasures.

Afterwards, we wandered the shops before heading away from the heat and strong Belgian beer to enjoy a drink back at our campsite. That night, thunder and lightning provided a spectacular show from the comfort of our cosy camper van.

The Somme

From Belgium we crossed back into France and travelled towards the Somme.

At Thiepval, we visited the enormous Memorial to the Missing, commemorating more than 72,000 soldiers who died in the Somme and have no known grave.

Among the cemeteries and memorials throughout this region are the stories of many Irish soldiers who left home to fight and never returned.

We also visited the Lochnagar Crater, an enormous hole in the landscape created by a mine explosion at the Battle of the Somme.

One last night in France

For our final night in the camper van, we stayed at a lovely wooded campsite in the charming village of Escalles, where we were lucky to secure a table for fabulous food at a local restaurant.

Around 7am the following morning I walked to the beach and noticed the most extraordinary light. Soft early-morning sunshine across the coastline made it easy to see why this part of France has attracted generations of artists.

Then the weather intervened. We were due to sail home on Saturday, but storms in the English Channel delayed our crossing.

Delays are never ideal, but the excellent customer service made all the difference. There was always someone to speak to and, as Neil pointed out, when travel plans go wrong, having a real person at the end of the phone rather than an automated system is invaluable.

Sometimes you really can’t beat good old-fashioned customer service.

As we sailed home to Cork, we were talking about where we might go next, because with this new route, so much of Europe is opened up, from beautiful beaches and fascinating history to incredible food, great wine and beer, and more adventures still waiting to be discovered.

For bookings see https://hibernia-line.com