‘Nothing beats the rush of sea air’

Childhood memories of holidays which began on a ferry are ingrained in my mind in a way which just didn’t seem to happen with flights. Somehow there was more excitement, more variety, more intensity and more fun when we crossed the sea and had a ship to explore.

Even the long wait among the ranks of cars lining up on the quayside somehow only increased the sense of excitement. There were the bumps and the clanks as we hit the metal boarding ramps; the smell of oil and diesel on the car deck; and then the rush of sea air as we pushed open the door to watch the crew unhitch the huge ropes wound around giant capstans. We’d cover our ears at the sound of the ship’s horn, watch the seagulls hanging off the stern, then we’d wait for the frisson of that moment when the was no land to be seen, and strain our eyes as, faint in the distance, the coast of France began to emerge from the haze.

I don’t get quite so excited now of course, but I still infinitely prefer a ferry to a flight. Not just because of the memories, but perhaps because you feel less processed, and have a greater sense of freedom and independence.

And despite the continuing expansion of no-frills flying – you can now hop from the UK to Deauville, Dinard, and Caen in Normandy, and Rennes, Quimper and Brest in Brittany – it still often makes more economic sense to take your own car and book a cheap ferry crossing rather than to fork out for airfares. As we point out on page 14, you get a return from Portsmouth to Caen for example for a car plus two passengers for £210 – about the same as the cost of two return flights from Southend to Caen. If you fly you will also, of course, have to pay either to park at or to get to the airport. And, if you want to explore the sights when you arrive, you will need to pay for a hire car too.

In fact, while the cost of the cheapest shorter crossings has increased a little over the last five years – the lowest fares from Dover are up from £58 return to £78 for a car plus passengers, those to Normandy and Brittany have dropped. That ferry to Caen would have cost you at least £298 in 2012, compared with £210 this year. Much

A ferry crossing to the Continent is a more enjoyable start to a holiday than flying – and it can also be cheaper, says Nick Trend

Today marks the beginning of National Ferry Fortnight. For details of special offers from participating operators, see discoverferries.com.

The beaches of Santander, above, setting sail, right