Away with the ferries

Last week’s feature on sea crossings to the Continent struck a chord with many of you. Here’s the pick of your responses

morning pedal down the ramp. In Zeebrugge, head a few miles to Blankenberge, a kiss-me-quick seaside resort offering frites and mayonnaise, from where it’s a straight run inland to Bruges, an achingly beautiful medieval city. Return to the ferry via quiet back lanes through the Flanders countryside, and stop in a village en route for a coffee or a beer.

It’s a slightly different picture at Rotterdam, where you arrive at Europoort, a kind of Disneyland for chemical engineers. But there are cycle paths through this industrial landscape to The Hague, Delft or Rotterdam itself. Holland is surely the cyclist’s promised land, with signposted cycle paths everywhere, plenty of two-wheeled companions, and some stunning sights. PHILIP GARRISON

Ham House link

Hammerton’s ferry, in operation since 1909, is one of the few remaining commercial riverboat crossings in London. It takes you from the Palladian palace of Marble Hill House in Twickenham to the splendours of Ham House on the opposite bank, and vice versa.

William Hammerton caused quite a stir when he set up his ferry service. The landed gentry who owned the competing Twickenham ferry went running to the courts to ban him from

Sailing to Sicily

Your piece on the joys of travelling by ferry (“Nothing beats the rush of sea air”, May 6) reminded me of a trip to Sicily by camper van. At first we thought a long drive both ways through Italy would be on the cards. But then we discovered a brilliant ferry service from Genoa, in north-west Italy, to Palermo, in Sicily. operating. His fight caught the public imagination – his supporters funded some of the legal costs – and even inspired a song, The Ferry to Fairyland. The case went to the Lords before Hammerton finally won.

Today this brief trip, with spectacular views, will cost a mere £1, unless you’re a dog on a lead, when it’s free. GILL WHITELEGG

We sailed overnight and much of the following day, arriving late afternoon in a violent electrical storm. This was quite something and then the experience of driving through Palermo was something else.

A tour around this beautiful island brought us to Catania in the south-east, from where we took the ferry to Naples to return to the mainland. The overnight

Roadside routiers

I agree with Nick Trend’s preference for ferries over airports. From 1979 to 1991, I lived in Plymouth and, from my kitchen window, could watch the ferry departing for Roscoff. I popped over for a friend’s wedding in Quimper Cathedral, joined a professional meeting in Concarneau and spent a service was excellent and provided us with spectacular views of the Amalfi coast, the island of Capri, Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples.

Our holiday turned out to be a real adventure, and one to treasure. It also made us aware of the excellent ferry services available all over Europe, not just those going from and to the UK. STEPHEN IVALL WINS A £250 RAILBOOKERS VOUCHER week exploring the region on my Honda 50 scooter in mild February weather.

Later, by car, I would drive to Portsmouth for the shorter crossing to Le Havre, and on into la France profonde. Oh, for those routes nationales, with roadside routiers serving impeccable menus du jour for a song. ELISABETH STUART