sarah

I am considering returning to London from France by ferry from Cherbourg to Poole. I can't find any information about how to catch the train from Poole to London. Has anyone taken this route? Is it hard to get from the docks to the train station? I am going to France on the Eurostar but wanted to vary my trip by exploring Mont st. Michel,etc. and then returning by ferry. Can anyone give me any helpful hints?<BR>Thanks!

paul

http://www.credwood.freeserve.co.uk/poole/mobility.htm<BR><BR><BR>Found this -<BR>"By Train The local Railway station is approximately 15 minutes walk from Poole Quay."<BR><BR>http://www.brownsea-island.org.uk/bookings.htm<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Tony

There are at least two trains per hour from Poole to London Waterloo, and the journey time is around 2 hours.

Elaine

http://www.railtrack.co.uk/ has train timetables throughout the uK. I would expect that you could quite easily get a taxi to take you from Poole Harbour to the station.

Jan

As you are visiting Mont St Michel you may want to consider getting the ferry back to England from St Malo. Brittany ferries run a service from here to Portsmouth from where you could catch a train to London. If you are dead set on Cherbourg P&O also run services from here to Portsmouth. Their fast ferry is back for summer operation later this month, journey time on that is two and three quarter hours.

sarah

Jan,<BR>Do you know if there is a fast ferry from St. Malo? the only one that I saw when I researched was not operating in the AM the day I need to leave and the others were 8 hours??? <BR>Thanks!

Jan

No there is not a fast ferry on the St Malo route as you rightly said the time it takes for the crossing is in excess of 8 hours. The only times I have used this crossing is on the night sailings. particularly useful if you intend to drive down to SW France. I am not familiar with the Poole/Cherborg route but have used the Portsmouth/Cherborg route many times including the recently introduced, (in the last couple of years), fast ferry.

david west

I wouldn't just rush straigh out of poole. It's a very pretty town with a nice harbourside are and a famous pottery (for them as likes pots eg my mum). <BR><BR>But the train to London is regular,and by Btitish standards, quick.

sarah

Now I'm wondering whether to revise my trip plans. I will be traveling alone with 2 children. How safe do you think it is on the overnight ferry from St. Malo across the channel and since one has to catch the ferry later at night, how safe would that be traveling to the dock? Also, re: the train from poole to London - does one need to make reservations or can one just hop on a train?<BR>thanks!

Jan

Ferry port in St Malo is fairly central, so I would guess safe. The one thing I would say is DO get a cabin a whole night on a couchette seat is NO FUN. The ferry itself is safe its just I know how grouchy I am without a good nights sleep!

sarah

Thanks for the info. I think I will book a room on the overnight ferry from St. malo to Portsmouth. Do you know if it's fairly easy to get the train to London from Portsmouth? Do you think I will need a reservation? Also, what time does the ferry arrive. from the web site, I see that it leaves around 10:45 but it doesn't say exactly what time it arrives. Are the rooms fairly small? for an adult and 2 children (8 & 11), would a 2 bed room work?<BR>Thanks!

Jan

I think the ferry gets into Portsmouth round about 7.00am. As for the cabins you get what you pay for, the more expensive the roomier, (they do a 'commadore class' cabin which is very roomy). Myself I would save my money and just get an ordinary en suite cabin and preferably an outside one with a window or porthole. I am not sure whether they would allow three people in a two-berth cabin, thats something you would have to check with the company. If it is a cabin with bunk berths all I can say the beds are not very wide, but I guess two children could fit into one at a pinch. I have no experience of the train service from Portsmouth but it is not too far from the port to the train station, best to get a cab from the ferry port. There are about three trains an hour from Portsmouth to London, I would not think it was totally necessary to prebook, but perhaps someone with more knowledge of train services could advise you further.