My preferred way to cross into France.

I usually prefer to drive to Slovenia rather than fly to Ljubljana. I stay for a little while, can take as much luggage as I need and don’t need to rent a car while I’m there. I also enjoy the journey if I’m being honest. There are options to get across the channel, but if I’m travelling alone I always take the ferry to France. Perhaps the images below explain why.

These photos were taken in the premier lounge of a P&O cross-channel ferry to France and cost an additional £20 to get entry. It’s a haven of quiet relaxation and good seating in what is often a very crowded and noisy ship and I don’t understand why it isn’t rammed full of people. At one end of the room are desks and newspapers, and at the other is a buffet with as much free sandwiches, fruit, biscuits, coffee, cold drinks and sparkling wine as you want. After three cups of coffee and a snack, you’re up on the deal and mid-crossing, there’s no more comfortable place to be within a 13 mile radius.

In the past I’d considered this upgrade an unnecessary expense but it seems that the price of food and drink onboard has steadily risen over the years. And with a long drive ahead, I appreciate the opportunity to take a proper break and make my onward travel a little safer.

If you remember ferries the way I do a few years ago, I’d understand the preference for Eurotunnel or flight+hire car options to get to Slovenia. But nowadays it’s a fantastic, relaxing option and getting an hour of rest here means you may avoid the need to snooze in a uncomfortable French service station a few hundred miles down the road.

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