New LD Lines ferry service from Portsmouth to Le Havre

Last year P&O Ferries announced that they were withdrawing from the 'Western channel' and would no longer run ferries from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and Portsmouth to Le Havre. This news didn't go down well with those of us who own holiday properties in Brittany and Normandy as the worry was that Brittany Ferries would then hold a near service monopoly and increase their prices. In fact they wouldn't hold a monopoloy as Condor Ferries also run a successful high speed service from Poole and Weymouth to St Malo and Cherbourg, but Condor are owned by BF and competition would definitely be reduced.

I heard recently from Martin Selway who owns a lovely Gite close to us and the town of Josselin (useful if we're full or you've a large group who want to holiday together but not be on top of each other) about a new ferry service from LD Lines that's taken over the P&O Portsmouth/Le Havre route - Martin's tried it and can recommend it:

A tip for your blog - have you seen the new ferry line just started from Portsmouth-LeHarve with LD Lines? They have taken over the defunct P&O route and seem to have slashed prices. Next week we are paying £130 for a return crossing with outbound cabin for myself, wife, and two daughters. This beats Brittany Ferries hands down as they are charging £348 for the same trip. They have a special offer on at the moment for car + 2 for up to 5 days for £47. Perhaps the prices will go up when they get more established?

Pont de Normandie bridge

Thanks for the tip Martin, happy to add pass it on and I've added it to the travel options page of our holiday Gite website.

LD Lines currently run a daily service that leaves Portsmouth at 11pm (arrives at Le Havre 7.30am) and then returns back from Le Havre at 5pm (to arrive in at Portsmouth at 9.30pm). It's motorway almost all the way from Le Havre to our part of Brittany so should take less than 4 hours to drive, plus you go over the fantastic Pont de Normandie bridge that towers over the River Seine.