Simon_SPGE_
(regular)
17/05/2008 00:19
Can't pay the ferryman...

A friend and long time sailing buddy wants to join us in Oostende on the Monday and sail back with us.

Would you believe that the ferry company serving Oostende won't accept passengers on foot - only in cars???!!!

Does anyone know of any other way of getting to Oostende to join up with a boat there?

Simon


Morgana
(regular)
17/05/2008 08:04
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

Ferry across to Calais, and then train?.... its not far from Calais to Oostende...

Barbican_Bill
(regular)
17/05/2008 11:34
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

We were stormbound in Ostende a couple of years ago, and had to get home at the end of our holiday. We left Francis Fletcher (a boat, not a person) in the care of Robert at Ostende.

We booked a bus/ferry together. The bus went from outside Ostende station to the ferry terminal at Calais, and the ferry was the Seacat across to Dover. The National Express buses back to East Anglia were a nightmare, and when we we went back a week later we opted for one way care hire to Dover, but the same ferry/bus.

The coach trip along the coast is only an hour or two.

I'm afraid I now have no record of who we made the bookings with, but I think it was the Seacat operaters, and I know we were given a UK number at Ostende Station.


rudolph_hart
(regular)
17/05/2008 13:38
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

There used to be a Dover-Oostende fast hydofoil (pedestrians only. Not sure if it still runs.

sailorman
(regular)
17/05/2008 15:58
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

London City A/p > Oostende

alldownwind
(regular)
17/05/2008 16:28
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

Quote:

There used to be a Dover-Oostende fast hydofoil (pedestrians only. Not sure if it still runs.



No it doesn't.
There is a ferry Ramsgate-Oostende (Transmanche Ferries) which is mainly freight but takes cars on several sailings each day. BUT it's cars and occupants only, no foot passengers.


MrsChellers
(regular)
17/05/2008 17:07
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

How about Harwich/Hoek van Holland foot ferry? Not sure about the distance from Hoek to Oostende but I gather the foot ferry was working at least last summer.

asj1
(regular)
17/05/2008 21:51
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

One of our crew was planning to do this last year and join us in Ostend - in the event we called off the trip after a few hours battling it out in the North Sea --- remember last summer.

Anyway a lot of research went into the on foot trip and without a doubt the easiest route was Eurostar London to Brussels and then change trains and on to Ostend. Or vica versa. A tip - though a one way rip on Eurostar is expensive, a return can be as little as £59. The cost is the same no matter where you are travelling to in Belgium.


Morgana
(regular)
17/05/2008 22:15
Re: Can't pay the ferryman...

... and I can confirm that the trains from Brussels to Oostende are regular and cheap.... I think we paid about 13 Euros last year for a family return.....


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