Muzorewa wrote:No, no bears. Are you sure it wasn't the gypsies? When we were there (really bad timing) it was the eve of the August 15th bank-holiday for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and there were gypsies pouring into Lourdes from everywhere. By the morning when we left, the Gendarmes were stopping anyone in a white van towing a caravan by Lourdes airport and preventing them from going any further as Lourdes itself was absolutely rammed.
Yes, LD spewing their routes is a real bummer. No doubt Brittany Ferries will scrap the Economie fares now they've no competition again. Although there's still Condor Ferries running to Saint-Malo from Weymouth and Poole, not checked their prices but they surely can't be more than BF....
I've just booked BF from Santander to Plymouth as foot-passengers (you'll understand why when you see the photos) and it's almost £500.00 one-way for two with a cabin

Well unless the gypsies have really long fingernails and big teeth it wasn't them
There's a gypsy camp a few miles north of Lourdes where they all seem to gather at times. We saw a gathering a couple of years ago in northern France, absolutely thousands of them clogging up the roads. The gendarmes and CRS were having a whale of a time.
£500, that robbery, wouldn't it be cheaper to fly?
Yes, Condor is an option but they are far more expensive than LD, we were getting returns in the winter for around £190 with a cabin on the overnight outward trip.
Probably have to resort to a cheapy from Dover and put up with the extra driving.