Brittany to offer no-frills ferries to France and Spain
Brittany Ferries is to start a new no-frills service to both France and Spain from March 26.
There will be a weekend service between Portsmouth and Santander in northern Spain and five return crossings between Portsmouth and Le Havre, one of which will be freight-only.
Branded Brittany Ferries économie, the new product is designed to appeal to those who wish to travel to France or Spain at a lower fares without onboard services normally available.
French catering will still be available on board, but with limited choice. Cabins will all have en-suite facilities but without carpets, and there will be a lounge where seats can be reserved on overnight crossings.
There will be 12 pet-friendly cabins and two two specially equipped cabins for disabled passengers. Entertainment will be restricted to a movie lounge.
One-way fares for a car plus two this spring start £79 to France and £169 (including reclining seats) to Spain.
Group commercial director Mike Bevens said: "Whilst our services to western France have been established for many years, those to Spain are currently enjoying great success, so we are seeking ways to build on this and grow the market.
"We feel that there is an opening for a no-frills, great-value service which will appeal to those who are on a tight budget and may not have even considered travelling by ferry before.
"The Brittany Ferries promise has always been about "choice" – we have ten routes, plus high-speed services, as well as cruise ferries – and this is taking the concept one step further."
Bookings will open online at www.brittanyferries.com/economie in a few weeks but in the meantime registrations can be made by calling 0871 244 1400.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports