Driving the best deal for your continental holiday

Holidaymakers planning to travel by car to mainland Europe have a range of transport options, but they should book early and ensure that their health, motor and travel insurances are in order, writes Clare O'Dea.

This is the time of year when the sun is a distant memory and there's nothing nicer than leafing through holiday brochures and dreaming about the summer holidays.

For thousands of Irish holidaymakers this can mean only one thing - driving to France. The busiest ferry sailings in July and August are already fully booked as families plan their summer adventure in the world's most visited country. A motoring holiday offers great freedom. As soon as you drive off the ferry you can make your way at your own pace to your chosen destination.

More experienced travellers tend to make accommodation arrangements independently, while about half the summer ferry passengers have booked a package.

The choice of holiday type is varied. Typical arrangements include hotel-based touring, camping and caravanning, self-catering accommodation, golf and other sports packages, resort holidays, sun holidays or a combination of these.

Holidaymakers who want to take their cars can choose from several routes. Brittany Ferries sails direct from Cork to Roscoff in Brittany every week from March 29th to September 28th. Last year 44,000 people travelled this overnight route on the ferry Val de Loire. The ship leaves Cork on Saturday afternoon and arrives 14 hours later in Roscoff, at 6.30 a.m. With good driving conditions, you could be down at the French Spanish border by 6 p.m. that evening.

Rosslare is the best-known departure port for France, and Irish Ferries sails from there every second day to Roscoff and Cherbourg. This is a convenient point of departure for people living on the east coast and it's also popular with families travelling from Northern Ireland.

Irish Ferries carried about 210,000 passengers to France in the year ending October 31st, 2001. Summer fares for a family of four staying in an en suite cabin range from €497 to €707 each way.

This summer, for the first time, P&O is offering a weekend service from Dublin to Roscoff. A new ship with capacity for 375 passengers, the European Ambassador, will be leaving at 1.30 p.m. on Saturdays and arriving in France at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday morning. The crossing time is 19 hours and the service runs from June 1st to September 1st.

Those are some of the direct options but there is another way of getting to France by car, known in the business as "landbridge". It involves two sea crossings and a drive across Britain. Some people, especially those living close to Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ports, favour the convenience of this route because it cuts down a lot on the hours spent at sea. There is also a greater choice of daily sailings across the Irish Sea and the English Channel, not to mention the Eurotunnel. Irish-based ferry operators can book both ferry crossings for you.

The Eurotunnel connects Folkestone and Calais and the train ride takes 35 minutes. There are departures every 15 minutes at peak times.

It's possible to combine landbridge on the way out with a direct crossing on the way back. This adds an extra country, or two, to the holiday and the fares can work out cheaper. Sometimes landbridge is the only option when the direct routes are booked out on the dates you are looking for.

So is it really a good idea to pack your children and everything you need for two or three weeks into your car and drive to France? Well there are lots of advantages to this kind of independent travel. Holidaying by car can be a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with each other. There is a comfort factor in being in your own car in unfamiliar territory, and having the car outside the door of your tent or chateau means you have the freedom to move on or tour around the region.

Another advantage is the absence of luggage restrictions. With roof racks, overhead storage boxes or trailers, your carrying capacity can be significantly increased. Many motorists take the opportunity to fill up with wine on the way home.

Pets are permitted to travel in their owners' vehicles on some services, but this has to be cleared when you are booking.

However, if the idea of being in a confined space with your nearest and dearest for hours on end in a hot climate gives you high blood pressure, then a motoring holiday is not for you.

It's a holiday that takes a little effort and endurance, and things can go wrong.

There are several insurance requirements for this type of holiday. Before taking your vehicle out of the Republic, contact your motor insurer. It's important that you are adequately covered to your and their satisfaction and have the necessary documents to prove it.

It may be necessary to get additional breakdown assistance cover for your time abroad. The ferry companies offer this insurance with Europ Assistance but many motorists already have some level of breakdown cover with another provider.

When you are happy with the level of health and motor insurance you have, don't overlook travel insurance. This is important for travel delay or missed departure, personal accident, legal expenses, loss of baggage and so on.

VHI Healthcare and BUPA Ireland extend health cover to Europe for family holidays.

Don't forget to also bring the E111 form for each member of the family.

It's available from your local health centre and allows you to avail of free public healthcare services in other EU countries.

Ferry company brochures describe the on-board experience as a pleasure from start to finish and this may be gilding the lily somewhat. It is true, however, that standards have improved enormously and most of the older vessels have been refurbished in recent years.

Large vessels have several restaurants, cinemas, shops, bars and children's play areas. Live entertainment is also laid on.

All passengers on overnight voyages have to book a seat or a bunk. There are quiet lounges with reclining seats for those who want to save the price of a cabin.

No matter how you get there, France is always worth the effort.