Cheap Ferry Crossing To France And The Channel Islands

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You will find great Historic Houses, Castles, Cities, Abbeys &
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1 Fleet Air Arm Museum
2 Adventure Wonderland
3 Weymouth Sea Life Park
4 Wookey Hole
5 Condor Ferries
6 Tutankhamun Exhibition
7 Monkey World Ape Resc.
8 Glastonbury Abbey
9 The Priest's House Museum
10 Wimborne Model Town
11 Paultons Park
12 The Tank Museum
13 Swanage Railway
14 Sherborne Castle
15 Splashdown Poole
16 Great Dorset Steam Fair
17 The Dinosaur Museum
18 National Motor Museum
19 Farmer Palmer's Farm Park
20 Heavy Horse Park

21 Go Ape! Park
22 Corfe Castle Model Village
23 Lulworth Castle
24 Haynes Motor Museum
25 Exbury Gardens
26 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
27 Teddy Bear Museum
28 Salisbury Cathedral
29 The Keep Military Museum
30 Terracotta Warriors Museum
31 Blue Pool
32 Royal Signals Museum
33 Roman Baths
34 Mummies Of The Pharaohs
35 Teddy Bears At Christmas
36 Seaton Tramway
37 Kingston Maurward Gardens
& Animal Park

Ferry crossing - a tradition that goes on

The idea of carrying passengers in the boats is very old. People learned how to build boats in the late Stone Age - that is approximately 15,000 years ago. It is known that public water transport - the ancestor of modern ferry - operated in Roman Empire as early as in the year of 310. Ferry services have strong traditions in England. The word ferien (akin to fare - the price of passage in a vehicle) is first recorded in chronicles written in Middle English language dating back to the year of 1050. However the first record of a known ferry crossing route is the Mersey ferries service from Liverpool to Birkenhead. Liverpool's city charter in the year of 1207 states the rights of passage across Mersey to be paid by a fare. Though there were no ferry tickets available those days. Ferrymen collected the fares and paid taxes to the city council.

Claimed to be the world's first ferry crossing service - John Steven's vessel named Juliana - started to operate in the USA on 11 October 1811. It is plain to see that Juliana was not the first ferry service, however, it holds the record of being the first steam-powered ferry vessel. Steven's ferry service operated between New York and New Jersey.

Before John Steven invented his steam ferry, most of the ferry routes were operated by human powered and cable ferry (also known as a chain ferry). Such ferries could cover short distances as the ferry was driven by chains or wires connected to each bank of a river or another small water body. Human powered cable ferry crossings are still quite common in some parts of Eastern Europe.

Ferry crossing to France

The English Channel is famous for being the busiest seaway in the world and is well maintained by many ferry services operating here. Ferry crossing to France is very popular amongst both leisure and business travellers. The main ferry routes connect the UK with Brittany accounting for the increase in business contacts between Great Britain and France. The most popular ferry destinations are St Malo, Calais, Le Havre, Boulogne and Cherbourg. Ferries from the UK also cross to Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Spain and even Norway. As ferry tickets remain relatively cheap the popularity of ferry crossing becomes more and more popular each year.

Condor Ferries - the cheap ferry crossings to France and the Channel Islands

It will be fair to say that Condor Ferries re-invented the ferry services as a convenient way to cross the Channel making it available and affordable for more people. Condor Ferries operate ferry crossing to France and the Channel Islands.

Obtaining its first high speed vessel Incat Condor 10, Condor Ferries started the first ferry service to the Channel Islands from Weymouth passenger port in 1993. This ferry service proved so popular that soon Condor Ferries were able to widen their area of service starting a complimentary ferry crossing services to the Channel Islands from the port of Poole. Now Condor Ferries offer a possibility of cheap and convenient travel from Weymouth and Poole to the Channel Islands and France.

At the present time Condor Ferries operate the following ferry routes including ferry crossing to France:

Weymouth-Guernsey-Jersey
Weymouth-St Malo
Poole-Guernsey-Jersey
Poole-St Malo
Portsmouth-Guernsey-Jersey
Portsmouth-Cherbourg
Jersey-St Malo

All Condor Ferries passenger crossings are run by three high speed vessels made by Tasmanian/Australian company Incat. These are Condor 10 , Condor Vitesse and Condor Express.

Incat - a revolutionary manufacturer of ferries

Incat is a Tasmanian maker of large high speed catamarans. The company is capable of building large passenger, commercial and even military vessels. High speed technology became available due to using lighter materials and a revolutionary design allowing a vessel to easily cut the waves. Incat ferries boast aluminium construction, and so called wave-piercing technology. Largest ferries made by Incat measure 98 metres in length. Ferries operated by Condor Ferries are 86 metres long and can achieve 40 knots (76 km/h or 46 mph). You will find Incat's name in Guinness Book of Records. A ferry constructed by Incat received the Blue Riband Trophy for setting a new time record of crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

The first catamaran by Incat was built in 1977. Called Incat Derwent Explorer, this small ferry, still operates on Maria Island, Tasmania. During 30 years of operation Incat has completed 65 large size high speed catamarans including those made for military needs. A military high speed ferry named Joint Venture helped to resolve the Timor crisis. Ever since that Incat continues working with the defence systems of many countries, including USA. For the period of its operation Incat has received 32 awards both Australian and international for making outstanding ferry ships. Nowadays fast ferry crafts are amongst the fastest and cheapest international travel means available.

If you are interested in cheap ferry crossing to France or the Channel Islands, learn more about buying cheap ferry tickets by clicking here.

Fearured attractions for your great days out in Dorset:

New Great Days Out UK attractions in 2008: Heavy Horse Park | Go Ape! Park | Swanage Railway | Corfe Castle Model Village

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Dorset is a county in South West England. Dorset is famous for its beautiful coastline - the Jurassic Coast, and many holiday resorts. Area: 2,653 sq.km Population: 701,900	Somerset is a county in the South West of England. Somerset is a rural county of rolling hills and the Somerset Levels. Area 4,171 sq. km Population 884,400	Hampshire is a county on the south coast of England. Hampshire is a popular holiday area, with strong maritime connections via Portsmouth & Southampton. - Portsmouth. Area 3,769 sq. km Population 1,671,000
Wiltshire is a county in South West England. It is famous for its high plains and wide valleys. Wiltshire is the home of Stonehenge and other important landmarks. Area:3,485 sq. km Population: 630,700	Devon is a county in the South West of England. It is unique among English counties, in having two separated coastlines, on the English Channel and Bristol Channel. Area 6,707 sq. km Population 1,109,900	Free holiday brochure Great Days Out to advertise your business. Are you proud of your county but do not see it listed? Feature it here along with your tourist attraction. Click on the brochure image to apply for inclusion in the 2009 issue of the Great Days Out UK brochure and website.
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