Ferry check: Brittany Ferries Portsmouth-St Malo

Ferry companies often claim to be the family-friendly way to travel, so TravelMole editor-in-chief Bev Fearis sailed with her two-year-old son from Portsmouth to St Malo with Brittany Ferries to put it to the test.

"Travelling with a toddler can be exhausting at the best of times, but even more so when:
a. You’re on your own
b. The toddler is poorly
c. You’re poorly
Or, in my case:
d. All of the above

But ‘Lemsipped’ to the max and armed with a box of tissues, I braved the journey. The ferry wasn’t due to leave until 9.15pm, but you’re allowed to board by 7pm – enough time to grab a bite to eat, let Freddie exhaust himself in the playroom, and catch a little bit of the onboard entertainment in the bar before bedtime.

Boarding: There was no queue at the first gate, where I was given my room key and directed to lane 9. No matter which lane I’m in I always seem to be one of the last to board, and this time was no exception. Getting a toddler, a travel cot, and my overnight bags from the van to the cabin is no mean feat, even without the flu, but luckily I had plenty of offers of assistance from my neighbouring car passengers. Unlike air travel, where it’s often every man for himself, ferry travel doesn’t seem to bring out the worst in people.

Cabin: Our four-berth cabin had a TV, coffee and tea making facilities, an ensuite bathroom and a large porthole window through which the waves seemed a bit too close for comfort. There was plenty of room for the travel cot and plenty of light switches for Freddie to turn on and off while I assembled it.

Dining: There are two restaurants on board the Pont Aven – a posh one and a self-service. Naturally, I opted for the self-service option and was pretty impressed by the choice of hot dishes, the reasonable prices (around £8 for a main) and the service. We ordered fish and chips to share – delicious. Freddie liked it too, although he only ate the chips.

Playroom: It’s basically a room with some very small chairs and tables, a big TV screen showing cartoons, and a little soft play climbing area in the corner, but it was enough to keep him happy. I had intended to sit and watch, but as he was the only child there I ended up being forced to join him – up the steps, through the portholes, over the squidgy whale, and down the slide – over and over again.

Entertainment: I finally manage to drag him away with the promise of some dancing in the disco. As it turned out, there was nobody on the dancefloor but a seated audience watching the customary middle-aged man at the piano, middle-aged lady in black dress, singing all the old favourites. Apparently there was an illusionist on next, but by that time we were both ready for bed.

Comfort: I’d like to say I had a good night’s sleep, but the truth is I didn’t. But it wasn’t because the bed was uncomfortable (it was fine), or because the room was too hot or cold (it was fine once I’d worked out the controls), or because Freddie kept me awake (he slept like a log despite his horrible cold). It was purely down to my terrible flu-like symptoms, which unbeknown to me would turn out to be a very nasty chest infection.

Breakfast: The full English looked good I say ‘looked’ because personally I couldn’t face it, but the couple next to me were tucking into their sausages and bacon with gusto. I opted for a fruit salad while Freddie had a yoghurt.

Arrival: The sight of the beautiful walled city of St Malo was enough to make me feel a bit better. An announcement on the tannoy told me when it was time to vacate the cabin and to make my way back to the car deck and, bang on time, we were driving off the boat and on our way. All relatively painless."

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