Christmas is Coming – Starting in Hull

Okay, there’s a lot to be said about Hull being a major Travel Centre. I believe this so despite having a huge bias for this place because I LIVE HERE. Hull has got a huge travel history because of its massive port slam dunk in the River Humber Estuary making it a perfect accessible point to travel across the North Sea to European destinations.

Hull – The Very Old New Hub

Move on Southampton, Hull’s your competition. So it’s not surprising in 1965 after the decline of the Fishing Industry in these parts that the Hull port is reinvented as a travel port with the arrival of P&O Ferries establishing a Hull-Rotterdam route. Many critics were proved wrong as throes of passengers used this service. It shouldn’t be surprising as in the 1800s; many Northern Europeans used Hull as a travel through point to Liverpool to emigrate to USA. So really, Hull has always been a Travel centre. Since 1965, Hull has climbed up to establish various routes to Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, and many more. Today, with the flights becoming the number 1 way to travel, Hull now has sea ferry links to Zeebrugge in Belgium and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in Netherlands. But easily, the number one link is the Hull-Zeebrugge route. P&O Ferries still retain this link, if you would like to check out the ferry sea crossing homepage, click here.

So what’s so appealing about this route that still goes strong? One word: Bruges.

Photo taken from www.simplonpc.co.uk

I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas

Bruges have become the simple Yorkshireman’s holiday abroad even if it was just the weekend. This most popular Flemish destination preserved over time offers picturesque canals, many almshouses, and bustling market squares (particularly the German Xmas Market), horse-drawn carriages, and best of all…BELGIAN CHOCOLATE FACTORIES! So you can see why this Yorkshireman is actually going to go to Bruges in late 2013 to sample the culture and maybe a bit of chocolate tasting….ok A LOT of chocolate tasting! But no, I will not be ‘flying’ over there. I will be taking the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry crossing as a foot passenger (no baggage fees people!) and jumping on a bus at the port to take me to Bruges only a few miles away. With Christmas in the air and hopefully with Amy Pond as my long-term companion, it’s sure going to be romantic!

So how is the ferry crossing going to work? Well, it’s overnight and that’s an experience in itself. And no, you’d be wrong to think that you simply lock yourself in the cabin hurling your guts out into a bucket as we cross overnight. Nope, there are funky cabins but you’ll be rarely in there. There are entertainment shows, casinos, restaurants to dress up for and plenty more!

And if you’re worried about accommodation in Bruges, there’s no bother. You can easily spend a day in Bruges and then grab the return journey the next night. As the Meerkats would say: simples!

So if you’re living in the North of England or Scotland and griping about how you have to go all the way to the south coast of England to grab a ferry crossing to the continent, have no fear. Come to Hull. We’ll sort you out.

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