# Getting to Hamm.



## Cheeky-x (Feb 2, 2009)

Sooo...Really want to go too Hamm this Sept can't decide how to get there?

I know you can get a coach trip, but is the hotel inclusive as well in the price? Also i was thinking i can drive, get on the ferry at harwich to amsterdam...then drive too Hamm...But how long would this take? And would bringing livestock back be a problem? 


Any advice or previous experience welcome!!!!! :notworthy:


----------



## Austin Allegro (Oct 5, 2008)

As far as i am aware the Harwich - Holland ferry knocks about 2 hours off the journey, roughly 100 miles less. If you go on an evening crossing, which arrives early morning 6:30 ish you have to also pay for a cabin. They won't allow people to crash out anymore in the bar areas as they used to do. Rough cost for return evening crossing for 2 adults and 2 kids inc cabin cost is roundabout £400.

However Stena do accept tesco clubcard vouchers. So if you have £100 of tesco clubcard vouchers you could get a Stena £400 bill paid for with them.

So far i am up to £45 in tesco vouchers and reckon i will have enough to pay for a Hamm trip courtesy of the stena line by this September.


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I always go Harwich to Hook and it costs around £260 for a car with 4 people and 2 cabins if you book at least 3 months in advance usually - it'll cost around £400 if you leave it till 4 weeks in advance so it does pay to get booking early. I've been four times in the last two years and I've paid for it all with clubcard deals vouchers :no1:

It's a scant 3 and a half hour drive from Hook to Hamm, or around 50 minutes from Hook to Houten.

Dover to Calais by day ferry is cheaper, but if you have a long drive to Dover, then a long drive after, it might not be safe, so may need a hotel break or two drivers.

Calais to Hamm is 4 and a half hours or Calais to Houten is 3 hours 15 mins. 

Calais is certainly the cheapest route I believe, but for many, Harwich to Hook will be the easiest route, although it may take a bit more time due to the overnight ferry, the actual driving is less, but it does depend if you're closet to Harwich or Dover.

You can also go Hull to Rotterdam with P&O which is about 2.5 hours to Hamm or 30 mins to Houten I think so if you live up north this might be worth investigating on the time factor, but isn't going to be cheapest, I've never looked but it's not a main route so I expect it's a fair bit more than Dover-> Calais.

Bringing livestock back is no problem via driving as long as it's not mammals. The coach goes through the same checkpoint as the cars so it will make no difference what you can bring back if you go via coach or car, but if you did decide to fly, you'd have to pay someone to bring the animals back as you can't generally bring them back on the plane.

Our route for 1 single show (March or Sept) is Harwich -> Hamm daytime travel at 9am, get to Germany around 4pm, drive to Hamm and get to Hamm around 7-8pm check into the Mercure Hotel (£70 if you book 3 months in advance for a 4* hotel), wake up bright and early for the show, go to the show, leave the show at around 4pm as everyone's packing up, get to the ferry around 7-8pm, you can board from 8pm but it doesn't leave until 10pm, overnight in a cabin, good nights sleep, get back to the UK at 6am. Little stress on the animals, quick trip, plenty of sleep so no stress. Cost around £260+£140 for two people = 500 / 4 so £125 each including 2 nights sleep + Petrol money

If you go in December there is a double Show, Hamm on Sat, Houten on Sunday, so you need 2 nights accomodation, and a drive to Houten either Sat night or Sun morning, then just a 45 mins bomb back to the ferry, very easy. That costs an extra £35 per person if you share 2 rooms at the Mercure between 4 people because of the extra night, but almost no extra petrol and you get to do 2 shows.

You can probably half the price of the ferry if you go Dover->Calais, up the petrol/time a bit, a lot of people do this also.

I don't know how much it is with the coach, I believe it is cheaper, but there is no overnight stay. I personally prefer to take it at a leisurely and have a bit more comfort and privacy but I know lots of people use the coach and enjoy it so if you're going for the cheapest or there's only 1/2 of you that's probably the best way as the price is better when the ferry is split.


----------



## Cheeky-x (Feb 2, 2009)

Athravan said:


> I always go Harwich to Hook and it costs around £260 for a car with 4 people and 2 cabins if you book at least 3 months in advance usually - it'll cost around £400 if you leave it till 4 weeks in advance so it does pay to get booking early. I've been four times in the last two years and I've paid for it all with clubcard deals vouchers :no1:
> 
> It's a scant 3 and a half hour drive from Hook to Hamm, or around 50 minutes from Hook to Houten.
> 
> ...


 
Wow thanks thats a very informative post!! Driving deffo sounds good!! Like the idea of going to Hamm then Houten sounds like a more cost effective journey!! How much is admission to the shows? Guessing alot more as they are much bigger!! Am getting excited!! Also what are the prices of the reps like over there, heard they are alot cheaper then here?

Sorry for bombarding you with Q's!!

x


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

It's about 10 euros to get in


----------



## Cheeky-x (Feb 2, 2009)

Athravan said:


> It's about 10 euros to get in


 
Ahh brilliant!! Guna start saving  Heard its pretty big, and seeing as their are no shows near Essex this year I've got to go to this one x


----------



## Jacobesnakefan (Oct 8, 2008)

How much does it cost to fly them back? or is their another way to get them back without driving? e.g. courier


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Jacobesnakefan said:


> How much does it cost to fly them back? or is their another way to get them back without driving? e.g. courier


Coach to the show do a courier, as do we if you're on our route, and a few other people, usually costs around £20-25 per animal to get them back I think.

You can't bring back animals on the plane without a lot of paperwork & expense, I have no idea how much the actual flights are though, probably more expensive than driving but quicker I suppose.


----------



## mr dolittle (Apr 4, 2007)

and bump as this thread was so useful to me


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Well since the original thread is from 2010, the Ferry prices from Harwich to Hook have gone up a lot now, and the Eurotunnel has come down considerably. We now go every year on the Eurotunnel instead of our original Ferry route.

It's now around £50 to go on the Eurotunnel (for any number of people in the car), and the cheapest easily accessible (around 30 minutes away) hotel is only £45 a night (for 2), meaning you can get a car of 4 people including hotel there for under £50 a piece and that'll even include european breakdown insurance. You can make the last tunnel crossing back at 11:30pm if leaving the show at 4-5pm, and petrol is pretty good at the moment too. 

The next show is March 12th.


----------



## mr dolittle (Apr 4, 2007)

epic thank you ! greatly appreciated


----------



## mr dolittle (Apr 4, 2007)

one more thing , how does parking work for the event , and payment for things whilst these , cash only ? thanks


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

mr dolittle said:


> one more thing , how does parking work for the event , and payment for things whilst these , cash only ? thanks


There is a very large car park for the expo center, but when that fills up they use a second car park and then a field/dirt park across a railway track. Depending on how early you get there, you can have anything from a 2 minute walk to a 15 minute walk back to the car. We usually get there at 8am and the first main car park will already have all the exhibitors in there but you can still fit in there and be within 5 mins walk of the entrance. Car parking is usually 3euro for the day which they charge as you leave. There will be signs and a ton of orange-jacketed guys directing people to which ever car park has spaces.

A couple of stalls will have credit card machines - usually big shops with dry good stalls. 99% will be cash only and will want euros.


----------



## mr dolittle (Apr 4, 2007)

thanks  very helpful


----------

