May 2006 - Billinghay to Ballon

A coach full of members of the BDTA left Billinghay on May 31st and returned on the following Wednesday. It had been previously suggested that the Channel Tunnel was to be used instead of a ferry, and this was the first time the Association had done so. This meant that the journey time in France increased to about 3 hours, but crossing time was cut dramatically to about 30mins, meaning that the overall journey was significantly reduced.

In terms of cost, there was little difference between the Tunnel or ferry. It was the cost of the coach that was the main factor. The more people that used the coach, the cheaper it was.

Last year, about 50 people travelled to Ballon in May. The coach carried the majority, but some had chosen to travel by car as they had planned to extend their visit to France.