Tens of thousands of French tourists are expected to visit Sussex using a new ferry link with the continent.

A daily summer crossing between Newhaven and Le Havre began on April 30 and will run until September 30. It will operate for a minimum of eight years.

The line has been introduced by Louis Dreyfus Lines after buying Transmanche Ferries which previously ran the route from Newhaven to Dieppe.

Three daily crossings between Newhaven and Dieppe were used by 250,000 people last year and LD Lines believes the figure could increase by 50,000 this year.

LD Lines expect tens of thousands more French visitors to Sussex. A greater number of people from Sussex are also expected to visit France.

Eighty per cent of people who use the link between Newhaven and Dieppe are English but ferry bosses expect more French to use the new crossing.

LD Lines spokesman Claude Sokolski said: "To date, there are not a lot of French people using the crossing because the value of the pound is expensive compared to euros.

"We hope this will change because Le Havre is the largest French port on the western Channel coast and the city has 200,000 people."

LD Lines director Christophe Santoni added: "People in Sussex should be excited about this because it offers them different options.

"Lots of English people have homes in Normandy or Brittany and this allows them easier access to these places.

"It means people from the South East don't have to travel all the way to Dover and we would like to see Newhaven become a bigger port."

The Seven Sisters ship leaves Newhaven at 12.30pm and arrives at Le Havre at 6.30pm local time.

Transmanche bought the ferry service six years ago. It was set up by the Conseil General de la Seine Maritime who did not want the route to disappear in 1999 after a private operator closed down.

LD Lines has bought Transmanche Ferries but will lease the ferries from the Conseil General.

The firm will be paid 14.6 million euros a year by the Conseil General as a subsidy on the new service, on the condition it maintains two daily winter crossings and three summer crossings between Dieppe and Newhaven.

Newhaven MP Norman Baker said: "It potentially offers a destination and the consequences are a wider choice for people.

"The new owners of the lines, who I've met, recognise there is a need to increase the passenger traffic from France to England and they are confident of that.

"I'm hopeful we will see more French tourists coming into the UK and in particular Lewes, Brighton and nearby areas."

Will you use the new crossing to travel to Europe? Leave your comments below.