Cross channel pricing

[malcy]

I,m just starting to check prices for crossing the channel, we,re reasonably flexible, thinking out sometime in March or April and back sometime June or July. Dover to Calais or Dunkirk, again not too bothered with motorhome 6.3 mtrs. and 2.99 mtrs. tall, two adults no pets. I know that I,m not going to get the £60-

£70 crossings as in the past but from your experience what do you think I should be aiming for.

[lennyhb]

Unless there is a deal going , which mostly dried up the last couple of years probably around £90 would be a reasonable price.

 

This year DFDS put their prices up on the Dover Calais route. The best I could get was around £150, P&O was about £97 & Myferry £95, so left it and waited and in August Myferry came up with a birthday offer & I booked a return for £47.50.

 

The Longer routes offer better prices if you book early, looked at Newhaven - Dieppe for a May/June (like doing D Day week) crossing about £50 cheaper booking early and you get a 20% over 60 discount, makes it cheaper for us as we are only 25 miles from Newhaven.

 

 

[Corky 8]

I have been looking to book for May next year, we normally go with DFDS to Dunkirk. the cheapest I could find for departure in May next year return in July =£165 booking very early Morning crossings , Eurotunnel same dates £152, with reasonable crossing times, so DFDS will lose our Custom not that they seem bothered, I don't know if the HGV prices have risen not had chance to speak to any of my old Mates still driving HGV,s across the Channel. only time will tell if the higher prices will hold.

[malcy]

 

That,s interesting corky tunnel cheaper than ferry crossing didn't,t expect that. Going to get stuck in now

let you know how I get on.

 

[Brian Kirby]

malcy - 2014-11-26 10:19 AM

 

I,m just starting to check prices for crossing the channel, we,re reasonably flexible, thinking out sometime in March or April and back sometime June or July. Dover to Calais or Dunkirk, again not too bothered with motorhome 6.3 mtrs. and 2.99 mtrs. tall, two adults no pets. I know that I,m not going to get the £60-

£70 crossings as in the past but from your experience what do you think I should be aiming for.

If you use Tesco, and have a Tesco card, consider using the points to buy Eurotunnel tickets. The points exchange for Tunnel Vouchers at 3 x their face value, so the savings are well worthwhile.

 

If you are lucky, you can pay for the whole return crossing using only the points vouchers, otherwise you just make up the difference between the ticket cost and the voucher value. Our last trip was at a ticket cost of £192, for which we paid £72, and the one before that was £176, for which we paid £11. The tickets have exactly the same terms and flexibility as if you had paid the full price.

[malcy]

Thanks for the tesco tip but we don't shop there and thanks also for the Newhaven Dieppe tip must say I never thought of that we will see how it goes.

[malcy]

Forgot to say I am a member of both caravan and camping and caravan clubs and caravan club have come up with the best deal so far. Dover to Calais return, out mid April back Mid June 10.00 sailings both ways

£99. I am still looking.

[Randonneur]

malcy - 2014-11-26 2:58 PM

 

Thanks for the tesco tip but we don't shop there and thanks also for the Newhaven Dieppe tip must say I never thought of that we will see how it goes.

 

We dont shop at Tesco either but we have their credit card which you can use anywhere. Obviously you get more points using at tesco but we use it everywhere then pay it off at the end of the month. Its surprising how the points mount up.

[Sophie2]

We're looking for a eurotunnel trip for next September, Fustratingly no schedules out yet

[malcy]

Good point radonneur will be looking into that.

 

Lenny B. Spoke to caravan club and was told no prices were available for Newhaven Dieppe crossing yet so unable to play my over sixty card. It can be B. Frustrating ringing round for prices and the same goes for surfing when your the owner of Indisciplined fingers.

[Brian Kirby]

Newhaven-Dieppe timetabes here, if it's any help: http://tinyurl.com/oe5b5gr

 

I'm not sure you'll get the age discount via the clubs. I think you have to book by phone to get that.

 

Phone 0844 576 8836 between 8 - 6 weekdays, 8 - 4 Saturday, but closed Sunday. No prices for 2015 on the website, but see what they say.

[lennyhb]

As Brian says for Newhaven you have to phone DFDS to get the 20% discount.

[4cls]

We hunted about for prices in August this year, (early I know), for next year, going from Portsmouth to Caen, middle of April to middle of June return,. Both clubs offered me prices in the region of £450 to £480. Dealing with Brit Ferry's direct got it down to £390 return, Cheaper than last year! I got a bit of a telling off at the recent Motor/home Show at Bath and West showground, for not booking thru CCC, I pulled out my notebook and showed the rep the quotes and what B/Ferry's offered. Red face and a turned back. They did not like it one bit. I dont much care if CCC dont like it, my wallet did. :-D

[PJay]

You could have got it cheaper if you had gone to Le Havre on the Econimie

We like BF fast cat to Cherburh 3 hours, but not starting untill late april this year.

[Brian Kirby]

PJay - 2014-11-27 10:21 AM

 

You could have got it cheaper if you had gone to Le Havre on the Econimie

We like BF fast cat to Cherburh 3 hours, but not starting untill late april this year.

FWIW, my experience of fast ferries, monohull and multi-hull, has not been encouraging. They are far less comfortable, IMO, when the sea is less than calm, than is a conventional ferry, and they throw in the towel way before a conventional ferry would have to. So, if the weather is fine and the sea moderate, you get across in short order, but if the sea isn't co-operative you either get a very bumpy ride, a cancelled ferry, or transferred to a conventional ferry. If you have planned your route, the latter two cases will leave your plans shredded. If a ferry, slow roly and comfortable for me; otherwise it's the tunnel.

[malcy]

Thanks for the replies everybody, still not beaten caravan club price so looks like they've got my business. Don't usually do this much research for ferry prices but was surprised at the prices when I first checked them. We didn't cross the channel this year so hadn't noticed the the increases from 2013.

Thanks again.

[pheasantplucker]

directferries.co.uk list prices from various operators for your selected crossing dates, routes and times and seem to be able to quote just about every ferry crossing in Europe.

 

P & O Dover to Calais seems to have the edge at present. We did that crossing in September for £100 and got a promotional £20 meal voucher for the outbound trip. Now for our van 7.25m and 3.0m, would be £82. Return.

 

In May they were marginally beaten by DFDS, who are now horrendously expensive.

[PJay]

Brian Kirby - 2014-11-27 3:14 PM

 

PJay - 2014-11-27 10:21 AM

 

You could have got it cheaper if you had gone to Le Havre on the Econimie

We like BF fast cat to Cherburh 3 hours, but not starting untill late april this year.

FWIW, my experience of fast ferries, monohull and multi-hull, has not been encouraging. They are far less comfortable, IMO, when the sea is less than calm, than is a conventional ferry, and they throw in the towel way before a conventional ferry would have to. So, if the weather is fine and the sea moderate, you get across in short order, but if the sea isn't co-operative you either get a very bumpy ride, a cancelled ferry, or transferred to a conventional ferry. If you have planned your route, the latter two cases will leave your plans shredded. If a ferry, slow roly and comfortable for me; otherwise it's the tunnel.

 

I take your point Brian. Fortunatly for us we are good sailors, (having crosssed the channel in sailing boats and motor boats) Been using the fast cat for 8 years now, only had 1 crossing a bit lumpy, As we live close to ferry port, the tunnel is too far! We only use the other boats when the cat does not run in winter. You are much closer to the shorter crossings, from where you live

 

PJay

[vindronse]

I agree with you Brian.

[Alan D]

We started using the Carnet ticket with Seafrance and now have just made our first return crossing Dover / Calais with Myferry (same ships). You pay upfront for around £240 for say 6x sailings but the great thing for us is that these are Flexible fares and can be changed at any time with no surcharge, you can even just turn up and they will try to get you on.

The Myferry staff on the phoneline have been excellent, we changed our return date 3x times with no problem. So we have paid around £80 for a Flexible return fare.

Alan.

 

[LordThornber]

Of course all our needs are different, in respect some of us can't book on spec or too far in advance.

 

However, in my experience of online ferry booking, persistence is key. If you have the time, patience and the will, you'll usually find reasonable value for money.

 

Admittedly not always, but in 15 years of ferry and euro tunnel crossing I've only rarely felt hard done to. These things even themselves out, in recent years a £90 crossing has been £26 - like for like of course.

 

Fluid pricing rules methinks..

 

Definitely for us though, the Caravan Club member discount has won hands down over the last few years, so much so that I've not shopped around any further.

 

Martyn

[vindronse]

Yes, I also think the experience is very important.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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