Ferry bookings

[ian81]

The normal way historically I have booked ferries is out and return at the same time as that secures the best deals. Single fares are more expensive .....or so I thought.

Have just saved money by booking one way with LD Lines and the other way with Norfolkline. Total cost less than £50. Amused that Norfolklines charged us 'fuel surcharge' of 1p.

 

[Pioneer]

Always booked my Ferries this way in the past, a good saving. I now tend to use the tunnel (quicker and you can get 1/2hr nod on the bed)

Happy Camping

 

[t&s]

we find the tunnel more convienent you are allowed to turn up 2 hours early or late and still get on without having to pay a priemium
and with your tesco points 1/4 the price our last trip we arived 5 hours early and got on the next train
the only hastle is the security checks and the check to make sure the gas is turned off but a small price to pay for your saftey

 

[NWPT]

Booked for May with Norfolk line, Dover to Dunkerque, £17.50 each way £30 each for my 2 dogs less than £100. Still a lot cheaper than the tunnel, the cheapest fare was £192

 

[t&s]

how about this one my latest booking with tesco vouchers on eurotunnel Standard Fare | Folkestone to Calais | Thursday 26 March 2009
Check-in closes 17:50Departure time 18:20Arrival time 19:55 £61

Standard Fare | Calais to Folkestone | Thursday 09 April 2009
Check-in closes 07:12Departure time 07:42Arrival time 07:17 £61


Campervan/Minibus

£90 devided by four works out at £22.50 for the return ticket not bad value

although you did get a very good deal on your bookings
it is a matter of chance as prices seem to vary hour by hour
there needs to be a ferry price screen scraper to highlight the best deals
i have tried all the so called ferry cheap or discount dealers and still find that a search on the net for the best price and then phoning the cheapest and asking them to beat there or my other quotes then can also work out cheaper
but i am not counting the time i spend searching the net

enjoy your break cheers t&s

 

[cipro]

Booked for May with Norfolk line, Dover to Dunkerque, £17.50 each way £30 each for my 2 dogs less than £100. Still a lot cheaper than the tunnel, the cheapest fare was £192

It does depend on the size of the van we read that over 6 mtrs it was an extra £15 each way and I am sure you have to tick a box to say you are over 6 mtrs anyway you do have a good price

 

[Jacqueslemac]

I've just booked a return trip on Norfolk Line for the last weekend in July - for £60 return. That's cheaper than my car a couple of years ago!

I cross over to Normandy quite a lot and use a spreadsheet to work out which is cheapest, taking into account fuel and tolls. Eurotunnel is always the most expensive, except when Brittany Ferries edges ahead slightly.

That's motorhome, car or motorbike. It doesn't seem to make a difference.

LD Lines is often cheapest, but you can't book a return trip using two different routes online.

 

[Nogger]

Sea france

)

The normal way historically I have booked ferries is out and return at the same time as that secures the best deals. Single fares are more expensive .....or so I thought.

Have just saved money by booking one way with LD Lines and the other way with Norfolkline. Total cost less than £50. Amused that Norfolklines charged us 'fuel surcharge' of 1p.

well thought i wold join in here,I have lived in belgium for the last 18 years,travelled from ports of Calais-Dunkirk-Oostende-Zeebrugge-Europort(rotterdam)-Hoek van holland,and also used the tunnel, we have always looked for the best prices of course,as We, travel to the UK maybe 3-4 times a year (family visits).and we have found out that the earlier you book via the net the cheaper it is actually, and because of our tight time schedule,we now go via calais or dunkirk price deciding which route we take ,9 times out of 10 sea-france usually comes up with the best price, Using the tunnel also proves expensive plus due to the amount of miles we make,the rest period I get by using the ferry,s works out better for us. we also found that the company norfolk line tends to charge more for M/H users.so like always searching for the best price we have booked for the 11th April - 15th return our total cost is 145 euro,s thats 129 pounds i think ? and that is for 2 adults 1 pet dog M/H 24ft long !!! that was the best price I could find,taking into account that that is Easter weekend then i don,t think it is a bad price !! interested to hear other members thoughts on this !!

Booked via SEA-FRANCE

Happy sailing
Nogger

 

[jann]

Ferries

Norfolkline in June £45 return, could have got it a bit cheaper if We travelled in middle of night.

The cost has come down each year for the past few years. We have paid over a hundred pounds previously.

 

[t&s]

I've just booked a return trip on Norfolk Line for the last weekend in July - for £60 return. That's cheaper than my car a couple of years ago!

I cross over to Normandy quite a lot and use a spreadsheet to work out which is cheapest, taking into account fuel and tolls. Eurotunnel is always the most expensive, except when Brittany Ferries edges ahead slightly.

That's motorhome, car or motorbike. It doesn't seem to make a difference.

LD Lines is often cheapest, but you can't book a return trip using two different routes online.

an example of your spread sheet set up might help someone to decide
any way you could post an example ?

 

[Jacqueslemac]

Happy to, but it wouldn't really help you much unless you live in Norfolk and want to go to Normandy!

I have a column for the fuel cost in the UK (e.g. to Dover is 172 miles, to Portsmouth is 220) plus tolls. Then the same thing for the other side - Calais is 230 miles from my place in Normandy, Ouistreham just 30. I also add in autoroute tolls.

Then the total column compares not just the ferry tickets but the cost of travel either side.

Each time I book a crossing I merely update the price of a litre of diesel and the rest is almost automatic.

The most cost-effective ferry is easy to spot but sometimes it's nice knowing that a journey only slightly more expensive might be preferable for travelling times. For example, LD Lines is almost always the cheapest but the crossing back from Le Havre to Portsmouth doesn't arrive until fairly late, so I don't get home until 2am - 3am which isn't fun when I have to go to work the next day.

Hope this helps. I'm no whizz at Excel but it wasn't that difficult to create. PM me your email if you like and I'll email it to you as a starting point.