Ferry costs (1 Viewer)

[Kayold]

I've just been playing to see which is the best deal for leaving to France around 24 Oct, returning 1 Nov.
Sea France that was gives a standard £43.75 each way, not too bad I thought for a 7.3 vehicle and made no difference either return or one way.
P&O, cheapest was £56 each way if booked as a return. However tried the day return on the 24 Oct and it came in at £13 each way! Obviously I wouldn't return the same day, a return from Calais sadly doesn't work the same way on a day trip, cheapest was £46, so if I do book I will use P&O for a 'day return' at £26 and book a Sea France single at £43.75 for the return in Nov.

It's a bit like the train fare ticket splitting that was on TV the other day, ok it's only £17.75 saving but it's £17.75 towards the diesel just for tapping a few comp buttons in the early hours!

For info Norfolk line was the most expensive at the time I tried.

02:20 Link Removed 04:50 Spirit of France £13.00 £23.00
21:45 22:15 Spirit of Britain £13.00 £23.00

Read terms and Cs and it suggests if you do a no show that there may be a charge, may try and see what happens

 

[Snowbird]

If you book a day return and don't come back they will debit your card with the full fair later. DFDS Dover-Calais or Dover-Dunkirk is normally the cheapest option.

 

[stcyr]

We've also used DFDS twice in the last month, £39 each way. :thumb:

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[Pikey Pete]

I've just booked my ticket to come back via Calais next week.
DFDS wanted £79 from Dunkirk and £59 from Calais.
I've booked with P&O from Calais for £43.

Pete:Cool:

 

[stcyr]

Hmm, must be peak camper season - we came back to France last Sunday night for £39 ... glad we did ...

 

[tonka]

It's been discussed before about using a day trip ticket and not using the return.
Under the terms they can charge you but no one has come forward as yet and said they have done it and got away with it. I suspect if someone did do it and more than once then it may flag up and get looked at.. Let us know how you get on.

Just a bit of info, having just returned on P&O.. If booking online then it appears that no later than 48 hours in advance is best.. If you try within 24 hours of when you want to cross the price does shoot up and on the day goes up a lot more..
ex.. We booked 2 days before at £39.. Out of interest I checked 1 day before on same crossing and it was £89.. On the day it was £100...

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[sedge]

Well I did it some years ago on my motorbike went out with P&O from Portsmouth to Le Havre. Then came back with Sea France Calais to Dover.

Cost at that time was £164 for two weeks return or £34 day trip with three bottles of wine included, and £29 daytrip Dover to Calais (no wine) LOL. We just turnded up at Calais and said we couldn't find the booking paperwork not suprising really, two up and all our camping gear. Girl at the check in said no problem and sent us to the lane we needed to catch the ferry. As has been said the ferry companies do retain the right to charge for the unused part of the booking, but this is what I did.

A few days after making the booking I spent a small amount on my debit card then next day phoned the bank and said I had misplaced my card!! three days later new card in my hand and of course the last four digits were changed so little chane of the ferry company getting at my hard earned.

Can only suppose it would still work.


Pete (trophychap)

 

[Kayold]

Cheers for the replies, I did think of 'losing' the card after payment so nothing could be charged! I suppose the difference could still be billed, would it be worth it? Not really either way, though have seen letters sent out by various Govt depts for less than the cost of postage!

I have seen many times booking on the day/not online can mean a very high price hike, hardly fair if we all go cheap and not come back, look at what the returns are sold for!

DFDS was a surprise, they have a low cost reputation but when I looked it was £70 plus each way,

I may give it a go but in the cold light of day for another £17.50 it may be easier not to bother, I have had enough aggro to last several lifetimes with legal arguments in one form or another! I also suspect if we all did this then the ferry companies would just decide to charge more across the board!

Ahh well, back to my other money saving ideas!

 

[FIDGET]

Hi , DFDS in Sept onwards ,depends what time of day and which day of week but usually late eve or early morn, mon to thurs is cheapest, up to 8mtr £39 each way.
Terry:Cool:

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[mondo]

Try this link http://www.dovereurochange.co.uk we have used them on a few occasions..

 

[Alan]

Ferries

If you've got two dogs you will probably find it cheaper to go out with DFDS or Sea France with no charge for pets and come back with P and O who will only charge you for one way with pets £15 each instant savings of £30

Ferries seem to have gone up a lot this week I presume its caused by Brittany Ferries not running to Spain
Alan