alistair Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 We will be crossing from UK to France & return next summer. When we have done this in the past, I booked the UK-France ticket on-line a week or so ahead, choosing the operator with the best combination of price and time. Once we've decided when we're returning, I find internet access and do the same for the return. However, there are times when it would be more convenient to buy the ticket when we arrive at the ferry terminal. Has anyone ever compared prices for tickets bought in advance with those bought just prior to departure? I can understand that there may be price incentives to pre-book so the ferry operators can plan ahead, but we have never found the ferries full so we wonder if they sell tickets on the day at a discount to help fill the space. Any comments welcomed. Alistair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Hello, in my albeit limited experience, they have been more expensive on the day. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Hi Alistair, I have travelled Dover - Calais with P & O several times in the last couple of years with work and we always get a return ticket for when we think we might be coming back and then just turn up at Calais and have always got put on the next available boat at no extra charge. I think you'll find it's a lot cheaper buying a return and as yet we've never been charged any extra when turning up, even the day after the fire in the tunnel earlier this year when Calais was in chaos. Hope this helps, Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Have always booked as I understand on the day tickets are generally dearer. One point however if you turn up early pre-booked do not ask if you can get on an earlier sailing as you will then incur a £10 fee, if there is space on an earlier Ferry you will be on it anyway without extra charge, I found this out the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david shallcross Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 We have just tried that with Sea France and been charged £10 to change the booking for the first time it appears that they are tightening up on changing dates to come back early. We always used to turn up at Calais and join the queue and get let on with no extra charge, but on booking we were warned we would have to pay an extra £10 and sure enough we were charged, though I must admit there was no queue at the time we arrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 alistair - 2008-12-10 9:27 AM We will be crossing from UK to France & return next summer. When we have done this in the past, I booked the UK-France ticket on-line a week or so ahead, choosing the operator with the best combination of price and time. Once we've decided when we're returning, I find internet access and do the same for the return. However, there are times when it would be more convenient to buy the ticket when we arrive at the ferry terminal. Has anyone ever compared prices for tickets bought in advance with those bought just prior to departure? I can understand that there may be price incentives to pre-book so the ferry operators can plan ahead, but we have never found the ferries full so we wonder if they sell tickets on the day at a discount to help fill the space. Any comments welcomed. Alistair It is always more expensive just to turn up, it would seem they will sail with an empty ship rather than discount at the last minute, they know you have cross. It is always an idea to investigate multiple ticket prices. This year I purchased six crossings for a total of £192 from Sea France, you can travel at pretty much any time and can change times for no charge. If you simply turn up they will get you on one of the next two crossings. You can also pass two crossing on to someone else if you do not use them all in twelve month period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistair Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 Thanks to all for the interesting comments. I probably put this post on the wrong forum (should have been Motorhome Matters?) but it worked anyway. Alistair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaman Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 We returned on the 21.30 Calais Dover sailing with P&O. Due to a change in our family circumstances we turned up two days earlier as we had been booked for the Sunday eve sailing. The woman at the kiosk was insistent that we paid the full admin additional charge of £60! Otherwise we were very impressed by the Caravan Club booking service, booked the week before at £86 Sat 09.20 rtn Sun 21.30. Euro Tunnel would have been well over twice the price for a 6m M/h. Many other posts seem to indicate that other operators waive the excess charge. Is this a new policy being enforced I wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Year before last when towing a caravan arrived 8:00pm we were booked on 12:30am Sea France Ferry, girl at the booth wanted to charge us £180 to go on next ferry as we had booked a 'caravans go free' one. We went away came back ½ hr later made sure we used a different booth got on the next ferry at no additional cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I have arrived days early( but at the same ferry time) with both Sea France and Norfolk Line. Norfolk Line have never charged but Sea France have. On the last occasion,after arriving 3 days earlier I was asked for 15 euro by Sea France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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