bazooka Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I've just booked a crossing mid May-mid-June Dover- Dunkirk decent times out Sunday back Friday.The price is £78.I've still got the reciept for our first trip across the channel in March 1979 cost £146-20! 32 years ago!! thats what i call value for money!! Baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Plonk the receipt on ebay and you'll probably get enough to cover a crossing :D :D Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Cheers,Martin. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Glad we are not the only "early bookers" :-> Having seen the problems with Sea France and read in a French paper that a service from UK to Caen is about to be dropped (can't remember which ferry company but think it was Brittany Ferries), we thought we would book for next year before the prices rise. We have normally used the tunnel frequent traveller scheme as we love the flexibility and short crossing times BUT did some in depth comparisons during 2 months recovery after surgery (loads of time to do this sort of thing ;-) ). We calculated that, especially when towing a trailer or car, it is more cost effective to use the ferry - saving nearly 600 miles driving on the return trip more than covers any increased costs in fares. We have used our remaining tunnel tickets to book for 2 weeks break at Easter and a week in June (extra bank holiday) - some crossings fully booked already! We have also booked the ferry for a 2 week break at the end of August - very good price at the time of booking and able to get sleeper seats as so far ahead. Can't wait to get away now..... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 catinou - 2011-11-30 11:07 A We have used our remaining tunnel tickets to book for 2 weeks break at Easter and a week in June (extra bank holiday) - some crossings fully booked already! We have also booked the ferry for a 2 week break at the end of August - very good price at the time of booking and able to get sleeper seats as so far ahead. Can't wait to get away now..... *-) I hope you take ear plugs with you. We paid extra for these seats once, and found it was the worse crossing we have ever had. Noisy , and very disturbing. If you can't get a cabin I would not bother, may as well sleep in the normal seats., and save money. We never cross at night now, day crossings only for us, and preferably on the Fast Cat. (Motor Homes only) no towed vehicle, as you have to back on PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 We found this year we got the best price by booking 2 days before we went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Who wants to be on the M25 or M1 on a Friday heading north. No thankyou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 bazooka - 2011-11-11 5:03 PM I've just booked a crossing mid May-mid-June Dover- Dunkirk decent times out Sunday back Friday.The price is £78.I've still got the reciept for our first trip across the channel in March 1979 cost £146-20! 32 years ago!! thats what i call value for money!! Baz Although, unlike you, I have no paper confirmation of prices back then I do recall prices on Dover-Calais being in the region of £200. That just meant we used to use Brittany ferries where the price gap was much narrower than it is now. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Then and now - the first Channel trip we ever did was in 1977. Hoverlloyd was cheapest back then, but even that was getting on towards £300 in high season! Having had our refund from SeaFrance for next summer, I've just booked 3 weeks next July with P&O via the C&CC. Online, P&O were £129 and DFDS £99.50, both including Cr Card surcharges. But I really didn't want to go with DFDS (not keen on Dunkerque ferryport!). Because C&CC aren't offering DFDS at present, the helpful lady there arranged a price match, so we've got our first ever P&O crossing, for £99.50. For July, in the present state of the market, I'll settle for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Well done Tony! I guess your "BOSS) was looking after you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Tony Jones - 2011-11-30 4:32 PM Then and now - the first Channel trip we ever did was in 1977. Hoverlloyd was cheapest back then, but even that was getting on towards £300 in high season! Having had our refund from SeaFrance for next summer, I've just booked 3 weeks next July with P&O via the C&CC. Online, P&O were £129 and DFDS £99.50, both including Cr Card surcharges. But I really didn't want to go with DFDS (not keen on Dunkerque ferryport!). Because C&CC aren't offering DFDS at present, the helpful lady there arranged a price match, so we've got our first ever P&O crossing, for £99.50. For July, in the present state of the market, I'll settle for that. We have booked for July via the Caravan Club cost is £72 return with DFDS into Dunkerque, we still have a reciept from travelling over by Townsend Thorenson in 1979 cost £274 and a few pence. After using P&O, who were our preferred carrier apart from cost, for the last crossing we will not be using them again, leastways not on one of the two new ferries. They insisted on us going up a deck inside the ship, despite my protests that it really was not a good idea as the ramp was so steep and with a curve. Even in first gear and with spinning wheels we only just made it, though going down at the end of the journey was ok. Considering the ship had only been in service around a month the boat, which was less than half full, had toilets hanging off the wall and the facilities were VERY stretched i.e. restuarant couldn't cope with the traffic with only two tills and one server per serving hot area, by the time you got through the food was cold and then you had to get your drink, using a token issued at the till, after you had eaten, by which time you had to queue again! Pretty poor in my view, I dread to think what it will be like fully loaded and with the coach passengers. Hope this is not the way of things to come to keep the prices low. Restrained complaint, that they should reconsider where it was suitable for motorhomes to be carried, was duly made in writting and to date duly ignored, so one multiple travelling customer who will not return!! Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I was about to book a crossing with SeaFrance a few weeks ago.....until they went bust! P&O instantly put their prices up and the best return fare I could get was £83. No matter how hard you try juggling the times/dates around, if you get a cheap fare out, the return will be higher. Not to be outdone by the daft fare tables, I decided to play 'em at their own game. I found the cheapest one-way SINGLE going out was with P&O, and the cheapest one-way single RETURN with Norfolkline and booked my passage that way. Total price.......just £62. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Basil - 2011-11-30 5:16 PM Hope this is not the way of things to come to keep the prices low. Restrained complaint, that they should reconsider where it was suitable for motorhomes to be carried, was duly made in writting and to date duly ignored, so one multiple travelling customer who will not return!! Bas But their adverts were saying they had a deck especially for Motorhome and Caravans keeping them separate from HGV's. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 The mention of Townsend Thorensen brings back memories of the sinking disaster in 1987 when 193 people lost their lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 The ferry was called Herald of Free Enterprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryW Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 bazooka - 2011-11-11 5:03 PM I've just booked a crossing mid May-mid-June Dover- Dunkirk decent times out Sunday back Friday.The price is £78.I've still got the reciept for our first trip across the channel in March 1979 cost £146-20! 32 years ago!! thats what i call value for money!! Baz It was a lot cheaper in 1966 but then it was British Rail and if you were in the services you could get 1/3 discount. I would certainly get more than the price of a ferry crossing if I still had the car I was driving in those days, a 1953 Jowett Javeline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 rolandrat - 2011-11-30 8:22 PM The mention of Townsend Thorensen brings back memories of the sinking disaster in 1987 when 193 people lost their lives. We came home on the Herald exactly one week before the disaster, it was quite frightening for us at the time and I do not mean to detract from the terrible loss of a lot of lives by saying that. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianBW Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 We use a Tesco credit card. This issues voucher points. By saving these we can exchange them on the Euro Tunnel. By May, we usually have a free crossing return! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 catinou - 2011-11-30 11:07 AM Having seen the problems with Sea France and read in a French paper that a service from UK to Caen is about to be dropped (can't remember which ferry company but think it was Brittany Ferries), we thought we would book for next year before the prices rise. Have you any further information. I note that Brittany Ferries are taking 2012 bookings for this route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 BrianBW - 2011-12-02 12:16 PM We use a Tesco credit card. This issues voucher points. By saving these we can exchange them on the Euro Tunnel. By May, we usually have a free crossing return! I do all my shopping in Tesco, and get a lot of vouchers. we used them this year for the tunnel only one way. It would be good value, but for us a long drive to Folkestone, and then another to Brittany. We stick with Brittany as for us living 5 mins from the terminal at Porstmouth, we can be in Cherboug (3 hours on the fast cat ) as quick as getting to Dover /Folkestone., and no hold ups on motorways. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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