hallii Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I have just booked for the Tunnel for £132 via the CCC. Using P&O Dover Calais would have cost £106 but that would include ACSI (Which I didn't really need). Times and dates are almost identical, so for £26 extra I get to go the quick and easy route. No contest in my opinion. If I add the fact that the Tunnel is more flexible with early/late arrivals and doesn't charge extra, methinks they might have won my contract for this year. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I like the tunnel and have used it since 1996, but this year have booked with the Caravan Club and DFDS on the Dover - Dunkirk route for £49 return (Autosleeper Duetto at under 6 metres long). Not at all bothered about the length of the crossing, in fact we like it, as 2 hours can be spent very pleasantly relaxing, looking out over the sea. Edited to show that the booking was via the CC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 its a no brainer...tunnel every time for us.That said some offers on ferry's cant be ignored Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Its a no brainer for us too, this year, £136 tunnel return for £1 (using £45x3 worth of Tesco vouchers). That said we do prefer the ferry journey after a decent drive down from the Midlands, then pay a bit extra and go in the nice lounge away from kids, chavs and tuggers, oh yes and smelly lorry drivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Hi Each have there own merits, but we like the ferry, time to relax for a couple of hours, have a snack and a coffee, then get going on the road.... Tend to get the crossing for around £80.... Which seems good to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 We shop at Lidl and book ferries through the Caravan Club - just booked our return Calais to Dover for just after Easter - £30, so we end up getting the cheap option on food and ferries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Using the tunnel gives a fair bit of leeway but after a drive down from north of Manchester a coupe of hours rest and a meal is more than welcome (even for an ex-smelly lorry driver) John 47, never heard or had a £30 return crossing even for the CC, are you sure that's correct? sounds more like a single trip or a special day return to me. If it is £30 return well done. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I like a nice ferry trip but ones wife prefers the tunnel so that's what we use. We do use Tesco vouchers which helps keep the cost down. When it comes to a day trip for shopping combined with a present day out the Tunnel wins hands down no contest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 nowtelse2do - 2013-01-11 6:02 PM John 47, never heard or had a £30 return crossing even for the CC, are you sure that's correct? sounds more like a single trip or a special day return to me. If it is £30 return well done. Dave Just realised my post could be misinterpreted - we are in Spain at present and will be returning to the UK after Easter. The ferry I booked for that return cost £30 and if you look up the CC website you'll see that this is the standard single fare for DFDS Calais - Dover (or vice-versa). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 John 47 - 2013-01-11 7:20 PM nowtelse2do - 2013-01-11 6:02 PM John 47, never heard or had a £30 return crossing even for the CC, are you sure that's correct? sounds more like a single trip or a special day return to me. If it is £30 return well done. Dave Just realised my post could be misinterpreted - we are in Spain at present and will be returning to the UK after Easter. The ferry I booked for that return cost £30 and if you look up the CC website you'll see that this is the standard single fare for DFDS Calais - Dover (or vice-versa). Still not bad tho :-D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Hyper-active dog who is not happy in her own company So it's the tunnel for us HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin Man Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 DFDS from Dover to Dunkirk for us. We've also booked through the CC for £49 return. Good 2 hour restful break on the ferry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 We prefer the ferry can have coffee or meal & relax. Been delayed more times when using the tunnel than when going by ferry. The pressure differential in the tunnel sometimes gives me an ear ache that can last a couple of days far worse than flying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIFFO Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Am in Ireland ......and reading the prices you are paying for ferry crossings is literally making me cry.late may or early June are the only times we can afford to travel to France and even then it's hundreds of euro/pounds. So fellas don't knock it........to be able to be on the continent in a couple of hours and at the price of less than a good meal..........lap it up . ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 hallii - 2013-01-11 4:40 PM I have just booked for the Tunnel for £132 via the CCC. Using P&O Dover Calais would have cost £106 but that would include ACSI (Which I didn't really need). Times and dates are almost identical, so for £26 extra I get to go the quick and easy route. No contest in my opinion. If I add the fact that the Tunnel is more flexible with early/late arrivals and doesn't charge extra, methinks they might have won my contract for this year. H Not sure when you are travelling but when I booked Eurotunnel direct, it only cost me £132 return so whether the CCC are giving you a discount or not I can't say (I did then use Tesco vouchers to pay for most of it though!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I think this is apples compared to pears. The tunnel is quicker, and on my experience so far, more reliable and more flexible. On the other hand it is more expensive. We use it, because Tesco vouchers make it only a marginal cost: in theory you can pay the lot in vouchers if the crossing costs come in right. Boarding and unloading are also a bit quicker, and time before departure a bit shorter. It takes us about two hours to get to the tunnel terminal, but longer to get to Dover. We avoid the morning rush-hour, and arrive around mid-day. Eat in transit, disembark about 15:30, and stop before 16:00, eat, and relax. Doing the same thing by ferry achieves the same end, but leaving home at the same time we should not arrive until after 17:00, and it would cost us more in cash. The saving in time is not that great, I quite like ferries, but the tunnel is quicker, more reliable if rather clinical, and for us, cheaper. Classic horses for courses territory, I think. It also depends a bit which way you are heading once off the ferry. I haven't enquired yet, but have been told the Newhaven - Dieppe route, which is only 20 minutes away, now offers discounts for "seniors" if you book at the port. It is a 4 hour crossing, and they want you there a ridiculous time in advance for boarding, but at two hours to the tunnel, another two-and-a-bit hours to cross, and a further two hours back down France, it is about quits. It's just a question of whether that discounted fare looks attractive against the cost of fuel to the tunnel and back. I doubt it, but it seems worth checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Do not care which, just a means of crossing the channel. Usually use the ferry because never in a hurry and it is always a lot cheaper. Our crossing on the 5 January also only took an hour, from boarding to driving off 1h 15mins, not bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 We used newhaven - dieppe all the time until it stopped years ago...they used to have catamarans as well which where uncomfortable but fast.. Tunnel is 1.5 hrs from us so we can be on our way quickly...will never get a weekend ferry again! Last time it was like a cattle carrier difficult to find a seat let alone get 40 winks (long drive from Italy and exhausted) they even give announcement s in Polish now. Guess should have paid for lounge and food bloody awful so packed lunch a good idea. My mum had a real fear of water and the amount of maritime disasters makes her not wrong. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 We use Eurotunnel Frequent Traveller Account although this year it has gone up for the 1st time. Being retired we like the flexibility to go at 24 hrs notice when we please and not bother to book return until it suites us . I know you have to pay up front , but thats the gamble you take and now I am led to believe you can " give " a crossing to another family member must read the small print to confirm the details. As my wife has a balance problem with her hearing condition the ferry is a no go area for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 kelly58 - 2013-01-12 9:00 AM We use Eurotunnel Frequent Traveller Account although this year it has gone up for the 1st time. Being retired we like the flexibility to go at 24 hrs notice when we please and not bother to book return until it suites us . I know you have to pay up front , but thats the gamble you take and now I am led to believe you can " give " a crossing to another family member must read the small print to confirm the details. As my wife has a balance problem with her hearing condition the ferry is a no go area for her. Seems like they have upped all there prices..Used to get a return for around £120 now its £150 :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 For us its not about the money or the time. Our fear of what would happen if they had yet another fire in the is what stops us using the tunnel. A friend was part of the team that built the tunnel and he will not travel through it because he says of the systems in place in case of fire. Having said that they have never (as far as I know) actually followed the procedure he described. At least on a boat you have a chance of escaping in a life raft. So call us chicken if you wish but we would rather keep up British traditions as sailors and not prisoners traditions as tunnelers. Over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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