Tunnel or ferry?

[laimeduck]

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 1:44 PM

 

I really have no axe to.grind, our nearest Tesco is 40 miles away, but given that a survey carried out by Which magazine this year put them way below others including Lidl for quality, customer satisfaction, and high prices why would I. There is no such thing as a free lunch, of course you are all paying for your vouchers, if you don't understand that, with respect you are being duped, end of.

 

Sorry, with respect you don't understand. I don't shop in Tesco, just use their card & pay off in full every month. They gain nothing from me at all but I get their vouchers. So I am not duped!

[Curtisden]

laimeduck - 2013-07-04 3:01 PM

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 1:44 PM

 

I really have no axe to.grind, our nearest Tesco is 40 miles away, but given that a survey carried out by Which magazine this year put them way below others including Lidl for quality, customer satisfaction, and high prices why would I. There is no such thing as a free lunch, of course you are all paying for your vouchers, if you don't understand that, with respect you are being duped, end of.

 

Sorry, with respect you don't understand. I don't shop in Tesco, just use their card & pay off in full every month. They gain nothing from me at all but I get their vouchers. So I am not duped!

 

I do understand completely. You use the tesco credit card. I Too have one.

But the reward % you get from off Tesco site purchases is quite low per sale in some areas and you may depending on the level of card, get a better return from a Cast Rebate card if like me you use it for all purchases. Also dependant on the amount you spend.

Then you are free to use it for what ever you chose.

I do also agree the Tesco deal is a good one and I may be using it next year when I will not be traveling to France as much.

[laimeduck]

 

I do understand completely. You use the tesco credit card. I Too have one.

But the reward % you get from off Tesco site purchases is quite low per sale in some areas and you may depending on the level of card, get a better return from a Cast Rebate card if like me you use it for all purchases. Also dependant on the amount you spend.

Then you are free to use it for what ever you chose.

I do also agree the Tesco deal is a good one and I may be using it next year when I will not be traveling to France as much.

 

Peter - thanks - I do understand & appreciate what you are saying - I "might" be able to get a better return IF I used a different credit card, but my guess is, it would be marginal. Without working it out, I reckon I save about £3-£400 per year on Eurotunnel using Tesco Vouchers for the motorhome & a few car return & day trips. So I'm quite content with that. I just hope they continue doing it!

 

Next week for the first time in years, I am taking DFDS Calais & returning from Dunkirk with a very poor sailor friend - could be interesting! *-) *-)

[Guest pelmetman]

laimeduck - 2013-07-04 5:32 PM

 

Next week for the first time in years, I am taking DFDS Calais & returning from Dunkirk with a very poor sailor friend - could be interesting! *-) *-)

 

Give him a fried egg banjo Jeremy ;-)..........................its the kill or cure option :D

[laimeduck]

pelmetman - 2013-07-04 5:40 PM

 

laimeduck - 2013-07-04 5:32 PM

 

Next week for the first time in years, I am taking DFDS Calais & returning from Dunkirk with a very poor sailor friend - could be interesting! *-) *-)

 

Give him a fried egg banjo Jeremy ;-)..........................its the kill or cure option :D

 

I think he'll prefer a Stella top with a double chaser a few times - then he won't care anyway! B-)

[Mel B]

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 9:07 AM

 

What's with the lovely bedside manner, on many occasions we have been able to get an earlier Ferry, as for Melb, if she wants to use her mhome as a giant dog bed I guess that's her prerogative, next time my missus insists on a change to clean bed linen at least I have some ammo that perhaps it's not really necessary. :D. A can of air freshener will do the job just as well.

Just to stop you worrying about my stinky 'dog bed', that was the day we were changing the bedding so it didn't matter that the bed wasn't actually made, which it normally is with a cover over it when the dogs get to sprawl on it, however I'm sure in your case you'd still need the air freshener even after your bedding has been changed ... Mr 1stinkyfootinthegrave :D

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 1:44 PM

 

I really have no axe to.grind, our nearest Tesco is 40 miles away, but given that a survey carried out by Which magazine this year put them way below others including Lidl for quality, customer satisfaction, and high prices why would I. There is no such thing as a free lunch, of course you are all paying for your vouchers, if you don't understand that, with respect you are being duped, end of.

Oh well, that's it then, no more Tesco of Lidl, can't be doing with bad service etc now can we! 8-)

 

Our Tesco store staff are very good and it is one of the cheapest supermarkets in our area - Sainsbury's by comparison is extortionate and Asda isn't far behind them along with Morrisons. So, do tell, how am I actually paying for them when my shopping is CHEAPER from Tescos than going elsewhere AND I get rewarded for going to them too! :->

 

As for surveys ... I've been involved in setting them up in the past and believe me they can be 'adjusted' to say whatever you want them too and give the results you expect to get if you are so minded ... if I didn't know better I'd swear you were related to my brother, he believes everything he reads too .... *-)

[Cattwg]

mondo - 2013-07-04 10:57 AM

 

Ferry for me it's all part of the "Holiday Feel" then off at Calais..

 

Although we often use the tunnel for its quickness/convenience my wife and I both agree with this sentiment.

 

Cattwg :-D

[Mel B]

JudgeMental - 2013-07-04 7:17 AM

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-03 9:30 PM

 

I'm still trying to find out what you folks do with that precious half hour apparently saved by using the tunnel. Perhaps you all stop and have coffee and breakfast that I've already had on the Ferry. :D

 

You really are a pillock. And leave Mel alone ..I guess being truly obnoxious comes natural to some. FYI we have turned up for tunnel many times and got straight on an earlier crossing...so this 30 minutes difference of yours nonsense!lol there is hardly any waiting, or queuing, compared to the bucket and you are quickly on your way......another plus is it avoids rubbing shoulders with the likes of you for a start...

Ohhhhhhhh, my knight in shining armour ... thank you Eddie. :-D

 

We too have been able to get on an earlier tunnel crossing, you can do so up to 2 hours beforehand at no cost however we 'managed' to get back on Saturday evening (20.35 crossing) instead of Sunday morning (08.50 crossing) for nowt!

 

On Saturday tea-time we 'accidentally' went to the Euro Tunnel check-in off the motorway rather than Cite Europe as hubby had picked the wrong POI on Tom Tom so we though, oh well, whilst we're here we might as well get the dogs checked-in to save time in the morning (you have to drive past the vet check-in building to exit). Once the dogs were done we thought we'd see how much it would cost to go that night rather than wait for the morning so we went to an 'auto check-in' booth and in order for us to get the 20.20 crossing it was going to cost us another £30 so instead we declined to changed and stuck to our original morning crossing time, then the machine printed the 'hanger' for our mirror with the letter 'G' on and the barrier opened! I wasn't aware that it would do that so was confused as to whether that meant we could go through or not!

 

Once we'd driven through the barrier I went back to a manned booth and spoke to a young lady and explained what had happened and she said just to go on anyway; after being cleared at the UK border control, at the roundabout another lady was checking the letter on the hangers and stopped us ('S' was the next one), I again explained what had happened and she too sent us onwards. The final 'hurdle' was the check for over-height vehicles, once I explained it all to the lady she tried to ring through and went through some stuff on her computer system, then in the end she too sent us through! Had we not had the delay at the booth and the final check we'd have been on the 20.20 but instead we had to wait for the 20.35 - we were boarded by 20.23 and were 4th from the front of the train! Once we arrived in the UK at around 20.10 (UK time) we were off and on our way with no wacky races to contend with. We drove a little way then stopped to have some tea (one-pot wonder) then bedded down at a place we know about half way from home for the night then were up and off early and on our way again reaching home late morning as we stopped en-route for a break.

 

I'm not suggesting that anyone else try this - we didn't do it intentionally and if the hanger hadn't printed out I wouldn't have asked the first girl and instead would just have gone on to Cite Europe for the night ... but I'm not complaining! :-)

[Cattwg]

You get 1 point for each full £1 that you spend in Tesco. If you use their credit card then you get 1 point for every full £4 that you spend irrespective of where you shop.

So if you spend £160.50 in Tesco and use their card then you would gain 160 + 40 = 200 points which is subsequently converted into a £2.00 voucher.

When you apply for the tunnel offer your vouchers are multiplied by 3. So as I mentioned in a previous post we obtained a £150 return crossing for £50 worth of Tesco vouchers.

 

We do most of our food shopping at Asda and pay by Tesco credit card, we buy the vast majority of our fuel at Tesco (only because it’s the cheapest locally) and again use the card. Most of our household purchases are paid for via our card - and paid off at the end of the month. It’s surprising how quickly significant amounts of vouchers can be accrued.

 

Also if not enough vouchers are to hand then the balance of the cost of the crossing can be made up with the credit card.

 

We do not inconvenience ourselves in order to shop at Tesco or to use the card. It’s simply something which suits us and which offers a small bonus.

Cattwg :-D

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Mel B - 2013-07-04 6:04 PM

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 9:07 AM

 

What's with the lovely bedside manner, on many occasions we have been able to get an earlier Ferry, as for Melb, if she wants to use her mhome as a giant dog bed I guess that's her prerogative, next time my missus insists on a change to clean bed linen at least I have some ammo that perhaps it's not really necessary. :D. A can of air freshener will do the job just as well.

Just to stop you worrying about my stinky 'dog bed', that was the day we were changing the bedding so it didn't matter that the bed wasn't actually made, which it normally is with a cover over it when the dogs get to sprawl on it, however I'm sure in your case you'd still need the air freshener even after your bedding has been changed ... Mr 1stinkyfootinthegrave :D

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 1:44 PM

 

I really have no axe to.grind, our nearest Tesco is 40 miles away, but given that a survey carried out by Which magazine this year put them way below others including Lidl for quality, customer satisfaction, and high prices why would I. There is no such thing as a free lunch, of course you are all paying for your vouchers, if you don't understand that, with respect you are being duped, end of.

Oh well, that's it then, no more Tesco of Lidl, can't be doing with bad service etc now can we! 8-)

 

Our Tesco store staff are very good and it is one of the cheapest supermarkets in our area - Sainsbury's by comparison is extortionate and Asda isn't far behind them along with Morrisons. So, do tell, how am I actually paying for them when my shopping is CHEAPER from Tescos than going elsewhere AND I get rewarded for going to them too! :->

 

As for surveys ... I've been involved in setting them up in the past and believe me they can be 'adjusted' to say whatever you want them too and give the results you expect to get if you are so minded ... if I didn't know better I'd swear you were related to my brother, he believes everything he reads too .... *-)

 

Don't worry you are not on your own, funny that Tesco or any venture for that matter can effectively give free money away and the consumers do not pay for it in other ways. As for me needing a deodorant after we've changed our bed linen, sorry but I doubt your sense of smell would notice the difference, again don't worry, most dog owners do not realise their dogs and homes stink, and three in a panel van conversion, the mind boggles.

[dawki]

For us it's the Tunnel, it's just so easy

we often shop at Tesco plus a have a Tesco credit card

easy decision really

[Curtisden]

Cattwg - 2013-07-04 6:34 PM

 

You get 1 point for each full £1 that you spend in Tesco. If you use their credit card then you get 1 point for every full £4 that you spend irrespective of where you shop.

So if you spend £160.50 in Tesco and use their card then you would gain 160 + 40 = 200 points which is subsequently converted into a £2.00 voucher.

When you apply for the tunnel offer your vouchers are multiplied by 3. So as I mentioned in a previous post we obtained a £150 return crossing for £50 worth of Tesco vouchers.

 

We do most of our food shopping at Asda and pay by Tesco credit card, we buy the vast majority of our fuel at Tesco (only because it’s the cheapest locally) and again use the card. Most of our household purchases are paid for via our card - and paid off at the end of the month. It’s surprising how quickly significant amounts of vouchers can be accrued.

 

Also if not enough vouchers are to hand then the balance of the cost of the crossing can be made up with the credit card.

 

We do not inconvenience ourselves in order to shop at Tesco or to use the card. It’s simply something which suits us and which offers a small bonus.

Cattwg :-D

 

Don't know what card you use but on my Platinum Cashback American Express card fuel receives a 3% cash rebate which for every £100 is £3 so £160.50 would be £4.95. But it is less on other items for sure. only 1.5% on shopping at a supermarket.

Link this to a Frequent Traveller Account and its cheaper. Returns this year were under £100 for a motorhome.

 

We use our small Tesco points to join the Historic Houses Assoc. and English Heritage at a discount.

[Mel B]

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 7:24 PM

 

Don't worry you are not on your own, funny that Tesco or any venture for that matter can effectively give free money away and the consumers do not pay for it in other ways. As for me needing a deodorant after we've changed our bed linen, sorry but I doubt your sense of smell would notice the difference, again don't worry, most dog owners do not realise their dogs and homes stink, and three in a panel van conversion, the mind boggles.

 

I don't pay any MORE for going to Tesco than I would elsewhere and get a benefit too by doing so, that's the point I was making. I've got no doubts that this 'free' money is made elsewhere but that's the same with any supermarket/shop/outlet that gives away 'freebies'. It's all about doing what is best for yourself and your circumstances, it obviously wouldn't appear to work for you but it does for us and a lot of other people too. :-D

 

As for the 'smell' of our dogs ... I know our van/home doesn't smell, when we were selling our property we've had people come to see us and haven't realised we've even got dogs. Its a bit like saying that people with babies can't tell that their houses smell of dirty nappies and sick ... but you believe what you want it matters not one jot to me Mr stinky. :->

[Mel B]

Curtisden - 2013-07-04 7:31 PM

 

Don't know what card you use but on my Platinum Cashback American Express card fuel receives a 3% cash rebate which for every £100 is £3 so £160.50 would be £4.95. But it is less on other items for sure. only 1.5% on shopping at a supermarket.

Link this to a Frequent Traveller Account and its cheaper. Returns this year were under £100 for a motorhome.

 

We use our small Tesco points to join the Historic Houses Assoc. and English Heritage at a discount.

We now use our Santander 123 credit card to collect cashback as we currently have a 'glut' of Tesco vouchers even though we've deferred receiving them until just before Christmas. We too have used the Tesco vouchers for other things such as English Heritage - there are a lot of Tesco deals and more are being added too which is great, they can even be used for joining breakdown recovery services.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

I can see the advantage of three dogs for you, the payback on Tesco vouchers must be considerable with all that dog food, and poo bags for them, that you and your ilk deal with on a regular basis picking up their little presents, and you call me Mr stinky, oh the irony.

[Pampam]

I think I might look into the telco credit card I've never had one . Is it easy to surrender your points when paying for your tunnel tickets? Thanks pp

[Mel B]

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-04 9:34 PM

 

I can see the advantage of three dogs for you, the payback on Tesco vouchers must be considerable with all that dog food, and poo bags for them, that you and your ilk deal with on a regular basis picking up their little presents, and you call me Mr stinky, oh the irony.

 

Wrong again, we get our dog food from Lidl and our dog bags from the local market! :D

 

At least I can pick up their 'do-do' and dispose of it, but I haven't yet found a doggy bag that will deal with verbal diarrhea like yours ... there won't be one big enough! (lol)

[Mel B]

Pampam - 2013-07-04 9:46 PM

 

I think I might look into the telco credit card I've never had one . Is it easy to surrender your points when paying for your tunnel tickets? Thanks pp

Pampam, this is how you do it:

 

1. You go on the Eurotunnel website and choose when you want to go and it will give you options for times/dates and the various prices. Once you have identified your timings etc, do NOT book anything.

 

2. Now go to the Tesco website and redeem your vouchers for Euro Tunnel (travel) vouchers (see web link at bottom of posting) - on the right you can do the Tesco voucher exchange in multiples of £5.00, eg to pay for Eurotunnel return of £135, you need to redeem £45.00 worth of Tesco normal vouchers (if you haven't got enough vouchers you can pay the balance by credit card when you do your actually booking with Euro Tunnel).

 

3. You will then get 2 emails from Tesco, one to confirm your order, the other giving you your Euro Tunnel voucher codes and telling you how to use them. Note that in the past you used to have to wait for the vouchers to come through the post from Tesco and then send them on to Euro Tunnel once you'd made a booking with was a nuisance as it took a few days for them to get to you and then for you to send them to Euro Tunnel, not to mention the cost of posting them special delivery (around £5.25 or so).

 

4. You can now contact Euro Tunnel by ringing: 01303 282061 (the 'normal' number is 0870 535 3535) - I'd recommend first though that you go back to their website and double check what dates/times are still available and the cost and keep this on screen whilst you ring them and make the booking and give them your voucher codes, after that I assume you will get a confirmation email from Euro Tunnel with your booking details and reference number on (that's what you used to get when they had received your vouchers through the post). As you only get an email with the voucher codes on, as far as I'm aware there is nothing else to do once you've made the booking with Euro Tunnel.

 

http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/product.aspx?R=3223&%20bci=4294967191|Travel*4294958884|Transport

 

Things to bear in mind though:

 

- once you have exchanged your Tesco vouchers for travel (Euro Tunnel) vouchers you have 6 months to 'spend' them (ie make a booking with Eurotunnel);

- you have to make the booking at least 14 days before you want to travel;

- once you have made a booking it has to be completed (ie your return trip date) no more than 12 months from the day you ring to make the reservation;

- you can amend your booking at any time without any admin costs however if you change to a more expensive travel date/time you will have to pay the difference.

- if you take a cat/dog you will have to pay the cost of their travel yourself (£15 each way) as you cannot use travel vouchers for this which is a real shame!

 

As I haven't made any bookings since the new 'email' vouchers came into being if any of the above has changed please can someone correct me! :D

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

What a palaver, but I guess it you have dogs you need to be with the effort may be worth it, for those that don't we have more than once considered the tunnel, but even buying flexi tickets for the ferries there prices especially if you book well ahead have always been considerably cheaper.

 

Go online, check out My Ferrylink, buy your tickets and print them, job done.These are former Sea France ships, and Eurotunnel is I believe the operating company, go figure.

 

 

 

One concern for someone doing it for the first time may be the business of coming off the ship, it really is a walk in the park, someone once said to me that they assumed that you would be dumped in the centre of Calais on a dockside, being left to find your way out, nothing is further from the truth you are directly linked to the motorway , which ever crossing method you choose enjoy your time.

[lennyhb]

Mel B - 2013-07-04 11:20 PM

 

- if you take a cat/dog you will have to pay the cost of their travel yourself (£15 each way) as you cannot use travel vouchers for this which is a real shame!

 

Does that mean you pay £90 return for your dogs? doesn't make sense as the cost for the van is the same regardless of of 1 or 5 people in it.

[Guest JudgeMental]

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-05 6:59 AM

 

What a palaver, but I guess it you have dogs you need to be with the effort may be worth it, for those that don't we have more than once considered the tunnel, but even buying flexi tickets for the ferries there prices especially if you book well ahead have always been considerably cheaper.

 

.

 

oscar wilde: A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing

 

about sums you up perfectly, wittering on ad nauseum to justify your choice .....get on with it who cares!lol

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

JudgeMental - 2013-07-05 11:31 AM

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-05 6:59 AM

 

What a palaver, but I guess it you have dogs you need to be with the effort may be worth it, for those that don't we have more than once considered the tunnel, but even buying flexi tickets for the ferries there prices especially if you book well ahead have always been considerably cheaper.

 

.

 

oscar wilde: A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing

 

about sums you up perfectly, wittering on ad nauseum to justify your choice .....get on with it who cares!lol

 

Had you figured wrong Eddie, thought you'd be the last person to be faffing around with green shield stamps, as for wittering on ad nauseum to justify my choice, well what a laugh, you NEVER miss an opportunity to tell everyone what mugs they are for buying any van unless it meets with the judgemental seal of approval, and how we should all go rushing off God knows where to buy a van, just as long as it's not British, as you say, who cares what you think pal, get over it your just as much a pain in the arse as me.

:D

[Mel B]

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-05 3:58 PM

 

... your just as much a pain in the arse as me.

:D

 

OooooooooOoooOoOOOOOoooooo .... I couldn't possibly agree with that *-) .... or could I !!!! >:-) (lol)

[Mel B]

lennyhb - 2013-07-05 9:11 AM

 

Mel B - 2013-07-04 11:20 PM

 

- if you take a cat/dog you will have to pay the cost of their travel yourself (£15 each way) as you cannot use travel vouchers for this which is a real shame!

 

Does that mean you pay £90 return for your dogs? doesn't make sense as the cost for the van is the same regardless of of 1 or 5 people in it.

 

Tell me about it! 8-) No choice in the matter I'm afraid - the ferries charge to however one (A) charges £30 for the inward crossing only and nothing on the outward, and one (B) charges £15 for each crossing, so if you get it right and book your outwards with A and your inward with B you only pay £15 for each dog (assuming of course that the cost of the ferry from each operator for each individual journey makes it a viable option price-wise, but saving £45 overall could offset a slightly higher cost overall ... I think you get my gist! This is of course assuming that the particular ferry companies still charge in this way as I haven't used them for a while now!

 

I did write to Euro Tunnel about the high cost for taking dogs/cats, suggesting that for the first dog I could (just about) understand the £30 cost but if you have more than one with you, to charge £30 for each subsequent one was OTT. I did get a reply but only to say they were not going to be reviewing it. >:-( Perhaps I should dress them up and pretend they are my hairy 'ugly' sisters! :D It is annoying to pay so much on top of the crossing cost but it is still a heck of a lot less than leaving them in the UK in kennels (which I wouldn't ever do anyway!).

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Mel B - 2013-07-05 7:34 PM

 

1footinthegrave - 2013-07-05 3:58 PM

 

... your just as much a pain in the arse as me.

:D

 

OooooooooOoooOoOOOOOoooooo .... I couldn't possibly agree with that *-) .... or could I !!!! >:-) (lol)

 

Well all have the capacity to be one >:-)