MandyAndy Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 We are going to be crossing the channel quite a few times if all our plans come into being,, do people book in advance, turn up and risk the wait. I dont seem to have seen many mention the Tunnel is this a much more expensive but faster way of going over. Is Dover to Calais always the cheapest or am I being nieve again. I presume not traveling at peak times saves time and money. We will be tied to school holidays sadly for at least the next 10 years , so is booking the only option for us? thanks as always, Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Hi, Dover dunkirk is cheapest but a 2hr crossing Dover calias with Sea france or P&O next cheapest 1 and a half hours euro tunnel fastest but most expensive. Book in advance for cheapest fares. Beware of fuel surchages at the moment even though prices have dropped the ferries haven't responded. I am trying to book for going out Jan 2 returning March 22 2007 I can book both ways with eurotunnel one way out with P&O no way with norfolk line at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John NG5 Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Mandy, I am planning to travel to France for a period of 3mths. I have researched most ways of crossing the channel, over and under. I have found the following:- Dover - Dunkuerk Appears to be the cheapest and longest ( 2 hrs. ) Booking well in advance seems to be a problem! Dover - Calais Can be booked fairly well in advance and is the cheaper and faster ( conventional ferry ) with P & O / Stena . The crossing time is 1hr 15mins and the service is nearly like the busses ( 1 every 25 mins ). Folkestone - Calais. Eurotunnel can and should be booked well in advance and is the dearest but shortest route at 35mins. If you know when you are going, the cheapest fares are between 11.00 PM and 8.00AM. I can tell you that I can get a return fare for £122, myself and a 7mtr. MH. I also have to pay extra £30 pounds for my dog. This suits me as I can stay with my dog in the MH all the way. By ferry he could be on his own for 2hrs. This will be his first trip abroad and 2hrs alone on the car deck is a no-no! I hope this will be of help! John 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 John NG5, If you like it & then join the frequent Travlers club> you can then go across for £ 39 ten times a year in the car BUT ifyou want to take the van it is only another 9.75 added not bad for a camper. We use this all the time it cost £ 390 for the year. We thought it quite cheep (^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted September 17, 2006 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 thanks for those,, cant believe its £30 for a dog, what space or facilities does it need?? Dunkirk does sound the best and most times we will know well in advance when we want to go, what is going from Hull like, I have relations up there so could kill 2 birds as they say. I presume from what you have said that you pay for passengers as well , not just the motorhome. Whereas a car you pay for with up to 5 passengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 See also the post: SPEEDFERRIES OFFER MULTITRIP which offers another way of crossing. But beware - they have only one boat, and it will be out of service for annual overhaul for a month or so in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted September 17, 2006 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 thanks Mel,, they only take a certain size and I think we would be too big, not us personally but the van would be. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 We use Hull/Zeebrugge all the time now. Although it is expensive (must have cabin), it saves all the hassle (and deisel) of driving to and from the channel ports. Zeebrugge is good for most directions and the Brugge Aire is good for an overnight stop, usually on our return. (Rotterdam if going further north). C.C or C&CC booking help to reduce the price. Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mangothemadmonk Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Don't go on Chunnel if you have an onboard gas tank as they wont let you... Johnny F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peejay Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 ....and don't forget, if you travel with either P&O or Eurotunnel (but not seafrance) you can also use your tesco clubcard vouchers, each £2.50 voucher is worth £10 on these crossings. http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/browse.aspx?N=4294967191&bid=HTravel pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Dogs - it's only £20.00 return per dog on Norfolk Line. I put the cost down to the fact that they have to have people available at the port to check out the passports and sometimes do more thorough checks, so it's something extra which they don't do for those without dogs so therefore I don't thinks its wrong for us to have to pay. Hull - it's very expensive to travel from Hull to Europe, we live in Cottingham, near Hull and would prefer to travel from Hull but its expense is prohibitive especially if you are then going into France, Spain etc as you just end up travelling at the other end. They do take dogs, you have a nice cabin for the night and they have an air conditioned kennel area. I understand you can visit them during the night if you wish but you can't take the out for 'walkies'! Our 2 dogs are okay travelling on the ferry, even the Norfolk Line one, they sleep for most of the time so aren't really too bothered about the journey. I think they charge £30.00 return per dog. Michele - I assume the £390 you pay for is for 10 single trips during a year? Are there any restrictions on this such as you can only go on certain sailing/days of the week etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Mel B , Yes for the year 10 single trip's but not bad for there and back 5 times. They have not alot of restrictions but there are some . Sorry Mel I have not got the papers to hand & have no chance finding them as we have just finished with the builders again wet room this time..It's mainly the really busy times . but then we have never had any problems it just means that if you wanted to go say at 8am you might have to wait until 9 not bad . we always avoid it anyway. When my husband go's with the lad's as he will do in Oct to ypres WW1 graves he uses the Boat to save our bookings for the year. Then they all share the cost which so far has been around £79 they seem to be much & much . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Bell Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Johnny, Don't think your right about the gas tanks, I went through with 2 x 11 kg Gaslow's no problem as long as they are off. Mandy and Andy If you shop at Tesco, their club points are often worth 4xtheir face value on the tunnel crossing which makes it really cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mangothemadmonk Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Hi Geoff, I am talking of a fixed tank not bottles. But I have been known to be wrong....alot...so my wife says (lol) Johnny F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxy Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 gas tanks are ok in the chunnel now providing they are no more than 75% full. voxy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 hi all and thanks once again, We had heard the problem of the tanks but the outfit we are looking at have seperate gas tanks, but we also read somewhere about the 75% thing. Shame about Hull my family is all based around Driffield which is where we will be staying next weekend while doing the York show. Where does the Norfolk line run too and from, we are probably nearer to that than any other, we dont mind too long crossing, we dont fancy having to sleep on board though, I am not the worlds best sea dog, and like to stay outside when possible. We went across on the fast ferry from Poole to St Malo this summer, lucky with crossings as I know these boats can be real churners when they want, we where the only people to stay outside for the whole journey, I felt great but knew if I went in doors for too long it would be too good. Bloomin freezin though!!!!! The tesco vouchers are a great idea will definately start saving mine, we get around £30 a month off them so we should get a few crossings out of that. I know this is a little off line, but what is the French Passion thing about, is it a voucher type scheme that can be bought into and have to be used over a certain length of time. Do you get a map with all the places involved marked on? thanks again Mandy ----- Some days Im a pigeon and some days Im a statue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Mandy, 1. Norfolk Line run from Dover to Dunkirk, about a 4 hour crossing. They now have 3 new boats, so a frequent service. They also run to Ireland. 2. France Passion is an organisation of farms, vineyards, etc., at which you can stay for one or two nights. They are a bit like CC's CL sites in that they typically have few facilities. You have to join France Passion and there are now many hundreds of places to stay. You can sample the wines, often sample French farm cooking, etc. You get to see the REAL France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolh Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 [QUOTE]Mel E - 2006-09-18 10:22 AM Mandy, 1. Norfolk Line run from Dover to Dunkirk, about a 4 hour crossing. They now have 3 new boats, so a frequent service. They also run to Ireland. QUOTE] We have just used Norfolkline, and the new boats are a joy. But I think your crossing time is wrong Mel I am sure our journey time was less than 2 hours. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Carolh Yup, the Norfolk Line crossing from Dover to Dunkerque is 2 hours, almost exactly! The new boats are very nice but there is still some work for them to do with regard to signage but you soon find your way around them. The only down side, as with all things like this, is the cost of the food an drink - I think it was something like £6-7 for fish and chips! On our return crossing the two of us had a quick snack in our 'van before boarding the boat, and than shared a plate of chips onboard and had a cup of drinking chocolate each - £4.15 ... it was nice though!!! The only problem we've ever had at a port was in June when we arrived back in Dover and unfortunately our SeaFrance crossing came in at the same time and P&O, the up-shot was that 2 boat loads of holiday makers, truck drivers etc were trying to vacate the port at the same time - total mayhem, it took nearly half an hour to get out and on our way, the poor dogs were going nuts as they wanted to go out for a pee!!! Normally it takes no more than 10 minutes absolute maximum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 [QUOTE]Mel E - 2006-09-18 10:22 AM Mandy, 2. France Passion is an organisation of farms, vineyards, etc., at which you can stay for one or two nights. They are a bit like CC's CL sites in that they typically have few facilities. You have to join France Passion and there are now many hundreds of places to stay. You can sample the wines, often sample French farm cooking, etc. You get to see the REAL France.[/QUOTE] The one big difference between France Passion and CLs is that once you have joined France Passion (approx. 27 Euros) there is no further cost. You simply arrive at a France Passion site, say g'day to the farmer or winemaker and that's it. There is a hope by the landowner that you might sample their wares, and buy some produce if you want to, but there is absolutely no requirement to do it. We have had some lovely stays on France Passion sites, but you have to be completely self sufficient, often without even a drain for waste. But as Mel says, you see the real France. Another interesting thing is that the landowners get "nothing" out of the deal, except perhaps your custom. In fact, the landowner also has to join France Passion and pay the fee! But they do so with passion for their own country. Would it fly here, I wonder?!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted September 20, 2006 Author Share Posted September 20, 2006 This is one thing I am really looking foward to doing,, I love mixing with the real world in the countries we visit and not just whats laid on for us as tourists. Just reading the things what you have all done and the experiences you have come across just fuels my excitement more, driving Andy potty at the moment as I just keep reading all the imput of here out too him. He is beginnning to wonder where we are going to end up. Malasia sounds a wonderful place , once we have got our act together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 I've just done a quick e-price comparison from Dover for our November trip 6.8m 'van, 2 adults, 0 dogs - 2 week return Norfolk Line - £118 P&0 - £129 Tunnel - £122 SeaFrance - £70. Hard Choice ... >:-( We travelled SeaFrance late August for £80 Return (CCC booking) I will try CCC to see if they can get me a better price on the tunnel as that is our preferred way of travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted September 20, 2006 Author Share Posted September 20, 2006 Nice one Robin,, wow Sea France certainly seem to be a good option, do they run regular all year round, from Dover to Calais, sorry not yet up on where they all sail from. ie Norfolk line doesnt run from Norfolk,, that totally confused me. we would have 2 young ones with us, but not sure if you pay per person on just the vehicle. I presume booking well in advance is a must too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 [QUOTE]Mandy&Andy - 2006-09-20 3:29 PM Nice one Robin,, wow Sea France certainly seem to be a good option, do they run regular all year round, from Dover to Calais, sorry not yet up on where they all sail from. ie Norfolk line doesnt run from Norfolk,, that totally confused me. we would have 2 young ones with us, but not sure if you pay per person on just the vehicle. I presume booking well in advance is a must too.[/QUOTE] SeaFrance are a French company that run Dover - Calais with decent frequency (between 1 and 2 hours throughout the day. The boats are slightly better than the P&O competition IMHO, as is the food (being French). I suggest that you try their website for a quote - the prices may be very variable across the year, and also depending on time of day - I could have got a cheaper price in the middle of the night. Also try the CCC if you are a member. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 Try the Motorhome Ticket Club as well, they usually come up with the best deals in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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