StuartO Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I've just been booking an outbound crossing for around the 10th/12th August, hoping to use DFDS because they are cheaper and I can go via Dunkirk, which is away from Calais. But DFDS sailings to Calais are currently suspended (presumably because the striking MyFerry staff were blocking them anyway, so the Dunkirk route is booked up apart from very early and very late crossings, although at those times I could get MH plus couple plus pet plus trailer for £85. Eurotunnel worked out at nearly £200 so I ended up booking P&O for £120, which gave me a more civilised crossing time than with DFDS, which would have been pretty much unworkable. I suppose it would have made it easier to get around the M25 but I'm not into small hours crossings if I can avoid them these days - too much of an ordeal! School holiday season so I suppose that's not bad and at least the P&O food suits me. Anyone doing any better elsewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Stuart, looking the other week for a mid September crossing caused me to sweat a bit. Best I could find was£82 for our 7.5m van. To compound it there wasn't much choice either. Persistence is everything and looking the other day found loads of choice (!!) and £52 8-) Bonkers but true. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 I'm having a Ferry Booking Morning and also set about booking a return trip, although we usually don;t bother. I learned something useful too. As usual the quotes for a Dunkerque-Dover crossing with DFDS were cheaper and since it keeps me clear of Calais that's currently the preferred choice But because DFDS is having trouble in Calais, their booking system is currently behaving unusually and lots of Dunkerque-Dover sailing are marked as "Sold Out", so it's more challenging that usual to make a booking. So trying to book for a return crossing on September 26th today, I first of all got a surprisingly cheap quote of £60 for 7m MH, 5m trailer, 2 Adults and for £80 I could have a Flexi booking, which allows flexibilityu of ±72 hours and fully refundable up to 48 hours, so that extra £20 seemed worthwhile. But then I suffered an internet failure and had to start again, when I got quotes of £73 and £93 for the same thing, then I couldn't get the website to adjust the trialer size correctly, then when I tried again it said "Sold Out" for the same crossing. So, setting aside my deep hatred of 0871 numbers, I rang DFDS. I got a very helpful guy who quoted £60/£80 again, as I'd got first time, and since I'd mentioned that I been struggling with the website he waived the £5 telephone booking charge and made the Flexi booking for me. When he had to put me on hold for the second time he even agreed to ring me back, to save me the 0871 charges. The dog gets added to the quote, so I ended up paying £95 for a cancellable and fully refundable Flexi booking, plus 4 minutes of 13 pence per minute telephone charges, which in the circumstances turned out to be very worthwhile. My 5% club discount couldn't be applied since I'd chosen a Flexi booking but overall I think I got very good value. I also got their non-0871 number when they rang me back to I have saved that, so I can save an extra 52 pence in phone charges next time too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 LordThornber - 2015-07-15 1:17 PM Persistence is everything and looking the other day found loads of choice (!!) and £52 8-) Bonkers but true. Martyn That's my experience too; don't take what the websites say at face value (for example in my case that the crossing was sold out) and it might well prove worthwhile to ring DFDS, even though they charge you 13p per minute to ring them up. Since they also normally charge a £5 telephone booking fee on top of that I suspect they are pursuing a marketing plan which might cause customers to shy away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melenter Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Just a tip regarding 0870 phone charger. Get the web site (say no to 0870 ) and follow instructions for alternative numbers :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 Melenter - 2015-07-22 5:17 PM Just a tip regarding 0870 phone charger. Get the web site (say no to 0870 ) and follow instructions for alternative numbers :- I haven't had a lot of success with that one; they didn't seem to have alternates for lots of 087.. numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spadge Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I've no idea if the prices quoted in the other replies are single crossing prices or not, so my info may be irrelevant. However for Dover / Calais as well as the return Calais / Dover £125.00, this also includes open return date. B-) I book via an agent ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spadge Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I forgot to add the price of £125 in my previous post is for a 6.5mtr, 2 people & a Dog :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 We've started using Newhaven/Dieppe, if we're going south. £80-90 each way with dog and free overnight parking each end. Takes the ongoing Dover problems out the equation and saves a few quid in diesel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 P&O Dover 2nd Sept 13.55 outward £58 Calais 14th Oct 13.25 return £46 Sounds OK to me ;-) just as long as they have stopped setting fire to the motorway by then. :D Had a look at Newhaven/Dieppe route, but unless I'm missing something it appeared 6.5 metres was the longest motorhome size, so couldn't get a quote :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-07-23 9:06 AM Had a look at Newhaven/Dieppe route, but unless I'm missing something it appeared 6.5 metres was the longest motorhome size, so couldn't get a quote :-( Try getting a quote through aferry.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thanks for that, just done it £228 the cheapest return for us.......... :-( Looks like the M25 again, £104 with P&O and scenic Dover to look forward to :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 derek500 - 2015-07-23 9:33 AM Joe90 - 2015-07-23 9:06 AM Had a look at Newhaven/Dieppe route, but unless I'm missing something it appeared 6.5 metres was the longest motorhome size, so couldn't get a quote :-( Try getting a quote through aferry.co.uk No idea why you found a 6.5m limit. We came back Dieppe Newhaven in our 7.5m van recently, no problems. We also found that going into the ferry booking office in Dieppe got us on the boat even though the website was showing "sold out". Much better crossing experience than we expected, reasonable food, low cost cabins and only 4 hours sailing. We rebooked our Eurotunnel return for March 2016 at no cost - hope by then the nonsense at Calais will be reduced. Bit worried about the security at Dieppe however, no vehicle search at all, just checked the passports through the window. No sign of any security staff walking around. Although the port entrance looks secure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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