2008 Crossing Prices

[Basil]

Hi All

 

Been doing the rounds, including CC and AFerry looking at crossing prices and it seems the really good prices of last year are over, all are up by 50% over the prices we paid last year. Best price I got was £75 return for our 6.7m coachbuilt and up to five passengers, has anybody bettered that yet?

Not saying that is expensive but it is still up on the £49 and £53 return deals we got last year and makes a significant difference when you are booking several trips.

 

Bas

[catinou]

Following Michele's info on Ferry Prices thread yesterday we have decided to use the frquent traveller scheme for Channel Tunnel crossings - 5 return trips for £390 (car) with a supplement of £18 return for a Campervan (any size) in 12 months.

It means we can now go on 5 trips for the price of 2 we had last year - Admittedly we had a 12ft trailer with car then but if we want to take the same rig it will be another £39 each way - still cheaper than the ferry last year, and a big advantage is that we can book 24 hours before we want to go - not fixed dates and times months before and more reasonable times too! B-)

[Basil]

Hi Catinou,

 

Thanks for the reply. The tunnel is a no go for us we can't use it and to be honest wouldn't want to, in any case it would be double the cost, with the added supplements, of the ferry for us as we will only get three trips of around six to eight weeks each. So that would work out to £130, plus of course any supplements, per trip for us against the £75 return for the ferry.Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

Bas

[Vernon B]

Hi Basil

 

I'm not sure if you're comparing like with like when you say prices have gone up by 50%. Because of the special deals available the best price you can get seems to depend upon chance and when you get on line.

 

I can't remember when I made my bookings this year (one for Feb, and one for Sept) but the best I could get was your £75 for a Dover Calais return with P&O.

 

As it happened we've had to postpone our Sept departure indefinately but since it's classed as an open ticket I can roll the date forward. I don't think I'd be able to do that with some of the CC special deals. To cancel would incure an admin charge of £30 (I think).

 

So I guess I'm saying that the whole things a bit of a lottery but still great value compared with 20 years ago.

 

Vernon

[Basil]

Hi Vernon,

 

I appreciate what you are saying, however I just entered my information and checked the prices rolling times and dates backwards and forwards as I did last year and the lowest prices coming up this year are with P&O at £37.50 each way whereas last year I got some for £24.80 doing the same thing without using any special offers.

Don't get me wrong I believe that that is a good price I just wondered whether anyone had found any special offers that helped on the prices as there is nothing worse than bagging a 'bargain' then finding you could have saved some!

You are quite right though compared to the £272 return we were paying in the late 60's and early 70's they are superb value.

 

Bas

[Guest JudgeMental]

 

Basil, you may have more luck in December?

 

Is this not when the offers tend to come out?

[Basil]

Hi Judge you may well be right! I am, maybe, jumping the gun. I suppose I can't wait to sort out next year as this years were so good!

 

Bas :-D :-D :-D

[Guest JudgeMental]

 

I have learnt with experience with airlines that when the tickets become available, (normally 350 days or so before) they don't have the cheaper grade seats available for maybe a month after that....

 

so as ferry/ tunnel are copying the airlines with flexible pricing maybe they are doing this as well. please don't blame me though if prices go up in December!

 

[Basil]

JudgeMental - 2007-11-08 2:33 PM

please don't blame me though if prices go up in December!

 

Well I'm going to wait now so if they go up it will beall your fault!!

 

Bas :-) :-) :-) :-)

[Brian Kirby]

Just one wee point re discounted fares booked via the clubs etc.  If you do need to change dates or times, you have to go back through the club, as you are not recognised as the "booker". 

If booking far ahead, therefore, or if booking a distant return date, where there will be greater uncertainty that the exact date and time of crossing can be maintained, it may be preferable to book direct with the operator.  It still seems to be the case that most operators will tolerate changes, provided you let them know what you want to do before the booked crossing has departed.

We were very well served by Seafrance in early September this year, when a breakdown en route meant we had to await repair before sailing.  I was able to report to the Seafrance check in at Dover at the correct time for the booked crossing but, when I explained we had a problem, we were booked out again to await the breakdown service in front of the terminal, with the promise that we would be accommodated as soon as the fault was fixed, without penalty, "as it was not our fault".  This, despite having booked the cheapest, non flexible, tickets.  We duly left two ferries late, as promosed, at no extra cost. 

I assume a similar offer would probably have been made under similar circumstences even if we had booked via A N Other , but if you just change your mind, I have discovered that you cannot alter the booking unless you made this directly with the operator.

Incidentally, the crossing was only booked one week before departure, and cost £90 return.  I think around a month before departure is the latest you can expect to get good prices both ways.  Our outward was £60, and the return £30.  There were none of the cheapest tickets available for the outbound crossing, even though I tried various times/days.  The £60 was the best price I could get, no doubt due to the booking being made so close to the sailing date.  However, the inbound crossing, for late October, had the cheapest tickets available on a number of crossings.

Should you book now for next year?  Unless you intend travelling January, I'd say leave it till after Christmas.  Travelling mid-week, outside school holidays, I think maybe two months before departure would still leave plenty of choice on dates times at good rates.

[Mike Parke]

We have booked a return crossing Dover -Dunkirk with Norfolk Line for a 10:00am out / 10:00 am return in May with 6 Camping cheques for £189:00 throu' Camping Cheques which we thought was good value as the crossing times are 'civilised' (although we are not adverse to a 02:00 out trip if cash considerations dictate!). The only condtion was book and pay before 31/10/07 and there is a £30:00 'admin' charge if we

need to make any changes (which we won't!)

 

Lot of night shifts twixt now & then but it will soon come around!!

 

Regards Mike

[Roamer]

Take a look at the SeaFrance Carnet.

 

http://www.seafrance.com/seafrance/opencms/uk/en/passenger/Carnet.html

 

6 trips (3 returns) for £32 per trip through to 18 trips at £26 per trip for a car and up to 9 passengers.

 

The terms state that a supplement may apply for motorhomes on certain dates and

after booking the first crossing, you don't need to book specific crossing times, you can turn up at the Port with your booking reference and they guarantee you a crossing on one of the next two departures (excluding peak dates)

 

For those of us who can travel out of peak periods and are likely to make a number a trips, this appears to be an option to consider.

 

 

[Mel B]

Thanks for the info Roamer.

 

I've just rung Seafrance about the Carnet and have a bit more info to add.

 

- The only supplements (£25 each way) are those levied for travelling on any of the 'peak' dates which are listed on their website, these are whether you are in a car or motorhome.

 

- They guarantee that if you buy your Carnet before the end of this year you will not be charged any motorhome specific supplements, however, if you buy your Carnet after the end of this year they cannot guarantee that there won't be any. You don't actually have to know the dates you want to travel when you buy the Carnet, it only 'kicks' in when you make youre first booking, it then runs for 12 months from the date of the first crossing.

 

Based on us buying a 10 crossing carnet at £30 a crossing, I did a price check for our 7m motorhome going out on a peak day and coming back on a non-peak which came to £85, ie outward £30 (crossing) + £25 (peak supplement) plus return £30 (crossing). The length didn't make a difference.

 

If you go to their website they give details of the dates when a peak supplement is payable on specific dates.

 

It seems like a very good offer, especially since you can elect to let friends use 1 return trip (ie 2 crossings) in place of you if you buy up to 10 crossings, if you buy more crossings they this increases. It means that you can share the cost with friends if you don't want to use all of the crossings yourself.

 

As a final temptation, you will actually get two free hot drinks on your first crossing!!!!

 

It certainly sounds a very good deal indeed and if we find that we don't have enough vouchers for the Chunnel by the end of the Year we'll probably buy at least a 6 crossing carnet.

 

The bit I particularly like about it is the flexibility you get - not having to book (unless you're going on peak dates) so that you can just roll up and get on one of the next 2 ferries, is absolutely great ... freedom at last!!!!!

(lol)