# Dover-Calais ferries, or eurotunnel



## ambegayo (Jan 7, 2007)

Have looked up eurotunnel for coming saturday to return 24th october.
which I prefer cause it gets you over their with no hassle, whilst also considering Norfolkline (now DFDS?) maximum height is set at 2.5m, we are 3m. The options came up as Portsmouth to Le Harve. What other ferries go from Dover? and what prices are likely. 
Last time we booked eurotunnel one way and got a friend in UK to book oour return for us! Could we book our return ourselves in France if we got online? Also if return was to be altered on eurotunnel would we pay an additional fee. Haven't been across for over 2 years so bit nervous - silly I know but loss of confidence is the reason.
Thanks to anyone who will give their experiences.


----------



## BwB (Dec 5, 2009)

I've just had a look at DFDS (http://www.norfolkline.com) and they list car/motorhome under 2.4 and car/motorhome over 2.4.

Were you on their own website or an agents website?


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Have you seen the size of some of those trucks on the DFDS ferries! Motorhmes travel on the same deck - you could stand on your roof and not touch the ceiling.

Have another go on their website - one selection down from where you were.


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Go direct to http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to-france/?gclid=CJus6pL5qrICFUXKtAod0SkAfA

Any site that is offering Portsmouth -Le Havre is NOT DFDS

You can book one way there and then get on line and book the return when you want to come back - don't just turn up at the port to book you will be charged top whack.

If you can't get online - an alternative is to turn up at Dunkerque the day before you want to come back and use the freephones in the terminal building to call customer services in Dover and see what price they can offer.


----------



## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

The other operator at dover is P&O. my ferry is the old sea france and dfds do dover to calais or dunkerque.

joe


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Never going to beat DFDS prices at the moment !!!

£78 RETURN for a 7.5m long, 3m high MH plus 4M trailer carrying a Smart car  , how much would that cost via Eurotunnel???

Yes the tunnel is a bit quicker but is saving an hour each way THAT important??? Well it certainly isnt to me, so I go for the lowest fare. 

The ferries might be a bit tired but I am only on it for 90 minutes for heavens sake :roll: :roll:

Yes I have to queue to get on, and then wait for those ahead of me to get off but I look out how many extra litres of diesel the difference in fares will buy me in France. That tends to sway which method of crossing I choose (I work on the theory why pay more than you have to?)


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

£50's worth of Tesco vouchers for the tunnel does for me, obtained free. Why pay more than you have to. :lol: 

tony


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

GEMMY said:


> £50's worth of Tesco vouchers for the tunnel does for me, obtained free. Why pay more than you have to. :lol: tony


But to get them you have to shop at Tesco thus filling Porter's purse even further - still - every little helps - Her.


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

No, just use a Tesco credit card. :wink: 

tony


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

tonyt said:


> GEMMY said:
> 
> 
> > £50's worth of Tesco vouchers for the tunnel does for me, obtained free. Why pay more than you have to. :lol: tony
> ...


Oh no you don`t. :roll: 
We never shop at Tesco. As GEMMY states Tesco CC.
£270 worth of crossings in hand already.

Dave p


----------



## pilkingbeck (Jun 7, 2011)

We have just booked Dover to Calais this week with myferrylink.com.

A new company - only running a few weeks, but out of the ashes of Sea France.

Got a good deal and great availability. Possibly because they are so new, most people have not heard of them and you have to deal with them direct - the CC, CandCC and other agents not yet taking bookings for them


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Oh no you don`t. :roll:
> We never shop at Tesco. As GEMMY states Tesco CC.
> £270 worth of crossings in hand already.Dave p


.......... and Shirley says "thanks very much guys, I was getting a bit short after having to pay my (reduced) fine for the worst possible crime a politicain can commit"

but if you're happy to keep criminals in comfort, carry on using Tesco - any of their products - all the same - she gets it.


----------



## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

Sailing 7am tomorrow 11/09/12 with MyFerryLink (was Sea France) on the Berlioz. Dover to Calais Cost £43.75 single with a 7.12m x 2.8m High Motorhome and 2 adults.

We only book singles as we like to be flexible. We crossed last February with P&O single £88.

John


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

tonyt said:


> DTPCHEMICALS said:
> 
> 
> > Oh no you don`t. :roll:
> ...


 :? I just use the Tesco CC. No interest as account is settled in full at the end of the month :lol: 
I pay taxes to keep criminals in comfort.

Dave p


----------



## Twm-Twp (Jun 14, 2012)

Mrplodd said:


> Never going to beat DFDS prices .. £78 RETURN for a 7.5m long, 3m high MH plus 4M trailer carrying a Smart car  , how much would that cost via Eurotunnel???


We're crossing via Eurotunnel on Friday after next on the 14.50 train. We have a very similar set up to you Mrplodd except we will be using an A-frame to tow our Citroen C1 instead of our trailer. Our return crossing was £173 each way ....... no comparison with your DFDS fare but we paid with £115 worth of Tesco vouchers.

I think I would sometimes prefer to use the ferry (especially DFDS) but we take our young labrador with us and unfortunately, there's no way he'll stay in the van on his own.

PS: We're heading to the Fete du Gastronomie in Falaise before visiting Honfleur for a couple of days and then heading back to Calais via St Valery en Caux and some of the other Normandy coastal towns for three / four maybe five days.


----------



## Chas17 (May 1, 2005)

Just booked DFDS to Dunkirk - out on 13/9 back on 27/9. £95 for two of us and the dog. She is also a young (10 months) lab but has done the journey before and travels well. She got a lot of practice on Ferries in Norway in July/ August and is now a seasoned traveller.


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Still collecting Tesco vouchers via Tesco CC  

Once I have enough then I will certainly use the tunnel, daft not to under the circs :wink:


----------



## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> tonyt said:
> 
> 
> > DTPCHEMICALS said:
> ...


Those points certainly mount up when you pay for EVERYTHING using a Tesco CC then pay off in full each month.


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Unfortunatley local chippie and burger van are cash only. :lol: 

Dave p


----------



## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

For me its the Tunnel no contest mind you my wife suffers from sea sickness and we have 2 dogs.
In any event Tunnel is the fastest route by far so why bother with a ship if you want to get over the other side and on with your journey. Its not like the ship crossing is like a cruise ,no matter what they tell you.
Did all that years ago ,never again unless forced to.


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

It's no good using Tesco bookings for short notice, unless you have cashed them in before. If you're stuck with having to make a very late booking because of all sorts of medical problems, you have to rely on what is available to book. We considered the ferries (and the possible related weather disruption), but we prefer the tunnel and have booked (today) to go out on Thursday, back on 29th, but we have the option to amend to an earlier return crossing. More expensive (by about £50 in total) than P&O & Myferrylink, but as I said, we prefer the tunnel, and the cheapest price is not necessarily always the best solution.

I hope everybody going across "late" in the season has a great time - it will be our first trip in the "new" MH, not sure where we'll end up 
8) First stop will be Calais Aire and Au Cote d'Argent

http://www.cotedargent.com/modulosite2/accueil-cote-dargent-gb.htm

a lovely place to start (or finish)


----------



## ambegayo (Jan 7, 2007)

*Ferry or Eurotunnel*

We have booked the Eurotunnel today to go out at 14.50 on Saturday and returning end of October. £163. If we wanted to make alterations to return date would we pay a premium? Last time we booked one way and contacted a friend in UK when wanting come back so they could book us online! Not sure if we could have done that ourselves online whilst in France afterall we are the www!!
:roll:


----------



## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

To answer ambegayo's point about booking a return ferry from France I can say that we have only ever booked a one way ticket from Dover to Calais (normally with P&O for around £44) as we don't want to be tied down to a return date. We have never experienced any problems booking the return ticket for the same price, although this does often entails a trip to McDonalds (or somewhere very close to their WiFi) to do so. P&O are also pretty good at getting you on an earlier ferry if you get to the port in good time. 
I am afraid that we are the same when it comes to travelling across to France...cheapest will do so long as the crossing times are not at 'silly-o-clock".
Enjoy your trip.


----------



## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

No problem and no surcharge to change your return booking, although you will need to get online to do so or phone them in UK to change it.

Denise


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

*Re: Ferry or Eurotunnel*



ambegayo said:


> We have booked the Eurotunnel today to go out at 14.50 on Saturday and returning end of October. £163. If we wanted to make alterations to return date would we pay a premium? Last time we booked one way and contacted a friend in UK when wanting come back so they could book us online! Not sure if we could have done that ourselves online whilst in France afterall we are the www!!
> :roll:


eurotunnel are fully amendable, you only have to pay any extra for the difference between booked price and the price on the day changed. and yes, easily done to book one way & get the return booked up in due course, but never done it.


----------



## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

tonyt said:


> GEMMY said:
> 
> 
> > £50's worth of Tesco vouchers for the tunnel does for me, obtained free. Why pay more than you have to. :lol: tony
> ...


Not so, we use the card for all purchases and pay it off each month. Doesn't matter where we shop, still get the points.

The other reason for us is that SWMBO doesn't do water! Keeps the peace!


----------



## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

*Re: Ferry or Eurotunnel*



bognormike said:


> ambegayo said:
> 
> 
> > We have booked the Eurotunnel today to go out at 14.50 on Saturday and returning end of October. £163. If we wanted to make alterations to return date would we pay a premium? Last time we booked one way and contacted a friend in UK when wanting come back so they could book us online! Not sure if we could have done that ourselves online whilst in France afterall we are the www!!
> ...


I can vouch for that. Ammended our booking to come back two weeks early in emmergency, no additional fee's and they got us on the next available shuttle despite arriving at Calais four hours earlier than estimated.

On another occaision we only paid an extra £6 price difference.

On both occaisions we telephoned Eurotunnel from Germany to ammend the booking.


----------



## riverboat2001 (Apr 2, 2009)

Just booked Dover Calais 8m Van + 3 people
£79 return, can't beat it

Coming back at 01.00hours though


----------



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Mike, when having your first meal at the "cote" try the speciality:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/p...43/Sign-Language-week-221.html#?frame=2336275

tony


----------

