# Ferry/Tunnel prices



## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Hi. We are hoping to go to France beginning of September provided wifes consultant agrees. Have had a quick look at prices, seem a lot higher than in June ( school holidays?) Any advice on lowest prices would be welcome.
Cheers Sid


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi SidT,

As it happens we have just got quotes for Brittany Ferries for Sept.

'Van 7m long by 3m high - about £170 each way.

BillD


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Prices have certainly gone up again, could it be related to oil prices?

I've just checked out the current price for our Sept/Oct Dover/Calais trip via P&O.
Out 31st August 0600. In 9th Oct 09.15. mh 7.25mLX2.95mH

We paid £100.00 3months ago which was also still current 10 days ago.
The price if we were to book it now would be £140.00

I know it means more driving for many of you to use Dover/Calais but there's an enormous difference in the fare isn't there?


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Bill. When we went over in May £88 return seemed to be the norm with the tunnel a bit dearer. I think it wrong to bump the prices up just because of the demand.
Cheers Sid


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Booked (yesterday) the following with Norfolk Line for £68.00.

Dover - Dunkerque 18.45 13 October 2005

Dunkerque - Dover 10.30 12 November 2005

Up to 7 metres.

Regards

Don


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I don't think prices have gone up, imo its more to do with their pricing policy, the later you leave it to book the more expensive it gets.

For example, a few months ago i booked a crossing for Oct 6 @ 1640 outbound and oct 23 @1005 inbound, the price was £92 rtn.

Just tried the same booking again for the same dates and it now costs £130 rtn.

If i try to book similar dates for November or December the price drops again to £92 rtn.

This is with P&O Dover/calais, i think Norfolkline have a similar policy.

The moral of the story, book early if you can.

pete.


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## BrianR (May 1, 2005)

I have just booked with the Tunnel, out 7/09 midday, back in November early afternoon, for £136. As has been said above, it is their "fluid pricing policy"


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## 88847 (May 9, 2005)

Have done 3 trips on the tunnell this year first 2 was £122 return the last one was £137, so i phoned the to ask why and they said "they have restructured the price and the travel times" and "that all offers had now finished"

But for me it is a good deal as i am over 7 mtrs and i love the thought of only taking 35mins to get to the other side

each to there own of course...........................


Paul


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi,
It also depends on where you start from and where you want to go.
We live within 10 miles of the Roscoff Ferry port of Plymouth and almost invariably want to go down the West coast of France - so to go via Dover or the Tunnel would probably add about 500 miles of driving and 2 days to the journey.
We also get a 35% discount for being members of the Brittany owners club.
Expensive? All things are relative!
At least I am burning cheaper diesel in 10 miles and have a good sleep on the ferry usually !!

BillD


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

*Pete*. I normally would book early but Wife and I have both been waiting for appointments, hoping to go to France early September but not sure yet.
Don. I put the same times in as yours for out !st September and back 24th September and the price was £93. Yesterday it was £130, talk about fluid pricing


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## nobbythehobby (May 9, 2005)

Can anybody put any logic on the tunnel pricing structure?

You can still get good deals and i've recently booked for next Winter/Spring. However, you need to look carefully through all days of the week as prices will vary wildly from one day to another. 

I suppose there must be some logical reasoning but it's not clear what it might be. Anybody any insight?

Nobby


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## 89177 (May 16, 2005)

*ferry pricing*

most (but not all) of the short sea ferry companies (and in that I include the tunnel) now operate airline style pricing whereby utilisation of capacity and demand for capacity drive the price. the answer is book early when no-one else is interested


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Good thing about the tunnel, it's "one size fits all", no penalty for being over length


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## 88840 (May 9, 2005)

Just booked this aftenoon with Norfolkline early morning 20 Sept return late evening 6 Oct for £38.00 playing around with times gave a £63.00 max for the trip. :lol:  

very happy chappy


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Hi All. I have just booked a crossing with Norfolklines, Out 1700 on 1st Sept returning 1030 on 22 Sept for £73 can't be bad. Same times in May/June was £88.
Cheers Sid ( haven't a clue where we are going yet!!!!)


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Stan and Sid and anyone else who quotes ferry prices, 

It would be very helpful for comparative purposes if you would mention any special supplements included in your price, e.g. length or height, etc 

Thanks, 

BillD


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## fjmike (May 10, 2005)

Just booked up to go over with P&O for the weekend Sept 16th. 6.7m long go out at 22.50 Fri. come back Monday 07.50. £70.00, this was exactly half the price that the tunnel wanted for similar times


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## solentviews (May 9, 2005)

Hi. I have just used Norfolkline for my recent holiday. I booked in January for August and it was £88 return plus a supplement of £10 each way as I was 1 metre over 6.5 metres. Found the journey hassle free compared with other lines. Few private vehicles, plenty of room both on the car deck and the lounges. Good food at very reasonable prices. Only slight drawback was finding the port on the return journey as it was not well signposted, unless of course I went the wrong way. Anyone tell me how to get to Norfolk line at Dunkerque easily it would be appreciated. Other crossing prices did reduce but in January were far more expensive than Norfolk line and as I was going out for a wedding needed to guarantee the journey.
Regards
Ian


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> Only slight drawback was finding the port on the return journey as it was not well signposted, unless of course I went the wrong way. Anyone tell me how to get to Norfolk line at Dunkerque easily it would be appreciated.


Norfolkline have a location map for the ferry...










Its pretty straightforward as long as you approach from junc 24 of the A16 and keep on the N316 and follow the ferry signs.

If you approach from Dunkeque or Calais and try a shortcut without using the autoroute is when it gets 'interesting'.

pete.


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## WISSAGE (May 16, 2005)

The moral seems to be, *keep trying the websites*.
I booked Dover Calais return P+O for £60 about 4 weeks ago. Leaving Wednesday 18.00, return, three weeks later. the offer was, motorhomes same price as a car. This offer disappeared a few days later.
Just checked again it's now £92 for same ferries.
If anyone is around, we are taying Wednesday night on Calias Port.
Bob+Di


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## dusty (May 27, 2005)

Hi All
I wanted to book return tickets on the short crossing, going out on 31/10/05 and returning on 28/02/06. I normally prefer going through the tunnel, certainly at that time of year, as it's quicker and neither of us are great sailors!! I thought I'd try P & O however and went on to their web site. Tried for two evenings to get it to work but it kept crashing on me. When I got fed up I rang and was told that they knew they'd got some problems with it but would I like to book by phone. When I gave the girl the above dates she said she could not give me a price for the return as they had not got prices for february yet!! She was prepared to take my booking for a return date of 14th Jan, which was as far forward as she could quote, at £140 and then I could pay any extra required when I actually returned in february, if the prices had risen. She was a nice lady but I couldn't stop myself laughing. No wonder they're losing business on ferries and having to shut routes down. 
I actually booked through the tunnel for the above dates for £124 return.


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## 89177 (May 16, 2005)

solentviews said:


> Hi. I have just used Norfolkline for my recent holiday. I booked in January for August and it was £88 return plus a supplement of £10 each way as I was 1 metre over 6.5 metres. Found the journey hassle free compared with other lines. Few private vehicles, plenty of room both on the car deck and the lounges. Good food at very reasonable prices. Only slight drawback was finding the port on the return journey as it was not well signposted, unless of course I went the wrong way. Anyone tell me how to get to Norfolk line at Dunkerque easily it would be appreciated. Other crossing prices did reduce but in January were far more expensive than Norfolk line and as I was going out for a wedding needed to guarantee the journey.
> Regards
> Ian


Stick to the autoroute
If you're apporaching from the east it's easy - look out for the large section of walkway (it looks a bit like a small dockside crane) in the field on your right. Sally Line had it installed in a farmer's field in the 1990's for the same reason - everyone kept missing the turning. Take the exit about 500m after you see it and head for the coast (you can see the large container cranes alongside the ferry berth in the distance


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## takeaflight (May 9, 2005)

Have we any conclusions RE: paying on the day as opposed to pre booking the tunnel still unsure whether to book a return date and pay the £30 to change or take the risk and pay on the day.


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## funnymunny (May 13, 2005)

I booked with Norfolkline earlier this year for Sept 14th the cost £108 for a 7.2mt motorhome, we are heading down to Portugal and coming back for xmas, now just a moment ago i booked with them again for Jan 12th out and back march 22nd for £46 !!!!! at that price i will recover my costs withing 3 nights using aires, I dont think i could afford to take that much time in the uk with the cost of sites.


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## solentviews (May 9, 2005)

*Dunkerque (how to find ferry)*

peejay and ramsgateostend, Thanks for info now safely tucked away for my next trip
Ian


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