# Re SpeedFerries



## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

As the result of reading elsewhere here about SpeedFerries, I looked on their website

www.speedferries.com

and they describe two categories of vehicles, namely "Standard car" and "Large car".

I sent them the following e-mail:-

_I'm very interested in your service. However, I note that your "large cars" are 2.9m high by 6.50m length. Many motorhomes are under these dimensions. Does a motorhome equate to a "large car"? I will pass your reply on to fellow motorcaravan owners via press and internet._

and I received the following reply:-

_I can inform you that if a motorhome falls within the measurement of large car (max. height 2,90m x 6,50m length), and is a all-in-one motorhome, it is possible to book it as a large car. We are not likely to increase these dimensions in the future._

Their prices seem very competitive, but I know nothing of their service.

Barry


----------



## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Barry, I got a similar reply when I spoke to them on the phone, and booked for August bank holiday weekend, £88 

Have to admit I'll be taking the Motorhome brochure with me as our height is 2.895  phew that's close.

_Had to edit the price, got the (£88) tangled up with an emoticon, came out at £8_ 

_Look it's done it again._


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

bsb2000 said:


> Have to admit I'll be taking the Motorhome brochure with me as our height is 2.895  phew that's close.


I just checked mine and it just squeezes in at 2.88mt ..I had thought about letting the tyres down a bit though .. lol

Jim


----------



## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Rotten luck for me - mine's 6.85 long. Boo-hoo!

Barry


----------



## brimo (May 10, 2005)

We've just booked for 2nd June £88 return. Brilliant. 8) 8) :lol:


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I wish I had seen this a few weeks ago, I would have saved myself 120 quid! 

pete


----------



## 89987 (May 1, 2005)

This company is a Danish outfit. The prices appear very competitive, and I did a check on the prices and I find they are being honest on the Euro/Sterling on prices. P&O and Eurotunnel are ripping off customers in Britain by not offering the lower Euro prices when starting from Britain and booking on a GBP credit card. Speedferries are being honest on price and full marks for them on this. The actual rate is currently 1.48 and their website is coming in at 1.50...Well done Speedferries, at last we can now cross the channel on a fair deal.


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Speed ferries should be congratulated on their prices, i just hope they dont put the prices up once they get the interest from m/homers. If they continue in the same vein then i cant see there being any room on the craft for any cars! Us m/homers will have taken all the spots.

pete


----------



## 90974 (May 1, 2005)

*re speedferry*

Hi bargain hunters,
Travelled to Boulogne on the new speedferry sevice on the 20th May in normal sized car. Had a good look at the height and access for motorhomes. Loading door is no problem provided that it is fully raised. The clearance height in area that you first come to looks to be just over 3 metres, as far as I could measure with a piece of rod and my own height; in other words the 2.9m restriction allows about 10cms of tolerance but be careful if you are on the limit ,look out for lamps and things set in the roof.
Now for the bad news. The 3 metre high area is small ,motorhomes and tall vans are loaded first,they go in and make a u turn in the first area so that they face the exit door, the rest of the cars then drive through and up a ramp onto the car decks where they turn and form up behind the vans.There weren't any motorhomes on my crossings but I would guess that the maxium they can take is about six.The exit ramp is a bit of a chicane, don't now why, getting on is easy.
The actual crossing was ok but more like 60-70 minutes, this doesn't matter much and it will improve no doubt, but I think the ferry will roll and corkscrew in bad weather, it might be an idea to budget for a change of crossing time if it gets rough.
Hope this helps and I hope Speedferry are successful, the same price for any crossing is a brilliant move.


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

*ferry prices*

 hi ,it said in the daily mail last week i think, that speed ferry's want to be the freddy laker of the ferry company's .just what they need is a wake up call, when i e-mailed them the other week i told them that p&o do specials for caravaner's where the caravan go's free, and that motor homes get a raw deal by comparison and that the first company to address this issue may find moterhomes beating a path to their door,who knows this might be the start of somthing good for all of us
pete


----------



## 88838 (May 9, 2005)

hi strings - glad to see you've attached yourself to the forum   

and thanks for the useful info. looks like we gotta get there early to get a spot!

8)


----------



## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

*Re: re speedferry*



strings said:


> Hi bargain hunters,
> Travelled to Boulogne on the new speedferry sevice on the 20th May ..........etc.


Hi strings

Welcome to the group and thanks for that useful information.

Looks like you're already known to at least one member of the forum but I promise not to hold that against you.


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Has anyone yet taken their motorhome on a Speedferries catamaran?

We're planned to go in a couple of weeks. Be interested to find out if it's as hazardous as the picture that's painted!


----------



## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

watching with interest, sent for their brochure


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Just out of interest about the 2.9 mtr height restriction for speedferries:-

Hoverspeed are, i think, using the same type of craft on their crossings and quote a height limit of 3.1 mtrs. Any ideas why?

pete.


----------



## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Brimo wrote,



> We've just booked for 2nd June £88 return. Brilliant.


Hopefully we will get all the answers when Brimo returns.

Ian (Need reassuring before our August trip!!)


----------



## brimo (May 10, 2005)

Hi All

Just got back from ouir first two week trip to France via Speedferries. We have a Autosleeper Talisman Talbot Express and paid £88 for the RETURN trip. The whole experience was new to us having never taken out van abroad and Speedferries were brilliant    

Vans go on first and getting on wasn't the slightest problem. Marshalls turn you about on the ship and get you to point facing the off ramp. Not a slightest problem in that, you have more problems in your local car park... if you can get in.

You are then free to roam the ship but don't dawdle as the ship rockets along at 40 knots and before you know it the coast of France is looming. Our outward and inward bound journeys took 50 minutes at the most !!

We were the only van outbound but coming back yesterday there were three vans on board. We parked on the dockside at Boulogne the night before ready for our 10.30 am visit. There were another 8 or 9 vans there, all europeans, going elsewhere we can only presume.

The Speedferries shop sold cigs, pefumes and booze, all at what seemed like the prices in the French shops. In fact we bought some cigs at the same price we had paid in the French supermarkets.

In brief then, all we can say is that the Speedferries deal is a great deal with a great service. We'll definiately be using them again and if your van fits the dimensions then go for it folks, you'll save a bomb. We're led to believe that in January next year they're introducing another ship.

Tell you more about our trip when we catch our breath. 8)


----------



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Thats great news brimo,

Nice to see speedferries giving some excellent competition and service in this overpriced sector of the holiday industry. Perhaps the other short sea operators ought to take another look at their prices now.

pete.


----------



## 88742 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks for the feedback, Brimo, feel better about August now


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Brilliant stuff Brimo, thanks for sharing. Off the SpeedFerries way a week tomorrow, can't wait!

First-time user of Speedferries AND Camping Cheque - loving this whole van thing.

Brimo, just out of interest - what are the dimensions of your van?


----------



## brimo (May 10, 2005)

Talisman is 2.718 tall and 5.5 metres long with ladder.


----------



## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

Hi,

Ours is 2.8 metres high & 5.95 metres long. Sailing close to the wind


Motorhomer


----------



## 91425 (May 1, 2005)

*Speed Ferries*

Hi
 Just booked for 11th september for two weeks £88.00 Brilliant 

Paul and Julia


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

motorhomer - if you're concerned about height, don't be.

Mine's 2.85 high, 6.23m long - you'll have no problems. They give you plenty of assistance getting on and off and getting parked too - highly recommended.


----------



## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

stormywhether said:


> motorhomer - if you're concerned about height, don't be.
> 
> Mine's 2.85 high, 6.23m long - you'll have no problems. They give you plenty of assistance getting on and off and getting parked too - highly recommended.


Thanks for the info Stormyweather. Incidentally what day of the week did you book & what time crossing.

Motorhomer


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

motorhomer said:


> Thanks for the info Stormyweather. Incidentally what day of the week did you book & what time crossing.


It was Friday night - 8 days ago, to be precise - and the 9.45pm sailing.

Flawless, and there were only about 50-odd cars on there. And our motorhome!


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Went to Whipsnade yesterday (Saturday 3rd) and had a great time, stopped at a CL/CS nearby that was reasonable.

Anyway, woke up this morning turned on the telly and there was a report about Speedferries on BBC1. Seems things are going fairly well despite some dirty tricks by some other firms. Looking at the film I would think height could be a bit tricky for some but I will be do some careful measuring when we next need to book a crossing!

At least Speedferries are making waves (ha ha it's the way I tell 'em) and hopefully we shall see a bit of a price reduction from some quarters!

:wav:
:wav:
:wav:


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Hello again all!

Being in the "trepidation" camp when waiting to board Speed One, I can say in no uncertain terms that the height limit offered by Speedferries is for their own security only. I checked out the roof of our 2.85 metre-high van from a lot of angles and we must have had a good 60 centimetres clearance at the top.

Obviously you have to heed their official limits but there's nothing to worry about at all, if you're below this.


----------



## Raine (May 10, 2005)

:? ah but is there an upper limit, and a length limit, we are a lowline scout, but were 24 foot plus scooter rack would they take us and how much?


----------



## 91021 (May 1, 2005)

RAINE said:


> :? ah but is there an upper limit, and a length limit, we are a lowline scout, but were 24 foot plus scooter rack would they take us and how much?


The website (www.speedferries.com) says...

wait for it... exciting isn't it...

6.5 metres long

and

2.9 metres high

They describe that as 'a small motorhome' and blows me out of the water so to speak :evil:

I wonder if their 'new' ship will be able to handle bigger MHs?

Tony


----------



## 89537 (May 27, 2005)

Used the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry 2 years ago and believe this is the Hoverspeed 'type' referred to. 
Our m/h is 6m long and 2.95m high - we just got on ! It was a struggle and we were left till last and 'U Turned' on.
Having paid £150 in June to Calais this year, the sums quoted must be good value; but be VERY careful re. dimensions. 

Jimbo


----------

