Booking P&O ferry at last minute - is it more expensive?

[Peter Clark]

Taking MH on first overseas road trip in January - intending to use P&O ferries to Calais - would like flexibility to decide departure date at last minute.

Two questions - Can anyone enlighten me?

Q1) Can't find any clear information on whether it costs more to book a day or two before sailing.

And if it does cost more, is it a little or a lot?

Q2) From what I can see - booking one way seems to be almost identical price to booking return - is that correct?


(As a former motorcyclist with lots of Tesco vouchers, I haven't used a ferry since the tunnel opened - but their prices are silly for a MH)

 

[denisejoe]

It’s a lot more booking last minute when we have looked

 

[funflair]

We have always booked through the C&MH Club and found them a lot cheaper than P&O direct.

 

[Lenny HB]

Depends on how busy the ferries are, if not very busy you get a cheap deal, if nearly full it's expensive.
It's pot luck really, due to circumstances we have had to book at last minute a few times and had to pay loads of money and other times it's been really cheap. C&CC give 10% discount and you often get a wider range of times at the cheaper rates.

 

[Peter Clark]

Depends on how busy the ferries are, if not very busy you get a cheap deal, if nearly full it's expensive.
It's pot luck really, due to circumstances we have had to book at last minute a few times and had to pay loads of money and other times it's been really cheap. C&CC give 10% discount and you often get a wider range of times at the cheaper rates.

Does the busy/not busy depend literally on how much empty space there is that day - and/or on a particular ferry?

I’m thinking that picking a weekday at a less popular travelling time would give the lowest cost?

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[HeidiF]

Taking MH on first overseas road trip in January - intending to use P&O ferries to Calais - would like flexibility to decide departure date at last minute.

Two questions - Can anyone enlighten me?

Q1) Can't find any clear information on whether it costs more to book a day or two before sailing.

And if it does cost more, is it a little or a lot?

Q2) From what I can see - booking one way seems to be almost identical price to booking return - is that correct?


(As a former motorcyclist with lots of Tesco vouchers, I haven't used a ferry since the tunnel opened - but their prices are silly for a MH)

We travelled P&O one way from Calais in October and booked 4 or 5 days before we travelled (£93). Out of interest, the evening before we left I had a look at what it would cost to book the same ferry and the price was nearly double! So I think that as long as you book more than 24 hours before you travel it will be pretty reasonable.

 

[Peter Clark]

We travelled P&O one way from Calais in October and booked 4 or 5 days before we travelled (£93). Out of interest, the evening before we left I had a look at what it would cost to book the same ferry and the price was nearly double! So I think that as long as you book more than 24 hours before you travel it will be pretty reasonable.

At £93 I presume that was a one way booking?

Which seems to confirm it doesn’t cost any more booking one way tickets than booking a return at the outset - is that your experience?

 

[HeidiF]

At £93 I presume that was a one way booking?

Which seems to confirm it doesn’t cost any more booking one way tickets than booking a return at the outset - is that your experience?

Yes, it was one-way. And we’ve never booked a return ticket so can’t be sure how it compares, I suspect the difference is negligible and there’s something very liberating about not having a fixed return date!

 

[Peter Clark]

Yes, it was one-way. And we’ve never booked a return ticket so can’t be sure how it compares, I suspect the difference is negligible and there’s something very liberating about not having a fixed return date!

From what I can see in getting prices quoted online - one way and return seem to be virtually identical, certainly to within a pound or two.

Agree that no fixed return date is ideal for a relaxed trip

 

[Alan]

We tend to book when we’re near Calais for next day sailing and find it reasonable and when we’re travelling from Dieppe we just turn up at the port for the next available boat and with pensioners discount it’s never outrageous

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[GrahamnSue]

Once had to book a P&O crossing at the last minute and when I queried the price I was told that if you are booking within 24 hours they know you have to travel so the price was double.

 

[Suenliam]

No advantage booking a return trip. They always price it as two singles anyway in my experience.The only difference in price is assessed by the time of travel or day of travel.
Sue

 

[Spriddler]

......in January........

I doubt that there'll be much dynamic pricing impact on fares in January.

 

[Spriddler]

Yes, it was one-way. And we’ve never booked a return ticket so can’t be sure how it compares, I suspect the difference is negligible and there’s something very liberating about not having a fixed return date!

That would terrify someone whose post I've just read who said that they couldn't possibly go away without having planned a set route and pre-booked all sites.

 

[Dorwyn]

I stopped usind p&o decades ago, swore I'd never use them again. We received a call that my brother was on his last legs, so dashed back, arriving a day early for our booking. We arrived just in time for the next ferry and joined the end of the queue. They refused me passage and said I had to go right round to the ticket office and had to pay the extra fare, which was now double. I then had the pleasure of watching the nearly empty ferry disappearing in the night. I was furious and said I'd never use them again. The receptionist shrugged and said, that's fine, there's plenty of alternatives! So I use them. The tunnel.

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[Suenliam]

Dorwyn - similar to the way they treated their staff. We refuse to use them for that reason and your experience confirms our opinion.
Sue

 

[Mother Ship]

At £93 I presume that was a one way booking?

Which seems to confirm it doesn’t cost any more booking one way tickets than booking a return at the outset - is that your experience?

Check your motorhome and health/travel insurance as most insurance only covers you if you can prove a return date. Both times I made a claim the first question I was asked was what is your return travel date and I had to send proof of ticket.

 

[VXman]

We always travel Irish ferries. I have monitored and checked prices and it's never been more expensive to book later. We tend to book a day or 2 before. Saves money on booking a flexible ticket. Plans unlikely to change with only a day or two to go.

I have found Irish ferries the cheapest of the Dover - Calais crossings over the last few years.

 

[denisejoe]

We always travel Irish ferries. I have monitored and checked prices and it's never been more expensive to book later. We tend to book a day or 2 before. Saves money on booking a flexible ticket. Plans unlikely to change with only a day or two to go.

I have found Irish ferries the cheapest of the Dover - Calais crossings over the last few years.

Irish Ferries haven't even got their timetable out yet! It still only goes up to 4 January 2024. Not much use when you want to book a ferry later in the year.

 

[Barti Ddu]

We travelled P&O one way from Calais in October and booked 4 or 5 days before we travelled (£93). Out of interest, the evening before we left I had a look at what it would cost to book the same ferry and the price was nearly double! So I think that as long as you book more than 24 hours before you travel it will be pretty reasonable.

Exactly our experience too. We don't book a return crossing, just an outward, and then book the return leg about 5 or 6 days before our planned return. Our last single crossing back home at the end of October 2023 (6 metre PVC, two people, one dog, including pet lounge) was £111 with P&O. Out of interest, we checked the price again the day before, and it was significantly more expensive, so as HeidiF suggests, as long as you book a day or two in advance you'll pay a standard rate.

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[VXman]

Irish Ferries haven't even got their timetable out yet! It still only goes up to 4 January 2024. Not much use when you want to book a ferry later in the year.

Hmm...The whole point of this discussion is in the thread title 'LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS'.

Anyway - that aside. I never see the need to book in advance, A couple of days before is fine. There is always space (unless maybe you need to go at peak holiday time but that doesn't apply to me) As said above - then there is no need to pay extra for a flexi ticket as you are unlikely to need to change or cancel if you book last minute.

Edit: by the way - just checked . Irish ferries are taking bookings up to March 28th.

 

[Peter Clark]

Irish Ferries haven't even got their timetable out yet! It still only goes up to 4 January 2024. Not much use when you want to book a ferry later in the year.

Checked Irish Ferries - currently priced around £10 more than P&O.

 

[Peter Clark]

Hmm...The whole point of this discussion is in the thread title 'LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS'.

Anyway - that aside. I never see the need to book in advance, A couple of days before is fine. There is always space (unless maybe you need to go at peak holiday time but that doesn't apply to me) As said above - then there is no need to pay extra for a flexi ticket as you are unlikely to need to change or cancel if you book last minute.

Edit: by the way - just checked . Irish ferries are taking bookings up to March 28th.

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Yes I’ve got the message now - booking a few days before departure no problem - and no point booking a return, keep your options open.

 

[VXman]

Checked Irish Ferries - currently priced around £10 more than P&O.

Interesting. For me it's between £100 and £104 on Irish Ferries on a typical weekday in January whereas P & O is £107-£120

2 adults 7.5 metre van.

 

[tonka]

If booking single / one way tickets check your travel insurance first.
Some do have a clause in the small print that return trips must be booked.

We always used to book singles before being told about the above, often we would book 24-48 hours before.
I have heard horror stories of people having to rush home and buying on the day or at the port, they know you need to travel and prices are usually high.

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[Peter Clark]

Interesting. For me it's between £100 and £104 on Irish Ferries on a typical weekday in January whereas P & O is £107-£120

2 adults 7.5 metre van.

1 adult - 6.3 metre van - And price has gone up from £97 to £105 since yesterday

 

[Brains]

After the way they treated their staff a year or two back
(Fired them all and then employed some of them back at a lower wage and replaced the rest with Phillipinos)
I will never travel by P&O until the management is replaced.

 

[MichaelT]

After the way they treated their staff a year or two back
(Fired them all and then employed some of them back at a lower wage and replaced the rest with Phillipinos)
I will never travel by P&O until the management is replaced.

Irish ferries did the same a few years ago so P&O had to follow suit to compete.

 

[Brains]

Irish ferries did the same a few years ago so P&O had to follow suit to compete.

A race to the bottom is not the way to compete.

I also seem to remember Irish Ferries did not get let off Scot free, both the Irish Government and EU intervened.

 

[MichaelT]

A race to the bottom is not the way to compete.

I also seem to remember Irish Ferries did not get let off Scot free, both the Irish Government and EU intervened.

I agree but just pointing out its hypocrisy to use Irish ferries as they are cheaper and not p&o because of the way they acted when they both as bad as each other. Maybe its why eurotunnel can't compete now.

I was always opposed to minimum wage as all it does is set a low bar for wages and does not encourage firms to pay more to attract staff but it has stopped (mostly) sweat shops .