Ferry vs Tunnel

[Shrimp]

Two of us and the dog.
Looking at crossing prices to France and back to uk, ridiculous Tunnel prices!
How many of you lot have voted with your feet to use a ferry instead of the train, with or without a dog (or two)?
Ferry (at the day/time we’ve selected £253.
Tunnel (as above) £383.
No contest!

 

[rb62]

First time in years we're back on the ferry next month

 

[Lenny HB]

Going on the Ferry Newhaven/Dieppe next Wednesday £194 Return a bit expensive but I only booked it last week, a friend on the Tunnel end of last week £214 Single.

 

[Brains]

All depends on where you are going.

We live under 70 miles from Dover.
We never use that crossing.

For: Spain/Portugal we use Plymouth
For: Western France we use Southampton/Portsmouth
For: Germany/Italy/Eastern France we use Harwich

The only reason I'd use Dover would be for the Paris, Belgium area.

 

[Barti Ddu]

P&O now have pet lounges on their Dover Calais crossing - so no need to leave Fido on the car deck either.

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[Phill D]

Distance/ ease of travel to the port of embarkation along with ease of travel with the dog are key considerations for us.

I would no more consider leaving the dog on the car deck either in the van or in a kennel, than I would our kids when they were young.

Cost is in the equation but it’s not the key driver for us.

 

[Flairy]

We’ve been going on the tunnel since the beginning mainly because of the dogs it’s so easy just sit there35 mins and your away,we once went on p&o the dogs took a week to recover,the noise the movement,we book early and there’s not much diffence in price.

 

[Barti Ddu]

We’ve been going on the tunnel since the beginning mainly because of the dogs it’s so easy just sit there35 mins and your away,we once went on p&o the dogs took a week to recover,the noise the movement,we book early and there’s not much diffence in price.View attachment 947378

We also used to use the tunnel exclusively because of our border terrier.

However, the newish P&O pet lounge provides a decent alternative. Dogs get VIP treatment - free biscuits, exercise area, etc., and humans get unlimited bean-to-cup coffee or cold drinks on the crossing.

https://www.poferries.com/en/routes/dover-to-calais/onboard/pet-lounge

Sadly our border terrier passed away at fifteen and a half years earlier this year, so no longer a consideration for us.

 

[MisterB]

Harwich to Hook of Holland is fast becoming our go to crossing ... It helps that we're under 30 mins away of course ..

 

[LesW]

Use the tunnel every time, can't be doing with the long crossing via ferry.

Cost is irrelevant, convenience is more important to us, plus we take our cat and he stays in the van with us.

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[Kirsten]

We use the tunnel and Tesco points so it becomes cheaper than the ferry . In France at the mo , came from Newhaven on ferry for a change, was a very long crossing imo and costing us same as trip to France on tunnel in December . Also we were made to park right next to ferry wall, and joy of joys our only cab door sometimes doesn’t work well from outside , bloody thing wouldn’t open ! we had to shimmy n squeeze into the hab door which only opened a couple of inches ..

 

[Two on Tour]

We will be using the ferry when we have used the last of our Tesco vouchers.

 

[bigtree]

Did Irish Ferries on Saturday, much improved since our previous crossing and better than P&O in the past.

 

[G7UXG]

We’ve not used the tunnel for well over 12 months. They’ve become too expensive just to save an hour or so each way on a six week trip. We’ve used P&O and been quite pleased with them so far.

P&O do a season ticket and I bought a pack of 3 returns early this year. We’ve used all three trips. Cost about £227 return for an 8.1 metre motorhome. Added to that, with the season ticket you get the flexibility to change your bookings without extra charge. If you cancel, it just gets put back into the account. We’ll probably buy another set of 3 very soon.

P&O pet lounge looks good. Not been in it because we don’t have a dog.

 

[gefsal]

We use Tesco vouchers to bring down the cost of tunnel, what we don't understand is each time we've used the tunnel over the last 12/18 months it's been practically empty? Why don't they reduce the prices and fill it up?

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[EuroTrotters]

I used the Tunnel and Irish ferries for the 1st time in 12 years. Tunnel was best, we have used it twice. But it's a Royal pain to get to. It was 9 hours driving in July Folkestone - Manchester

Came back from Spain into France and used St. Malo - Portsmouth recently. So much easier to get home to Manchester 3 hours 50 mins.

I miss the Zebrugge route

 

[Riverbankannie]

once went on p&o the dogs took a week to recover,the noise the movement,

Used P&O dog lounge last week. It was clean and roomy, each doggy “family” having own seating area with water bowl and help yourself to hot drinks or bottled water/cola in fridge. Just missing the biscuits

 

[EuroTrotters]

Harwich to Hook of Holland is fast becoming our go to crossing ... It helps that we're under 30 mins away of course ..

and it can be very reasonable price wise

They just refurbished the ships too !

 

[Grianan]

£354 return on tunnel travelling out on a Sunday back on a Saturday in October. Including a dog. It’s ok whilst working but when we retire we’ll probably look at alternatives.

 

[Carpmart]

Tunnel for me… so much easier and convenient… tried Dieppe to Newhaven in June.. not for me the boat lark!

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[WillH]

Having worked aboard ferries for 5 years, and in ferry management for a further 10 years, I use the tunnel.

 

[dunnah01]

Went back to ferry about 3 years ago. Half the price of the tunnel and pretty much the same trip time with all the hanging around prior to actually starting the crossing by train or boat.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I have just booked Hull-Rotterdam for

£435 Return Including 4 Overseas Site Vouchers
Inside 2 berth Cabins
7m Motorhome

 

[Brize]

OK, you pay a bit more for the tunnel, but the sheer speed and convenience makes up for it. Check in 45 mins beforehand, and 80 mins later you are on the A16 leaving Calais.

Only ferries we use now are to Spain, Sicily and getting around Scandinavia.

(Writing this on the ferry to Bilbao!)

 

[Lenny HB]

Out of interest just checked Dover Calais on Irish ferries a few quid dearer than Newhaven/Dieppe and it would add nearly 400 miles to a round trip if we are heading South West.

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[Odd job]

We always use the tunnel, it's much better with dogs and Mrs. Odd get very bad seasickness. We generally only do 1 trip to Europe a year. The extra cost is not a big worry considering the total cost of the trip, similar to do you use tolls?

 

[Googlebot]

Perhaps I am unusual, I always leave the dogs in the van on ferries. It’s their home, is familiar to them and doesn’t have other dogs or kids running round them. They have fresh water and their own beds.

I wish I could join them.

We dumped the tunnel this year, ferry was £200 cheaper and you can still use Tesco vouchers on Irish ferries.

 

[Bobbejaan]

I would no more consider leaving the dog on the car deck either in the van or in a kennel, than I would our kids when they were young.

When he was younger, I would have preferred to put my lad in the kennels, rather than the dog.

 

[LithiumConvert]

When they do a tunnel to Cherbourg ...





we wil still go by boat.

 

[Joethejoiner]

We’ve been going on the tunnel since the beginning mainly because of the dogs it’s so easy just sit there35 mins and your away,we once went on p&o the dogs took a week to recover,the noise the movement,we book early and there’s not much diffence in price.View attachment 947378

Quite right if it doesn't suit the dogs but there is a substantial difference in price . I always check . Travelled on tunnel once with van just to experience it , don't think the price difference was so marked then . Usually about double now .
My tesco vouchers are about 97p worth !

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