Ferry vs Tunnel (3 Viewers)

[gus-lopez]

with the noise kids running about parents who ignore them,

On one of the two occasions we have used the tunnel had exactly that with kids smashing through the doors either side of the shutters in front of us. Soon stopped that.

 

[our poppy llll]

We left beginning of August. After many years of using the tunnel we used P and O this year. Dog lounge was great and £230 less than the tunnel so voted with our feet.
If more do the same they might look at their pricing. Return Saturday. Hope it's warm back in UK

On the 14th September I bought a one way P&O Dover - Calais for midday crossing (11.25) this Sunday. £82.00 plus £2.00 environmental.. so paid £84.00
Don’t know yet which way and date we are returning.. but I don’t think £84.00 is a lot.... I don’t think it will be much different when I buy the return..

 

[elwyn horton]

Just crossed on the Tunnel, no waiting, they sent us straight up and on the train, an hour and a half sooner than our booking. That was a 12:24 in the afternoon.
The train was half empty!

 

[VXman]

I know it cost me more and now we’ve lost our last dog,we’ve had 5collies in 50 years of travelling we will still go tunnel £330 +travel insurance ,I wouldn’t put myself through the irritation of the ferry and the people you have to contend with the noise kids running about parents who ignore them,no ill pay the extra whatever it is.

Go on Irish Ferries - It's always a ghost ship when I go on it.

 

[VXman]

I, too, refused to travel by P&O for a couple of years after their disgraceful treatment of their crews. However, travelling on Irish Ferries I noticed that the Captain's "Welcome aboard" speech was delivered with an Irish accent, but the crew members in the food and duty-free shops seemed to be mainly East European. I suspect that Irish Ferries may not be very much better than P&O. Brittany Ferries, though, does seem to me to be staffed by folks with French accents.

Hmmm... I don't think they are allowed to employ based on accent or nationality. Anyone in the EU can work on these boats. Maybe Brittany ferries pay more if French people are willing to work on them - they do ply the more premium crossings.

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[Orion]

On one of the two occasions we have used the tunnel had exactly that with kids smashing through the doors either side of the shutters in front of us. Soon stopped that.

Parents still to this day wandering the tunnel looking for them?

 

[Jon Stewart]

The hovercraft service was always my favourite way to cross the Channel. I think I last used it in early 2000’s. Awesome it was!

Back in the 80's, my family used to park up on Marine Parade (for an early ferry crossing to Calais the next morning), and watch the hovercraft coming and going.

There was nothing to stop you wandering down to it!

 

[Spriddler]

The hovercraft service was always my favourite way to cross the Channel. I think I last used it in early 2000’s. Awesome it was!

And my favourite too. Can't bring myself to erase the nostalgia.

 

[our poppy llll]

On the 14th September I bought a one way P&O Dover - Calais for midday crossing (11.25) this Sunday. £82.00 plus £2.00 environmental.. so paid £84.00
Don’t know yet which way and date we are returning.. but I don’t think £84.00 is a lot.... I don’t think it will be much different when I buy the return..

It was £79.39 for October 28th return, Calais to Dover..
So my return trip has cost £163.49 on a ferry, the cost of the tunnel is £464.00.
That’s a £300.61 difference.. that’s 6 dinners for 2 out or 10 nights on a decent camp site or 20 nights on a municipal camp site.. or 15 bottles of 12 year old Johnny Walker black label. From duty free.. Whoo hoo hic….

 

[tribalbrit]

And my favourite too. Can't bring myself to erase the nostalgia.

View attachment 948198

Went on the hovercraft early 90s I think. Worried motorbikes would fall over and bounced up and down for 30 minutes, needed ear deffenders too as
I remember it.

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[EuroTrotters]

Just crossed on the Tunnel, no waiting, they sent us straight up and on the train, an hour and a half sooner than our booking. That was a 12:24 in the afternoon.
The train was half empty!

only 1/2 full you mean ! ?

 

[our poppy llll]

Just crossed on the Tunnel, no waiting, they sent us straight up and on the train, an hour and a half sooner than our booking. That was a 12:24 in the afternoon.
The train was half empty!

Are you a time traveller, you posted this post at 10.21
2hours 3 mins before you travelled.. whoo hooo can I have Fridays lottery numbers?

 

[garry55]

We travel with 2 dogs and the extra £44 that Eurotunnel charge for them to accompany us is ridiculous.
Although someone has to pay for the pet centre.
We returned from France this year on a P&O ferry, Calais to Dover, for the first time and the cost saving was substantial compared to the tunnel.
It was one of the newer ferries with the dog lounge (excellent facilities for dogs and humans) and is what we will be using on future trips.
Travel time isn't important to us.

 

[Printspark]

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!

Always look at both Ferry and Tunnel price and the Tunnel is always al least £100 more expensive. we use DFDS Dover to Calais or Dunkirk, no problems over the past 20 years.

 

[clonkel]

For those who it applies to. Forces Travel give 15% discount on P&O and 5% discount on Brittany.
Currently serving or vetrans.

Discounted Ferry Crossings for Military - Forces Travel

Forces Travel offers discounted rates on ferry crossings for the military and police from some of the biggest ferry suppliers in the world.

forcestravel.com

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[cyberyacht]

Biggest advantage of avoiding Dover is I avoid the M25 as well.

 

[Minxy]

Currently on offer with DFDS if anyone is interested:

Caravan & Motorhome Offers | Discounts to France | DFDS

Discover our latest offers, exclusively for travel with your caravan and motorhome. Save on your next ferry to France with DFDS.

www.dfds.com

 

[Wh05apk]

I just booked last night with Irish ferries, Dover Calais return 7.9m van and 2 adults, decent times for £180, as much as we loved using the tunnel they were about £360 for similar times, just not worth it.

 

[MichaelT]

Currently on offer with DFDS if anyone is interested:

Caravan & Motorhome Offers | Discounts to France | DFDS

Discover our latest offers, exclusively for travel with your caravan and motorhome. Save on your next ferry to France with DFDS.

www.dfds.com

Same offer with C&CC

 

[andyman]

Just looking at DFDS, looks like they don't run Jan / Feb.

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[Manic]

Newhaven to Dieppe on the noon ferry on 15August for £184 return two adults. A bit of discount in there but I can't remember what. CAMC probably. Cheapest we could get and a useful boost on the way down to Ole de Re

It’s a good price but it’s a long crossing to leave our dog in the van. If we didn’t have a dog we would most likely use it.

 

[Wh05apk]

It’s a good price but it’s a long crossing to leave our dog in the van. If we didn’t have a dog we would most likely use it.

Don't forget you can get 20% discount if you are over 60.
We went Newhaven/Dieppe last year, but have just booked Dover Calais, as cheaper but also times more convenient, if we get a daytime crossing to Dieppe, by the time we arrive it is about time we would be looking to stop for the day, so feel we loose a day.

 

[Barryh]

It's not just P&O though. Irish Ferries a couple of years earlier. Condor Ferries much before that.

P&O management, together with their HR and PR departments all got badly called out, unlike the others previously.

Channel crossings is a highly competitive market. I'd be surprised if the employment terms at any of their competitors is great either.

I'm booked on DFDS in 3 weeks time to come back across the channel from our current Scandinavian trip, but wouldn't expect their seamen's pay and conditions to be much better than P&O or Irish Ferries.

I believe it's also the same for the Philippino crew on most cruise ships.

If you buy anything sourced in China, the Philippines, most of South East Asia, you're tacitly supporting an exploited workforce. I'm not saying it's right, but it's an unfortunate and increasingly unavoidable fact of life.

I was chatting to one of the crew on a P&O ferry a couple of months ago. From memory I think he said they used to do 12 consecutive weeks onboard then had a short time off. Now they do 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off. During his 3 weeks off this chap would fly to Goa to see his family. He seemed very pleased with his current situation.

 

[Joethejoiner]

Currently on offer with DFDS if anyone is interested:

Caravan & Motorhome Offers | Discounts to France | DFDS

Discover our latest offers, exclusively for travel with your caravan and motorhome. Save on your next ferry to France with DFDS.

www.dfds.com

Assuming you can't claim your 20% discount when you book this way ?

 

[gus-lopez]

Although someone has to pay for the pet centre.

Why? DFDS do it all when you check in without me even getting out the van at Dunkirk?

Just looking at DFDS, looks like they don't run Jan / Feb.

Year round dover to calais

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[garry55]

Why? DFDS do it all when you check in without me even getting out the van at Dunkirk?

DFDS don't operate the pet centre at the Eurotunnel.

 

[MichaelT]

DFDS have manned check in booths Eurotunnel are automatic.

 

[andyman]

Why? DFDS do it all when you check in without me even getting out the van at Dunkirk?

Year round dover to calais

Just checked again, nothing after 5th Jan.

 

[Minxy]

Assuming you can't claim your 20% discount when you book this way ?

The 20% discount is only on the Newhaven to Dieppe route, not Dover.

 

[gus-lopez]

Just checked again, nothing after 5th Jan.

It must be not released yet as Calais is the same. They both run year round & dunkirk is mainly freight.

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