Great "Cheap Ferry Tickets": Comparison and booking tips.

JimJamYahaa

Bit of a different approach, but Majestic Wine in France offers to pay for your ferry (Seafrance) crossing when you pre-order off their website, MajesticinFrance. You need to spend £300 but it's a great way for you to get a free trip to France and get some nice wine as part of the bargain. Oh and in answer to someone's question earlier they'll give you money off the eurotunnel if you prefer.

There's a link on the hompage that explains all the details, sorry it won't let me post the link on here.

gunnyandbob

We regularly use Norfolk Line to Dunkirk..good prices and no surcharge if you make it to the port for an earlier crossing. Very clean, good meals.TIP..often the cost is less to pay in Euros with many companies.TIP..use a day return ticket but stay on and book a separate single/return.How can they enforce a penalty for NOT using the return leg?

stixman7

gunnyandbob wrote: »

We regularly use Norfolk Line to Dunkirk..good prices and no surcharge if you make it to the port for an earlier crossing. Very clean, good meals.TIP..often the cost is less to pay in Euros with many companies.TIP..use a day return ticket but stay on and book a separate single/return.How can they enforce a penalty for NOT using the return leg?

I've used Norfolkline the last few trips to France, and found them excellent. The boats are spacious, modern and clean, and quite importantly cheap. The coffee's nicer than most of the other muck which is dearer on other routes too!

I have tried your scheme several times over the years, which basically means booking 2 seperate day returns, using the second to return at a later date. I have found that the threats and checks have got stronger the last 3 years, and so haven't taken the risk to be turned away with a young family. However, I guess that you are right by asking how they can legally enforce a penalty, even though they do threaten to take it from your credit card details they hold if they catch you out.

Whether this has been implemented, I don't know, but I would like to. If they really cannot do anything about it, then I'm up for the 2 day return bookings again!

Eurotunnel have gone off the chart with their price increases, but I must say that it is a brilliant service; driving straight off the train onto the autoroute is effortless. At today's prices, it really is not worth it for me.

Most of the comparison sites seem to be working together, and is not always clear. To obtain their best "from" prices, you have to spent ages putting in individual times on most of the sites, and even then, I've never been able to access these prices.

SeaFrance can be as cheap as Norfolkline at times, but the Dunkirk option is now my preferred route with NL. It adds around 10 miles to your journey if you are heading south, but hey, the autoroutes are such a doddle to drive on, it's no real inconvenience.

Don't get caught out at the ports where they will be pushing their travel packs, as these can amount to at least 3 times the price you can pick up at Lidl's or even Halfords and other automotive shops. Warning triangles, high visibility waistcoats, beam deflectors, spare bulbs and first aid kits are mandatory to travel at least in France now, as I believe a fire extinguisher might be too. It's worth checking before you go.

curlytail

TiTheRev wrote: »

Im hoping to use the Eurotunnel in a few months, are there any special deals for it that anyone knows of or has used recently?

TIA

If you collect Tesco vouchers you can use these on various crossings. We used them to take our motorhome over to France vi the tunel last year. The cost was £160 - we used Tesco vouchers and paid £40.

We have also used them for when we go over to Ireland next month.

njb286

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

Isle of Wight ferries run by Wightlink, which sail from Lymington and Portsmouth can be paid for using Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

Are there any ways to save money with Wightlink? I'm planning on using some Tesco's vouchers but we're visiting the MIL and are booked into a campsite Saturday to Saturday in August and the ferry's going to be £160!:mad:

Ali_UK

Wightlink are always very pricey compared to Red Funnel Ferries (who run out of Southampton, which may not be convenient for you however). That said August is a busy time for the Isle of Wight ferry companies so they use the opportunity to make up for the leaner months!

Pippilongstocking

Anyone know of any good deals with Scottish ferries - we live on Orkney - have 4 ferry companies and as yet there's not a real benefit/cashback for using any other company but the actual ferry company.

We do get a discount and have often got offers for friends a family - 6 discounts twice a year we can give to friends or family - so if anyone is coming ot Orkney out of season you can PM me and I can send you my discount link until I have used my allowance.



Also - a question - we are hoping to go to France in the summer via Hull - any idea of best options?

mintymoneysaver

njb286 wrote: »

Are there any ways to save money with Wightlink? I'm planning on using some Tesco's vouchers but we're visiting the MIL and are booked into a campsite Saturday to Saturday in August and the ferry's going to be £160!:mad:

Not that I know of. It is cheaper to go from Southampton with Red Funnel but they don't take the Tesco vouchers. As I pay for it all with my vouchers it's worth my while doing it that way...If you play around on the Wightlink website ( even though they won't be the right prices as you have to pay full fare for using vouchers) and are prepared to go earlier/ later in the day you will shave a little bit off it ( Think it drops after 3.30 pm on the return journey)

The Isle of Wight in August is VERY popular... so they can pretty much charge what they want!

simonlang

Hi,
I live in france and work in England, and I can quite categorically say thet Transmanche /LD lines has "at the moment" the most comprehensive routing and the cheapest pricing for any of the "long" crossings. Now they have started their loyalty scheme, you build up LD Miles for each journey you make, and the result is every tenth (or less) journey is free. You also get free accomodation upgrade offers regularly. The staff and service is excellent, and you are not paying for entertainment/discos/casinos like on Brittany Ferries. The comments about the Chairman posting replies personally is very true, but the customer service department takes complaints very, very seriously, and takes steps to put things right, but keeps the person with the complaint very well informed on the steps they are taking. If they feel that the complaint is due to a staff failure (very rare) you are virtually guaranteed to get your next crossing free of charge. For a smaller company, they are setting standards (and prices) that the "Big Boys" will never be able to rival.

No I do not work for nor am I connected with LD/Transmanche, but I do recognise Value for money and good old fashioned service.

Give em a try. www.transmancheferries.com or www.ldlines.com

Regards

Simon

John_Pierpoint

Hi Simon welcome aboard.
Nothing personal but I've seen newbies complaining that the system will not let them post links - very strange.
I might well give LD a try later this year, just to arrive round the corner from Calais in Boulogne - like the old days of the P&O caravan special..