Save SpeedFerries

ferryenthusiast

LD Lines are offering a fantastic deal at the moment for Speedferries customers.

http://www.ldlines.co.uk/dover-boulogne-fare.html

SPECIAL OFFER on LD Lines and Transmanche Ferries
for users of the Dover - Boulogne route.


Given the actual circumstances, a 75% discount on current fares (not valid on accommodation) will be given to customers upon presentation of a valid ticket booked on the Dover-Boulogne route (minimum £15 charge for 1 car + 2 passengers).

For travel between now and December 17th, customers can turn up at ports (Portsmouth, Newhaven, Le Havre or Dieppe) without booking, minimum 1 hour before departure. The valid ticket will be requested in exchange of the special fare.

For travel after December 17th 2008, please contact our call centre at 0800 917 1201 from UK or 0800 650 100 from France or please send a mail at: [EMAIL="reservation.tourisme@transmancheferries.com"]reservation.tourisme@transmancheferries.com[/EMAIL] to arrange for the bookings. (new bookings only).

Offer subject to availability, valid for travel until June 30 2009 (to be booked before January 31th 2009).

From February 2nd 2009 customers will also have the possibility to book on Dieppe Dover route. (minimum £15 charge for 1 car + 2 passengers).

LD Lines will start its new service between Dover and Boulogne from July 1st 2009.

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Newhaven to Dieppe Timings
Portsmouth to Le Havre Timings

ampersand

Initial hunting is producing grim non-Speedferries price horror.
I'll probably be converting Mr T vouchers for Eurotunnel.

relpet

ferryenthusiast wrote: »

LD Lines are offering a fantastic deal at the moment for Speedferries customers.

http://www.ldlines.co.uk/dover-boulogne-fare.html

SPECIAL OFFER on LD Lines and Transmanche Ferries
for users of the Dover - Boulogne route.


Given the actual circumstances, a 75% discount on current fares (not valid on accommodation) will be given to customers upon presentation of a valid ticket booked on the Dover-Boulogne route (minimum £15 charge for 1 car + 2 passengers).

For travel between now and December 17th, customers can turn up at ports (Portsmouth, Newhaven, Le Havre or Dieppe) without booking, minimum 1 hour before departure. The valid ticket will be requested in exchange of the special fare.

For travel after December 17th 2008, please contact our call centre at 0800 917 1201 from UK or 0800 650 100 from France or please send a mail at: [EMAIL="reservation.tourisme@transmancheferries.com"]reservation.tourisme@transmancheferries.com[/EMAIL] to arrange for the bookings. (new bookings only).

Offer subject to availability, valid for travel until June 30 2009 (to be booked before January 31th 2009).

From February 2nd 2009 customers will also have the possibility to book on Dieppe Dover route. (minimum £15 charge for 1 car + 2 passengers).

LD Lines will start its new service between Dover and Boulogne from July 1st 2009.

---

Newhaven to Dieppe Timings
Portsmouth to Le Havre Timings

I saw this too but presumably the offer only applies to passages already booked where you have printed evidence of dates and times on a Speedferries crossing. There's no suggestion you can use unredeemed vouchers. In any case, how attractive is a four hour crossing from Nehwaven to Dieppe compared to under an hour from Dover to Boulogne? Fingers crossed for a white knight.

ampersand

relpet wrote: »

................fingers crossed for a white knight.

#################
Absolutely relpet.
I find only bonkers prices for little car plus little trailer - all around or well past £200, way beyond my budget.

scaty

In the same boat ( please forgive the pun). :rolleyes:

I have no choice but to go at half terms (- being a teacher) and have found the prices of the 'big boys' outragous. Living in Wales travel options have to add time getting to a port as well as the sea trip, this can really cut into a break. While Speedy was a 4 to 5 hour trip to Dover, it was an hour crossing and at a price which was affordable. (I know people will say Oh goodness the carborn foot print! but try and live my life. )


I do hope like others something can be done to get Speedy back up and running - just to give the big ferries something to think about.


Until then - how many barrels should I use to make a raft????:rotfl:

ferryenthusiast

Ok, probably going to be slated for what I am about to say.

Speedferries failed for one reason and one reason alone. Prices were too cheap for a single fast craft business. If and it is a big if Speedferries return under new ownership then prices will need to rise otherwise the same will happen again. It is no co-incidence that larger operators are withdrawing or scaling back their fast craft operations due to cost versus income.

LD Lines are currently taking bookings for £30 each way on their Dover to Boulogne route for next year and the reason they can offer this like the other operators is because they have freight to help subsidise the car drivers price. This £30 fare, a third of it is lost in taxes alone! Leaving LD roughly £20 to help towards fuel, maintenance, crew costs etc with run into significant six figure sums each year, if not seven.

So for everyone who was paying Speedferries around the £20 mark for a ticket, half of this was going in taxes to Dover and Boulogne. Does not leave much for the company!

The current rumour is that Seafrance is looking at the route, maybe even the fast craft. Either way I can see little to no future in a single fast craft service.

Reference the comment about Speedferries causing the other operators concern, Speedferries have for a long while not caused the other operators anything to think about. More to the point all of them thought and believed that Speedferries would be gone this year following the high fuel prices.

ampersand

Not slated at all fe - all your posts have been judicious and well-informed.
That need not preclude our sorrow for the loss of Speedferries.
Still have to find something for after New Year and back mid/late-Jan.....

scaty

No, not slated fe - I just enjoyed not having to pay sooooo much to travel off this island.


Am thinking of sending my BF over before me, then me catching a bus/train/plane to meet up. have done this previously - and found that splitting us up can be an realistic alternative for half terms - and of course "absence makes the heart grow fonder".:rotfl:


Hey ho an internetting I will go - looking for the quickest/cheapest i can find

itsnever2lateisit?

Well at least "SpeedOne" is back in the UK

itsnever2lateisit?

BBC South East have reported that Speedferries is to be liquidated ( Two potential bidders have pulled out