cheapest way to cross the channel?

jetcat

hi, just wondering if anyone knows of the cheapest way to cross over to Calais? as a single parent, i have never been abroad before, and am finally going on holiday with another single parent so we can split the cost! we are going to a holiday camp at Berny-Riviere which is approx 150 miles from Calais. As the costs are already mounting up, i am looking for a cheap way to get there. my friend is flying with her two children, but i am probably going to drive, as when i worked out the cost of flying, taxis to and from the airport (60 miles each way!) and then the inconvience of not having a car while we are there, i think i will drive. BUT, i live in the north east, so it is going to be a long journey. (am on the lookout for a cheap DVD player for car to keep daughter amused!!!!!) ebay here i come!

cheekymole

http://www.speedferries.com

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Post-It-Note_3

Do you have your Tesco clubcard deal tokens? £2.50 in tesco points can be changed to £10 of p&o tokens and £10 stena line! BARGAIN!

spursman

SWIM (before you rant look at the date)

cheekymole

spursman wrote:

SWIM (before you rant look at the date)

:rotfl: very funny spursman but the joke's on you if it's after 12 noon!!!!!!!!!

and the joke's on your anyway if you're a spurs fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: (don't take offence!)

gunnyandbob

We used to travel over leaving in the morning, but a cheap day (non) return costs about £25 car and occupants and then we stopped in a hotel in France for a lot less than it costs here.(look up France Hotel Reservation on the net).See below too.

Also cross over with your fuel very low, fill up in France on arrival and before leaving, it's cheapest at Carrefoure supermarket in Calais.Usually cheaper off motorway, and at other supermarkets on your route.

If stopping overnight, look up Premier Classe Hotels on the net. There are others too, all close enough to motorways and very cheap and clean,( you can include a simple breakfast). It's about Euros38 for the room (double bed and bunk overhead, with a private shower and loo )and about 6 Euros for the meal.

I've always ignored the P&O threat to charge a lot more on your credit card if you do not make the return journey.So far, it's been Ok.And I'd like to know how they could justify that in a court.Booking return...try specifying Euros currency, it's often cheaper , can be 50% less.

Watch the colour code for the French motorways on your map, one for free of charge and the other is tolled.If you have a credit card, use it to pay the tolls, because its a lot quicker and card companies do not make individual transaction charges for this, at least mine does'nt.

Oh yes, getting back...book one way with any other company.

spursman

cheekymole i will take offence us Spurs fans should be pitied not mocked

Thackeray

We went to that La Croix site last year. We also live in the North East. I wouldn't worry too much about the drive. Nothing much in the immediate area offsite but the site itself is lovely, nothing like you get here.

jetcat

thanks thackeray. any idea how long it took to drive? and how did you get across? i am wanting to go to first world war cemetries etc when there, so need the car. also, daughter wants to go to disneyland!! (i hear that the park put on a bus to paris and disneyland - is that true?)
have only £5 clubcard vouchers (haven't been a member for long) so at least that will be something. i got a quote from the eurotunnel website, £170, so £150 with vouchers. does that sound about the right price, or can i get it cheaper. there is only me and my daughter in the car. i was thinking of getting national express over (£72) from London, and then hiring a car (£170), but nor really sure. point of doing that was that i am nervous of driving in france, and at least going on NE, i can get used to roads etc. or am i just being a wuss!!!

lowbrim

That is very useful info do you book the return before you go or do you just turn up at the dockside and hope

Thackeray

jetcat wrote:

thanks thackeray. any idea how long it took to drive? and how did you get across? i am wanting to go to first world war cemetries etc when there, so need the car. also, daughter wants to go to disneyland!! (i hear that the park put on a bus to paris and disneyland - is that true?)
have only £5 clubcard vouchers (haven't been a member for long) so at least that will be something. i got a quote from the eurotunnel website, £170, so £150 with vouchers. does that sound about the right price, or can i get it cheaper. there is only me and my daughter in the car. i was thinking of getting national express over (£72) from London, and then hiring a car (£170), but nor really sure. point of doing that was that i am nervous of driving in france, and at least going on NE, i can get used to roads etc. or am i just being a wuss!!!

You might notice that was my first post on here and I'm probably not the person to ask about money saving tips. We generally pay over the odds for the ferry. I'm here to learn too.

I know other stuff though.........if you drive the same speed as me (around speed limit, not fast) reckon on four and a half hours to London, an hour and a half to Dover and then three hours at yon end. We had an eight year old and a one year old with us last year and it wasn't uncomfortable at all.

We nearly always get the ferry, it's a really nice break to the journey if you're travelling from 'The Far Corner', and the kids love the boat; you can do the whole 'white cliffs of Dover' 'first one to see France wins a croissant' thing. I know it can be daunting the first time but I honestly wouldn't worry about the 'other side of the road' thing. Basically you come off the ferry and you're forced into the right lane, and then it's amazing how naturally everything switches to the opposite. Some of the signs are unfamiliar but with alert children you really shouldn't have a problem. Actually the signs around Calais are in English too for obvious reasons, so you get a 'lead in'. Buy a road map in the UK before you go, you can get Euro road maps here for buttons in those 'The Works' type places, but they don't seem to have equivalently cheap ones in France.

One thing to bear in mind re cost is the motorway from Calais to La Croix is what the French call 'peage' i.e. toll roads. I reckon it was about £20 each way. Or you can do it on minor roads, but it'll take you longer.

The camp definitely does bus trips to EuroDisney, Asterix and Paris. We didn't use it though so I can't tell you about cost etc (we'd already been to Florida Disney last year so I put my foot down about going to the Euro one again). Disney's great though, there's not a kid on Earth who doesn't love it. We've been to EuroDisney before, we just used public transport trains from Paris Centre and no problems.

As I say the site is great, you'll have a great time. It has a huge indoor pool if the weather happens to be unkind. The site is fantastique for kids, it's actually huge but doesn't look it because lots of the parts are screened from each other. It's got a big boating/pedalo lake and loads of outdoor play stuff. There's a supermarket on site but the Carrefour in the village is, as always, a better bet. Thinking about it the camp is actually a little difficult to find, follow the route given on their website, don't be tempted by what look like shortcuts.

You'll have a great time man woman man. Enjoy.